"Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

Im gonna lay this down the best i can, i posted about it before but i figured i would have fixed it by now seeing as all the parts ive replaced, which i'll explain below.

The problem: When going anywhere from 2-10 mph or in between or under, backing out of driveway speed or pulling into garage speed lets say (which is where i always notice it) there is a very noticable "Pop" sound when I apply the brakes, no certain pressure or point in the brake pedal that it does it, just as soon as i hit them. It sounds louder on the driver side, but i have heard it on the passenger side as well. Whatever this is, its directly related to the brakes, somehow or something that moves during braking.

Parts just recently replaced: (Less than 1k miles on them)

All parts replaced includes both sides replaced and all was replaced at the same time.

- Front lower control arm bushings, including shock fork mount bushings.
- Radius rod bushings
- Upper control arm pivot bushings
- Front lower ball joints (Brand new OEM)
- Driver & passenger side axles (3 different sets were used all together, sound occured with each of the 3 sets installed)
- Front brake calipers (replaced with Cardone reman's)
- Outer tie rods


Pop sound still occurs, i had 16 year old bushings anyway so there was no harm in replacing them, nor any other parts i replaced, but i assumed during all that the pop sound would have been eliminated, but I was wrong.


WHAT could this be. To me it could only be a very limited number of things, but I dont know where to start next. Hoping someone has had this problem and fixed it previously to give me the answer without me troubleshooting and failing anymore.

1. Upper control arm ball joint? I dont see why this would be moving under braking or make a pop sound anyway, possible?
2. Brake pads are somehow moving? They fit tightly into the shims when i reinstalled them and werent loose side to side in anyway before i let the caliper back down over them, so that doesnt SEEM likely, but its another possibilty.
3. Inner tie rods? I dont see how this could pop either, but the boot is torn on the driver side and they are sloppy, but no play in them moving the wheel side to side, just sloppy as in when the outer rod is disconnected it just falls straight down with no stiffness at all.

I am replacing the steering rack soon and that includes new inner tie rods/boots so that will be out of the equation as well.

When i bought the car it was stock height on stock struts and I cannot remember if it had the same problem or not, i lowered it temporarly on skunk2 springs with the stock struts but i dont see how this would cause it either, im replacing them with koni/gc soon anough it was just a temp non-4x4 fix, could that have anything to do with it either?

ANY insight on this would be greatly appreciated. $5 paypal to someone with a answer that i try and it fixes it whether im buying new parts or not lol


thanks in advance. :thumbup:

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

audible pop like popcorn or a thud pop that you can feel in the steering wheel?

could be the splines on your CVs, they been inspected? at higher speeds they would be stressed enough to not move, and would be rested enough at lower speeds to jiggle around a little, total shot in the dark tho

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

check rotors, & loose suspension parts.

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

suspension:spring

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

Said in the OP that ive used 3 sets of axles and it did it with all 3 sets, thanks for the pitch in though to help.

Rotors? What could cause it to be rotors? All the suspension parts are torqued down, its deffinetly not something loose. What would I be checking the rotors for? They're secured with 2 retention screws before the caliper was on.



What?


Now that I think a little more on it (cars getting painted right now, cant drive it right now to get into extreme detail) but i believe I could FEEL the pop in the brake pedal and its very audible outside the car. I rolled backwards in my driveway with my head out the window and its very loud outside the car as well as inside.


Come to think of it, I BELIEVE i tryed going forward, hitting the brakes, then turning the car off and rolling down the driveway and it NOT making the sound, but only when the car was turned on that it would make the sound, that sounds odd but i believe thats what happened, i cannot remember 100% exactly, but i will double check all of this that im saying once i get the car back monday or tuesday

When you buy front brakepad sets (Such as Hawk street pad set) does the set come with the upper and lower pad shims to hiold them in place? If it comes with all the new hardware, i may replace the front brake pads before anything since that could be used to im sure since idk when they were changed last. The front/rear rotors are brembo drilled/slotted btw.

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

Bumpppp

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

ideasss?

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

bump.

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

maybe the mount in the back of your motor is missing a bolt and your motor is shifting when you brake.

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

Sounds unlikely because then it would either pop or pop louder than normal when accelerating which it does not, it only does it when i hit the brakes at lower speeds.

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

piston movement? maybe caliper it stuch until enogh force forces it to move binding the slide bolt or piston itself. Very uncommon problem. Never heard this one before, hope you figure it out.

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

Same problum here, caint figure it out either.

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

subscribed...

i'm in the same boat as well.

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

My upper balljoints were bad and I was getting a similar pop, but it wasnt just during braking

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

Hmm so other people have this random problem too. The brake calipers and all hardware including the slide bolts that mount the caliper are all brand new and i used plenty of grease on the slide bolts when i installed them too, so i dont think it has to do with that. The only thing I can really think to do next is replace the brake pads and all the shims but that doesnt seem likely either really.

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

So the pop only occurs when you are reversing and applying the brakes? Does it happen every time or just once in a while?

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

You have rear drum brakes? I had this problem on my civic. Loud pop when braking in low speed and happened a lot when in reverse. My brake lining came off my rear shoe on my rear drum brakes and it was back there banging around inside the drum. Just a thought if you have drum brakes?? Goodluck

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

I don't know about you, but I've never seen an Integra with drums...
:P

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

Ha yeah.. guess i forgot what thread I was in!! :thud:

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

Does it when reversing and going forward, only at speeds under probably 10 MPH, i never hear it otherwise. Happens everytime, if i go reverse, itwill do it. If i stop, hear the pop, reverse again, it doesnt do it again. If i do it twice and only hear the pop one out of those 2 times, i go back forward and it happens again. If i hear the pop, go back forward again, it doesnt do it. So something is moving or something of the sort, and then popping back in the other direction once force is applyed back to the original position it was in, is the best i can tell from it anyway.

The best guess i would have would be radius rod bushings, but the 16 year old OEM ones did it, and the brand new ES ones do it as well, so it cant be that.

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

i have the same problem in my integra. i have also had this problem in a crx as well. but anyways the car brakes awesome at high speeds. i do agree that there is less stress on some parts at lower speeds. i dont hear any noises when i brake at high speeds or even low speeds in a parking lot, usually just when im backing out of the driveway. thats my .02 cents

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

Yeah same here. I do recall one time i was driving thrugh a parking lot and almost went past the row i needed to go down, so i reversed and hit the brakes to slow down to turn left into the row and it popped, it usually only starts up when reversing, dont believe ive heard it do it if im going forward and hit the brakes if i didnt reverse first.

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

I know this is an old thread but seems allot of people had this issue and I am now having it to and would like to know if anyone came up w a fix.

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

I have the same problem and have taken my car to 3 shops all can not figure it out or the popping noise does not occur all the time.

i actually change the axles thinking if it not the arms, nor the ball joint, not the brakes (all new) hell i guess it the axles lol. WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Call the deal where the car has been service at for 7 year ( I am the second owner) they recommended to check the Motor mounts hmmmmmm just might be the key to this puzzle. they said it has been know to allow the engine to shift while braking and on take off. i will post the result once i check them..

First is to make sure they are tighten plan be will be to replace them but if i see enough play in them,,,,, i have notice a small vibration.

but i know it is not my wheel nor the rotors, all are new and just got it aligned and balanced.....

just tiered of the guessing game... good luck to all!!!

Re: "Pop" sound during low speed braking
 

Bump. i Got the same deal.