Knocking sound when Im braking

[Chad]

So Ive recently done work on my 1996 Honda Civic LX, automatic, 1.6 4 cylinder. New air filter, new plugs and wires,and a new fuel filter along with oil change and new oil filter. The car runs and drives great but when i start to push on the brake pedal, i hear a rapid knocking noise from the right rear side. The knocking get slower when i come to a stop. The brake pedal also feels soft. Could it be a loose adjuster or brake rotor? Thanks

Topic

[Daniel]

You’re positive it’s rear disc? If it’s rear drum it sounds like you may have a leaking wheel cylinder.

[Bill]

If the car has drum brakes on the back it’s likely there is a drum out of round. Replace them or have them machined round, adjust them so there is a slight drag and the noise should go away.

Make sure nothing is loose inside and that there is a good amount of friction material on the shoes.

[Lorrin Barth]

If it is disc you may have a cracked rotor.

[EricTheCarGuy]

Sounds like it’s time to inspect the suspected wheel for issues. Anytime you have a noise like that it’s a good idea to put your eyes on it. More info here.

http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-brake-problems

http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/diagnosing-noises-in-your-car

Good luck and keep us posted on what you find.

[Chad]

I took the right rear wheel off and inspected the drum brakes and all of the springs and the adjuster. I also cleaned and brushed off all of the dirt and brake dust and put the wheel back on. After that i took the car for a test drive and the knock went away. I guess it was just really dirty.

[EricTheCarGuy]

Sometimes rust gets knocked loose and gets in the way of the moving parts. Road debris can also cause this. I recommend a periodic brake service to inspect the friction material and lubricate all the moving parts about every 30K or so. It goes a long way to help prevent issues like this.

I don’t have a video on drum brake service yet. That’s something I hope to remedy in the future.

Thanks for the update and for using the ETCG forum.

[Chad]

Thanks. Im gonna put new pads and drums on the car as well.

[Bill]

It would be a good idea to replace all the springs also.

[Chad]

The car has disc brakes in the front and drum in the rear. I checked the wheel cylinders and theyre not leaking any brake fluid. I cleaned up everything and now the knocking went away.

[EricTheCarGuy]

Glad to hear you got it sorted out. Check back with us if the problem comes back. Thanks for using the ETCG forum.

[Author]

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