Rear brake rattles

[colinrob]

The rear brake pads rattle every time I hit a bump any ideas how to stop this?

[tahiti450]

Are you sure its the pads? Even if they were a tad slack in caliper I cant imagine you would be able to hear them whilst driving! There are myriad things that could rattle at the back (or anywhere for that). Worth getting under the car with wheels off (on secure stands of course) and checking all and sundry (esp exhaust / antiroll bar mounts etc). Can't imagine its likely, but check that the cailpers themselves arent loose on the hubs. other things, suspension mountings / bushes, drive shafts, springs (? broken coil), shocks, every nut and bolt, fuel pump bracket, pipework, handbrake cable, something loose in the boot (under the tank?)........etc etc.

[GreenV8S]

If it was the pads, the noise would go away if you touch the brakes gently, but it can be hard to do this for long enough to be certain. Alternatively, pull the handbrake on gently while moving. Not hard, just enough to take up the slack in the mechanism and drag the brakes slightly. Don't go too far like this, but 30 seconds or so is no problem and should be enough to confirm whether the noise is coming from the brakes.

[colinrob]

Yes it is the brakes because as I was driving I put the brakes on, away goes rattle, went out in it today and the rattle seems even worse any ideas how to resolve it

[shpub]

Get it checked. Could be the disk or wheel coming loose. Chcek that the wheel nuts are tight and that the wheel is seated correctly. Could also be a cracked or fractured disk or even a broken brake pad.

[nztrev]

Check that the pad retainer clip(dont know if thats the right word,but its the small piece of wire that go's into the pad holding it taught in the calliper) is'nt broken,this will cause a rattle when unbraked.

[colinrob]

Thanks for the replies I don't think wheels etc are comming loose as I have noticed the rattle over the last 4 to 6 months just lately it has been very noisy it was serviced in December about 1000 miles ago and there were no concerns (asked them to check rattle at rear) also took it to another specialist and asked them to check rattle at rear again nothing, its really bugging me now but too cold to get under car will take it back to specialist to diagnose

[dse444]

Had the same rattle with the pads chattering away over the bumps.

Turned out the spring retaining clip at the top of the caliper has lost its sprung. The clip has to be squeezed through a gap and should then spring back to apply pressure on the pads. Mine just didn't spring enough so you could still jiggle the pads by hand. New clip solved the problem.