has anyone ever heard a popping noise from thier brakes? my old pads (frictionmaster ceramic junk) had the backing plates on them shift. they were folded on one side like the pad shifted in the caliper. i got some new ones that have a built in backing plate and when i took them off the other day the paint was chipped up like they were shifting in the caliper when i hit the brakes.

the popping noise comes when i hit the brakes. if i roll forward and hit the brakes i hear a single pop. then if i roll forward and hit them again i don't hear it. if i back up a little bit and hit the brakes again it'll pop. then forward and it pops again. its almost like the pads shift and make the noise in the direction i'm going then have to shift in the other direction before they'll pop again. its about as loud as if you were to take a hammer and tap on the rotor. it's not really loud but with the radio off you can hear it.

i have brand new brakes front and back and they work as they should but i have this noise that has me concerned.

 

I wonder if your caliper is starting to freeze up. Might try taking it off and spraying your favorite oil on it.
I assume this is in the front???

 

Sticking caliper piston can do that, but you should never spray oil onto a caliper as it can eventually get on the pads and contaminate them. Clean the piston up with brake cleaner as it may be gummed up with brake dust. Make sure the caliper is sliding freely on the mounting pins, as well. If it binds on one side it can also make a popping noise when applying the brakes. You may be ready for a rebuilt/replacement caliper.

 

the pins are clean and the boots that they go through are greased and moving freely. if i had the pads off and hit the brakes would the pistons push all the way out or do they have a stop built into them? if the pistons have a stop on them i would assume that i could press the brakes with the pads off to extend them and pull the boots back to lube them with some brake grease and be good to go.

 

There is nothing to stop the pistons from being squeezed completely out of the bores, but it would probably take several pedal motions to get them to go that far. In operation, the pistons move about a 1/16" or less.

 

so how about if i took the inner pad off, do you think the rotor would keep the pistons from pushing all the way out but get them far enough to put some grease on em?

 

Grease won't help. The piston is designed to be lubricated by the brake fluid. There is a big o-ring in the bore to keep the fluid in and the dirt out. The part of the piston on the outside of that seal is exposed to the brake dust and other debris, but it is a small part of the overall piston. Sometimes, the exposed part can get so caked with brake dust that it inhibits how the piston retracts into the bore. Cleaning is what's called for, but if it is galled or the seal is damaged replacement is often the only cure. You can remove the pads (caliper off the mount) and have someone gently press on the brake while you hit the piston with cleaner. You will need a large c-clamp to get the piston back in enough to put the pads back in. Just do it slowly so that the piston doesn't come all the way out of the bore. You have about an inch of safe travel to work with depending on how worn your pads are. Good luck.

 

If you have the caliper out and you have removed the pads so you can see and clean everything, stick a 2x4 in the opening and that should stop the caliper from going too far, and keep your fingers away from any potential danger.

 

i'll see what happens in a couple days when i take the wheel back off, thanks for the suggestions.