Joined: Tue Oct 06 2009, 09:37AM
Location: Paris, KY
Posts: 1496
This is related to the thread I started about my front drums. Whenever I firmly apply the brakes I get a knocking sound from the front of the car that I can feel through the pedal. Except for the drums all of the other parts of the brake system are brand new. Hoses, metal lines, wheel cylinders, brake shoes, power booster and master cylinder are rebuilt.
If I am braking gently it does not make the sound. I don't know if it's related or not but when the car is making the knocking sound, my speedometer needle bounces in time with the noise.
I have gone over everything and I can't see what's causing it. I had someone I trust look at it and other than the front drums he can't find anything wrong with it either. The car stops as well as anything from the 1960's with drum brakes ever stops but I've never had this happen before. My '67 never did this in the whole time I drove it.
I had a problem like this on my right rear brake. It was a ticking, clunking sound, that pulsed up through the pedal.
Turned out to be the backing plate where the shoes rub - the lowest one on the front of the plate was worn/grooved, so the shoe wouldn't slide, but would catch and clunk. I had to weld it up and then mill it flat again.
Joined: Tue Oct 06 2009, 09:37AM
Location: Paris, KY
Posts: 1496
Krautmaster wrote ... I had a problem like this on my right rear brake. It was a ticking, clunking sound, that pulsed up through the pedal.
Turned out to be the backing plate where the shoes rub - the lowest one on the front of the plate was worn/grooved, so the shoe wouldn't slide, but would catch and clunk. I had to weld it up and then mill it flat again.
Maybe I'm looking at this all wrong. I haven't pulled the back brakes only the front because that's where I'm perceiving the sound. Thanks for the pic of the brakes. The last time you posted that somewhere I saved it and printed it off when I rebuilt the brakes. Now if it should turn out to be the backing plate, I have spares from the '67 car.
Check all the wheels for bad pads on the backing plates... also, if you have a front sway bar, check the bushing where it connects to the suspension rod-I had a bad one that clunked upon stopping.
Joined: Tue Oct 06 2009, 09:37AM
Location: Paris, KY
Posts: 1496
john66ny wrote ... If the speedo's jumping, maybe something is moving on the firewall that shouldn't be - triple-check the booster????
Ever since the car was resurrected, the speedo jumps until the car gets to what feels like 35-40 miles an hour and steadies a bit and then registers about 20 mph too fast for its actual speed. I had a cable to go in it, but Auto Zone sent the wrong size so I couldn't use it and I cleaned up and relubricated the old cable and put it back in.
I thought of the booster at first, and checked it and it seems to be as tight as Dick's hatband. Is it possible the speedo cable housing is slapping against something and it's not even my brakes at all? While I'm checking everything else, I'll see if the cable housing needs to be attached to any kind of clip on the body.
Joined: Tue Oct 06 2009, 09:37AM
Location: Paris, KY
Posts: 1496
Krautmaster wrote ... Check all the wheels for bad pads on the backing plates... also, if you have a front sway bar, check the bushing where it connects to the suspension rod-I had a bad one that clunked upon stopping.
I only wish I had a front sway bar. I'm going to see if my car has the brackets for the front bar that I saw pictured in brucewon's sway bar thread because that is an upgrade that's high on my list once the knocking is sorted out.