You all have helped me in the past so hopefully someone knows the answer to my newest "issue". '01 Accord 4D EX....121K miles

For several months my left front brake sometimes develops a chirp-chirp-chirp(or click-click-click) noise when you first take off from a stop. Noise gets faster as you speed up, and stops when the brakes are applied. It seems to do it more as the brakes get hotter. It will do it for just a quarter mile or so after leaving a stop light/sign and then it quits.

I've had it apart several times but have found nothing. Last night I took it apart again and this time I found something sorta strange(an anomaly?). I noticed that one of the pins that holds the caliper has a rubber tip on it. It's sort of a grommet or big o-ring looking thing. Could be my imagination, but this pin seemed to be slightly smaller diameter than the other pin. The other pin also has 3 flats down the entire length of the pin(the pin with the o-ring does not have these "flats").

After messing with the pins a while, I realized that I could not push the pin with the o-ring all the way into the hole in the bracket it goes it. The o-ring/grommet was sealing tightly inside the hole. You had to compress the air trapped in the hole to push the pin in. Was VERY hard to push in all the way. Almost impossible!

So at least temporarily I just removed the rubber o-ring thing from the pin, greased them up real good, and put it all back together. I did not notice the chirping on the drive to work this morning, but only time will tell if noise is gone.

Here's my theory....As the brakes heated up, they heated the (trapped)air behind the caliper pin(one with the rubber). The heat expanded the air, pushed against the pin, and held the caliper to the inside(holding the outside pad against the disk). Does this theory sound possible or does it sound like BS? Has anyone ever heard of this or had this issue? Does anyone know exactly what the rubber thing on the end of the one pin is for??

Was gonna go talk to Honda dealer about it but it's hard to get away from work. Would appreciate any help/opinions you all could offer.

David

 

Uhh.. Wierd.. Anyways.. Correct me if I'm wrong but. One of those caliper slide pins are suppose to have a rubber grommet on them. I'm pretty sure it's there for some sort of sound deadening. As for the chirp.. I'd have to hear and inspect it myself to be sure. As for problems with sliding in the slide pins.. Try applying some Sil Glyde on the pins and then clean out those holes before sliding in the pins...

 

Thanks for the reply.

Yep, that grommet is obviously there for some reason but I have no idea what it's purpose is. I did not notice any noise at all after taking it off. I did clean out the holes...but that made the grommet seal up even tighter inside the hole. Maybe the grease I had previously used made the rubber swell up or something. But the other side seems to be fine...this is only happening on the driver side caliper. Used the same type grease on both sides. Maybe this has absolutely nothing to do with the chirping, but I can find nothing else wrong with it.






Modified by dragracer7383 at 12:40 PM 11/28/2006

 

Well, so far so good. Still no noise.