Hello,

Today (and only today) I noticed a knocking noise when I brake. Specifically, it "knocks" when I release the brake pedal. I can't confirm this, but I think the sound only comes from the front driver side. In the past few days, the temperature dropped drastically (30's to subzero) here in Michigan and we got a bunch of snow this past week, so I'm wondering if that has anything to do with it? Also, I changed the front pads and calipers as well as the rear pads recently, but they were noise-free until today.

Any idea what might be the issue? I read that it could be loose pads, but if that were the case, wouldn't the noise be present right after changing the pads?


Thanks in advance!

 

A noise over the internet is always a bit tricky.

Can you re-produce the noise just sitting still....press the brake, release, repeat? Or at slow speeds, backing up and down the driveway.

 

The noise doesn't occur when the car is still. In any event, it seems to have fixed itself. Thanks for the input!

 

If there is play in the pads/caliper bracket then it is common to hear a knock or a click when initially stoping whether in forward or reverse. The pads are sliding up or down depending on direction and will creat a sound when they come into contact with the caliper frame. It that is when you are hearing it then good, it means that the pads are free in the caliper frame. If you were hearing it continually while applying the brake then it would need to be looked at. Glad that it cleared up, just keep your eyes/ears on it.

 

So the noise comes back intermittently. Is this something I should look into (ie. is it a safety concern) or should I just let it be until it gets warm again?

 

Loose ball joints or tie rods can do this. Get the wheels off the ground and check if anything down there is loose.