Front brake clunk solved!
Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2013 7:29 pm
Hi all,
My Passat TDI has done just under 200k and just started the dreaded front brake clunk a few weeks ago. This would only happen at slow speeds and the car also made a lot rattling and banging when going over small bumps.
After doing some inspection I found my OS lower rear control arm had slight play in the bush so I changed this thinking problem solved.
Wrong!
Next I checked the brake pads after reading about these becoming loose in the carriers. I had only just changed my pads and discs a month early using GSF cheap pads (costing £23.50). When I removed the caliper I found the outside pad had about 1mm play up and down and the inside pad clips had become loose in the piston. I used a tip from the Passatworld forum and hit top and bottom of all my pads using a center punch to swell it making it fit the carrier better. All was good for a week till the clunking began again
Reading some other forums again for advice I had a choice of changing all the front bushing or try some better pads, so Friday I bought some Bosch pads from Euro car parts (costing £32) and job done! No clunk and a massive improvement in braking. The pads I had removed had now come apart from the anti rattle plates and had also worked themselves loose in the carriers again.
So I would now advise anyone else to spend a litte bit more on pads and not buy cheap poo.
Hope this helps others before they change all there front bushes and waste money.
My Passat TDI has done just under 200k and just started the dreaded front brake clunk a few weeks ago. This would only happen at slow speeds and the car also made a lot rattling and banging when going over small bumps.
After doing some inspection I found my OS lower rear control arm had slight play in the bush so I changed this thinking problem solved.
Wrong!
Next I checked the brake pads after reading about these becoming loose in the carriers. I had only just changed my pads and discs a month early using GSF cheap pads (costing £23.50). When I removed the caliper I found the outside pad had about 1mm play up and down and the inside pad clips had become loose in the piston. I used a tip from the Passatworld forum and hit top and bottom of all my pads using a center punch to swell it making it fit the carrier better. All was good for a week till the clunking began again
Reading some other forums again for advice I had a choice of changing all the front bushing or try some better pads, so Friday I bought some Bosch pads from Euro car parts (costing £32) and job done! No clunk and a massive improvement in braking. The pads I had removed had now come apart from the anti rattle plates and had also worked themselves loose in the carriers again.
So I would now advise anyone else to spend a litte bit more on pads and not buy cheap poo.
Hope this helps others before they change all there front bushes and waste money.