Click from when braking. Not head race or wheel bearings.

[c_dug]

Hi All,

I have an annoying click when braking, I have eliminated the following:

Forks are not bottoming out.
None of the panels are moving.
Brake callipers are not moving (recently did pads so was worth a check)
Head race is fine
Wheel bearings are new


I'm after any suggestions of what it may be, and any ways of eliminating certain things. My friend (the_godfather) suggested it may be my fork bushings, any way of checking this without stripping the forks? I am off on a mini Eurotrip at the beginning of September so ideally I want to get it sorted before them.
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[G]

What about pads in callipers?
Brake discs 'floating'?

For the fork bushes, I would get someone to push the bike forward with the brake on, then hold your thumb where the stanchion goes in to the leg and see if you can feel it moving forward.

[c_dug]

I didn't check the pads but to be honest the way the callipers are designed doesn't give them anywhere to move to. Disks are not moving, checked them earlier.

I should add, maybe 1 in 20 times I get a re-click when I accelerate from a complete stop as if whatever clicked when braking is shifting back into place.
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[misscrabstick]

My best guess is undersize/poorly made pads moving about in the caliper body/on the pins.

[Clutchy]

My disks move about 1-2mm forward/backward, mechanic said not to worry, they sometimes do, and that I had loads of life left in the actual disc... Anything to be worried about?



I mean its only brakes right


Makes a knocking noise like you're describing.
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[numpty2]

It sounds exactly like what I had on my CB250 Nighthawk.
My brake pads are like this, with a hole in one end:

https://www.wemoto.com/bikes/honda/cb_250_m_n_p_r_t_w_x_y_1_two_fifty_mc26/91-03/picture/pads_front_ebc_standard_gg_type/

There is a pin in the brake assembly that goes though these holes and keeps them in place.

In my case, the brake pads had worn a groove in the pin, such that the pads could move around quite a bit. I don't think it was dangerous as such, but it was the cause of the clicking.

I changed the pin, and the clicking has gone, very nearly. I think the holes in the pads had also worn away a little, hence they can still move a bit more than they should. I will change the pads soon.

Bear in mind that brakes are supposed to move a bit anyway.

[flumpy7]

Hi

I had this exact thing on my zx6r. I took the pads out and retaining clip out and put them back in again and the noise disappeared. About 6 months later it started happening again....i took the pads and clip out again and then put them back in and they're not making any noise again. Go figure. Anyhoo, obviously nothing too much to worry about if thats where the noise is coming from.
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[G]

[flumpy7]

[c_dug]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the suggestions, I'm 90% sure it isn't the brakes, they are a different design with no locating pin, there isn't actually any place for the pads to move front to back and the pads themselves are less than 1000 miles old so they are not moving side to side.

As for the disks, I gave them a tug earlier and didn't notice and particular movement, I will check again tomorrow for front to back and rotational movement, I was really feeling for side to side when I checked.

To be honest I think it's barking up the wrong tree looking at the brakes at all, it feels more like it is the suspension or something between the road and my hands to me. I'm not why I feel like it is the suspension/headrace/handlebars/wheel, maybe I'm getting a feeling through the bars or something when it clicks? Either way I'm not consciously noticing it so it's just a gut feeling.
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[cb1rocket]

[G]

How did you check the steering bearings, just to be sure?

[c_dug]

Got the front wheel off of the floor with a second person (No centre stand) and turned the bars/wheel left and right feeling for any notchyness. Then gave a waggle backwards and forwards checking for any play. Then got on the bike, held front brake and bounced bike as hard forward as I could to try and highlight anything I may have missed.

As it goes I think the floating part of one of my callipers may be the culprit here (yes yes I know I said I was sure it wasn't the brakes!) I had only checked the main body of the calliper previously, yesterday I gave the floating part a wiggle and there was quite a bit of movement.
____________________
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[G]

I would check the head bearings like so:
Get one person to sit on the bike holding the front brake on.

Place your thumb against centre of the top yoke on the headstock so it's touching both the frame and the yoke.

Get the person on the bike to push forward (and pull backwards) and see if you can feel movement between the two parts with your thumb.

[chris-red]

+1 I'd re check the head bearings.
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[barrkel]

I've had two sets of steering head bearings changed. Both times the bearings were not fully seated when initially tightened, and got better seated over time, leaving a little bit of click on heavy braking.

One of the mechanics I got to tighten up the head bearings - I was touring, didn't have full tools with me - mentioned that he usually overtightened the bearings when installing them precisely because of this.

Were they replaced recently?
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[c_dug]

Nope I think I've done 7000 miles on this bike now and ive not changed them.
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