2011 F150 - Clunking while braking
06-24-2018, 03:10 PM
#1
2011 F150 - Rhythmic Clunking while braking (Video Included)
***Solution at the bottom***
I recently installed new brakes on all 4 corners. Factory Motorcraft rotors and pads.
During the test drive, i felt some clunking in the front, drivers side wheel while applying the brakes. The Clunking is rhythmic and seems to match the tire rotation.
See the attached video for sound and frequency.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OWmB_FUSHk&=&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exfwHeFRymc&feature=youtu.be
What are your thoughts?
-I replaced the caliper today, nothing changes
-Swapped brake pads from Drivers Side to Passenger side, no change
-Pads are oriented correctly with Dog Ears on the inside
Problem Solved:
Two things were needed.
1. Just drive it. Initially, I had driven only a short distances (quarter mile or so), while getting on the brakes harder than normal to test them. By driving 8~ miles down the road to the shop, in normal traffic driving, I didnt ever trigger the clunk clunk clunk. It truly required more force than normal driving calls for.
2. Excessive buildup between hub and rotor. Clean the hubs good. I cleaned them good, but it wasn't good enough. Not sure the accuracy of the claim, but the concept is there...as little as 3,000ths of an inch deviation of the rotor will be noticable in the brake pedal. So a tiny amount of rust or contaminant could create the feeling of an out of round rotor.
Good luck if you ever have this issue, it was very frustrating and doesnt feel definitively solved, even though the noise is gone. We never found a smoking gun, just small things that may have contributed...
I recently installed new brakes on all 4 corners. Factory Motorcraft rotors and pads.
During the test drive, i felt some clunking in the front, drivers side wheel while applying the brakes. The Clunking is rhythmic and seems to match the tire rotation.
See the attached video for sound and frequency.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OWmB_FUSHk&=&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exfwHeFRymc&feature=youtu.be
What are your thoughts?
-I replaced the caliper today, nothing changes
-Swapped brake pads from Drivers Side to Passenger side, no change
-Pads are oriented correctly with Dog Ears on the inside
Problem Solved:
Two things were needed.
1. Just drive it. Initially, I had driven only a short distances (quarter mile or so), while getting on the brakes harder than normal to test them. By driving 8~ miles down the road to the shop, in normal traffic driving, I didnt ever trigger the clunk clunk clunk. It truly required more force than normal driving calls for.
2. Excessive buildup between hub and rotor. Clean the hubs good. I cleaned them good, but it wasn't good enough. Not sure the accuracy of the claim, but the concept is there...as little as 3,000ths of an inch deviation of the rotor will be noticable in the brake pedal. So a tiny amount of rust or contaminant could create the feeling of an out of round rotor.
Good luck if you ever have this issue, it was very frustrating and doesnt feel definitively solved, even though the noise is gone. We never found a smoking gun, just small things that may have contributed...
Last edited by ahlbe1cl; 06-29-2018 at 10:45 AM.
06-24-2018, 06:33 PM
#2
Follow up. As you can see in the second video, this appears to be happening at a frequency of once per wheel rotation when the brakes are applied.
Next things to troubleshoot:
- Dust Shield, inspect for interference
- Swap left and right front tires, eliminate the wheel as a potential problem.
Update:
- Dust shield does not appear to be interfering
- Front wheels swapped, problem persists.
Again, this is happening at a frequency of 1 clunk per tire rotation. In the video, pay attention to the timing of the clunks and the location of the wheel weight for reference. It appears to be happening rhythmic.
Next things to troubleshoot:
- Dust Shield, inspect for interference
- Swap left and right front tires, eliminate the wheel as a potential problem.
Update:
- Dust shield does not appear to be interfering
- Front wheels swapped, problem persists.
Again, this is happening at a frequency of 1 clunk per tire rotation. In the video, pay attention to the timing of the clunks and the location of the wheel weight for reference. It appears to be happening rhythmic.
Last edited by ahlbe1cl; 06-24-2018 at 07:48 PM.
06-24-2018, 07:51 PM
#3
King Hater
If it didn't do it before then it's clearly something you did during the install.
Are you sure the parts are correct for your year of truck?
Are you sure the parts are correct for your year of truck?
06-24-2018, 08:17 PM
#4
Parts as were ordered through Rock Auto and all part numbers were validated against that at other auto part websites to verify. I’m very confident that the parts are correct.
06-24-2018, 08:28 PM
#5
Senior Member
Did you put the pads on the right sides?
06-24-2018, 08:39 PM
#6
Yes, Pads are oriented inside and outside (dog ears inside, smooth top outside), but I have not seen any orientation for left or right side of vehicle. The obvious exception is the rear pads which have a left/right orientation.
To test this, I swapped the pads between left and right and still had the same exact rhythmic clunk.
To test this, I swapped the pads between left and right and still had the same exact rhythmic clunk.
06-25-2018, 07:20 PM
#7
Update:
I once again took the wheel off, removed the caliper, bracket, pads and rotor. I inspected everything, ran a straight edge against the rotor and found that it’s flat with no high or low spots. I ran a micrometer around the rotor and it measures 34mm all around. No issues.
After reassembling, I took for a test drive and the same noise occurred. I’m starting to think that this may not be related to the brakes. It would be a weird coincidence that it occurred at the same time as brakes but I’m left with no other logical reasoning.
I have an appointment on Thursday at the local dealership. I’ll let them sort it out.
I once again took the wheel off, removed the caliper, bracket, pads and rotor. I inspected everything, ran a straight edge against the rotor and found that it’s flat with no high or low spots. I ran a micrometer around the rotor and it measures 34mm all around. No issues.
After reassembling, I took for a test drive and the same noise occurred. I’m starting to think that this may not be related to the brakes. It would be a weird coincidence that it occurred at the same time as brakes but I’m left with no other logical reasoning.
I have an appointment on Thursday at the local dealership. I’ll let them sort it out.
Trending Topics
06-26-2018, 08:04 PM
#8
Update:
With the advise of a friend, it was suggested that ABS could be acting up. As a test, I pulled fused 36 to disable ABS. I can confirm that the clunk remains...it appears that this noise is not related to ABS.
With the advise of a friend, it was suggested that ABS could be acting up. As a test, I pulled fused 36 to disable ABS. I can confirm that the clunk remains...it appears that this noise is not related to ABS.
06-29-2018, 08:52 AM
#9
Problem Solved:
Two things were needed.
1. Just drive it. Initially, I had driven only a short distances (quarter mile or so), while getting on the brakes harder than normal to test them. By driving 8~ miles down the road to the shop, in normal traffic driving, I didnt ever trigger the clunk clunk clunk. It truly required more force than normal driving calls for.
2. Excessive buildup between hub and rotor. Clean the hubs good. I cleaned them good, but it wasn't good enough. Not sure the accuracy of the claim, but the concept is there...as little as 3,000ths of an inch deviation of the rotor will be noticable in the brake pedal. So a tiny amount of rust or contaminant could create the feeling of an out of round rotor.
Good luck if you ever have this issue, it was very frustrating and doesnt feel definitively solved, even though the noise is gone. We never found a smoking gun, just small things that may have contributed...
Two things were needed.
1. Just drive it. Initially, I had driven only a short distances (quarter mile or so), while getting on the brakes harder than normal to test them. By driving 8~ miles down the road to the shop, in normal traffic driving, I didnt ever trigger the clunk clunk clunk. It truly required more force than normal driving calls for.
2. Excessive buildup between hub and rotor. Clean the hubs good. I cleaned them good, but it wasn't good enough. Not sure the accuracy of the claim, but the concept is there...as little as 3,000ths of an inch deviation of the rotor will be noticable in the brake pedal. So a tiny amount of rust or contaminant could create the feeling of an out of round rotor.
Good luck if you ever have this issue, it was very frustrating and doesnt feel definitively solved, even though the noise is gone. We never found a smoking gun, just small things that may have contributed...