Does anyone know if there was more then 1 size pads used on 4 wheel disc brakes?
I still have a major rattle and it's definitly the pads. The inside ones are loose. I've put in new pins, bushings, springs in the front and the pads are like new. Brakes work fine, just that SOB'n rattle can be heard blocks away.
Thanks for any help. I'm stumped.

 

I'm pretty sure the front pads and the back pads are different from each other. I think there is also the base pads and then the performance pads for 1Le setups. thes pads are really small, and twice the price.

 

Sounds like the problem I had!!!! For the back brakes, did you check to see if the hold down clips were present for the inner brake pad? One of mine came off, and I know exactly when, cause I heard it go "ting ting ting" as I took a corner hard.

Check it

Also... when I got my brakes done, I had the parts already, but my 1988 GTA has 1987 Brakes... I guess mine was an early 1988 model... so maybe your's is the same?

 

silicon!!I think the older non PBR setups use the same pads as the front and back..I have an 87 IROC with the 9 bolt and discs and it uses the same pad as the front..

Daz

 

I guess that was what I was wondering, if the pads on the car are to small. But, sounds like it could the hold down clips. If it's suppose to have them, there are none there.
After I got tried of messing around with them, I did have a mechanic look at them. He determined the pins were the wrong ones, cause the calipers were actually loose on the rear. So, replaced the pins and the bushings, with bigger pins. Everything is tight now, except the inside pads.
Just with my fingers, I can wiggle the inside pads and get the rattle noise.
Front and rear pads look the same.
I have heard the pads needed to be siliconed to the piston.
Is there a difference between 1987 & 1988? I wouldn't know.
Wish I had time to check it all out again, but I'm gone for the weekend. Guess I'll have to live with it a couple more days.

 

Get some silicon and stick that sucker on... no need to suffer needlessly...

Another thing is, if the front and rear pads are the same (I wouldn't know I got drums... fun fun fun when you gotta fix it...)

If they are the same, you should have a clip on the inner pad that keeps it wedged to the piston. They ususally don't sell them with the replacement pads so perhaps it just got tossed by accident. I always reuse my clips. Newer design pads come with clips these days.. worked on a friend's grand am.. had the clips attached... lucky sob... I cut myself once on my clips... now I wear mechanic gloves for any job I do.. scarred hands no more...

 

The 1987 style rear discs have a clip that holds the inner pad to the piston. Its nothing like the front inner pad clips... very very different. These are a flush mount clip... If you want, I think I have the part number for these clips, because I just got them replaced.... they are almost 20bux for 2. Yes silcone will work, but for how long? If my clip came off, how long will silicone last?

 

Silicon is there for the rattle..I think buying new clips is an investment thats well worth it...lol

Daz

 

Ahhh... clips will solve all rattles coming from those pads.. It's a horrible rattle isn't it 16th?

 

Hey guys.
Thanks for all the info. Nathan, I could use the part # if you have it.
I just spent the weekend in Barrie. It's quite a happening place ( not hard to be, compared to Tillsonburg..loll )
Anyway, nothing but, Rustangs, tons and tons and tons of Ricers and a rattling old GTA.
Barrie has lots of brick and cobble stone streets, kinda embarrassing.
I need to go back in a couple weeks, gotta get this fixed.

 

Ahhh!! Brake pads! That's gotta be the source of my rattle, too - it's REALLY loud, it it not..?? Like....I hit a bump, front right side...clankkk! jingle jingl....something to that effect. Thanks guys, never would of thought...I was thinking bushings somewhere. Woo!

 

Azure, next time you're on a bumpy road or train tracks coming up, put a little pressure on the brake pedal. If the rattle is gone going over the bumps, chances are it's loose pads.

 

I was gonna grab my receipt olast time i was in the car... forgot... i'll get it tonight for ya. Do you have anymore rattles in the GTA that aren't brakes? My front end rattles bad I think the fog lights are the culprit, because they do jiggle around. Do your fog lights jiggle around?

 

My fog lights seem to be ok. They are tight.
As for other rattles, I'm sure there prabably is more, but I can't hear them with the loose pads.
Another question. On my trip to Barrie, the SES light would come on about every 1/2 hour. I'd stop, turn the car off to check things out, restart and light is gone for about 1/2 hours driving. Then it comes back on. Repeat the process. It did it all weekend for the first time.
All vitals are good and the car ran great. Another head scratcher.
Any ideas?
Thanks.

 

Vaccum leak or bad EGR...I had the same problem, found a few cracked hoses and replaced 'em, then cleaned up my EGR..it's all good now. =)

 

Mine did that when I had the bad MAF Burn Off Relay... do you know what code it is?

As for my fog lights... I am thinking the adjuster tensioning spring may be missing in action... hmm

 

Thanks again guys, but I hope it isn't the EGR or MAF burn off relay. They were both replaced about 3 months ago, when I was having problems. I don't know what code it is, cause I'd have to get it somewhere to test, after the light comes on, without turning the car off. I may end up doing that, but for now I think I'll just tinker.
BTW, I have rear brake kits coming tomorrow, suppose to have the clips.

 

Where did you get the kits? And putting the clips on is a pain... took the dealer over an hour to do it.. paid out of my a$$ too

As for checking codes... don't you know the trick to pulling codes?

put a wire across the A and B terminals on your diagnostic plug, turn the key to "ON" DO NOT START IT.. then the SES light will flash out the codes 3 times each code. It always starts with a code 12 (one flash, pause, 2 flashes)

 

Hey Nathan, this code stuff is new to me. I usually take the car to a buddies garage, with a computer. I didn't know you could get the codes like that. Still have alot to learn.
Those brake kits are from a A/C Delco parts store, here in town.

 

Cool.... do you have a manual for your car? It should explain how to check your codes the cheap way

Did the guy at the parts store have a little trouble finding the part?

 

Codes... the cheap way... with annotations for the others who are mechanically inclined... you know who you are! And if not, cruz'n brsr would be happy to remind you in a week lol

First things first, when doing this...

DO NOT CRANK THE ENGINE
DO NOT CRANK THE ENGINE
DO NOT CRANK THE ENGINE

there got it out of my system...

****AB
******

This is the ALDL terminal when viewed normally. In plain english, this is the uppermost and farthest to the right two terminals. The top row, two near the stereo, the ones in the cheap seats, the ones in row 1/up/top and last 2 columns.

With a paper clip/small wire/anything metallic and conductive,

short out terminals A and B.

Next place the ignition on the ignition on position _DO NOT CRANK THE ENGINE_DO NOT CRANK THE ENGINE_

The SES light should now flash in intervals

You will get the initial flash to show its in diagnostic mode, then shut off for a brief pause.

The it will flash a sequence of numbers like this.

Flash___Flash_Flash_____Flash___Flash_Flash_____Flash___Flash_Flash_____

This is a code 12, diagnostic mode code standard etc

One flash followed by a pause, then 2 quick flashes. It is repeated 3 times.

Next will be any code stored in memory, then when code 12 is observed again, you've gone through all your codes.

 

Nathan, the guy at the parts store took awhile finding the parts, but a got it right. They came in today.

As for doing the codes the cheap way. HELL, I thought I was...loll.
Like I said, this guys a buddy.
I never needed to learn how to check. Guess I shouldn't push my luck, huh?

 

Yeah... for some reason its hard to find those retainer springs

As for the code retrieval... I like the easy way.. ONE, you can do it anytime you have a problem (I keep a piece of house wire in my car )

TWO. It's cheap

 

Things you find (or don't find) in a typical thirdgen.

An odd piece of wire.
Miscellaneous tools in the back.
No spare tire.
Parts book/magazine
Friends in the back seats.
Odd bits and bolts you can't remember where they came from but you know they belong to your car, you just can't figure out from where since the last time you were underneath.

 

HEY, no more rattle.
The clips fixed it right up.......Thanks guys.

 

Did you install the clips yourself?

 

No,..............buddy did a freeby

Actully, he owe's me for some parts I gave him, when I traded my race car.

 

How long did it take him to do it?

 

I'm not sure how long he spent on it, I dropped the car off for the day. But he said it didn't take long. I'm guessing, less then an hour.

 

I'm still pissed at the dealership here... I had them do the brakes last year... $800 brake job... but the clips weren't warrantied

 

That's bummer. Did they even put new clips on, when they did the brake job?
My buddy owns the Midas shop here in town. Probably 50% of his business is brake work and he didn't realize these cars have clips on them. Orginally a month ago I took it to him about this rattle and he put in new pins and bushings, but never said anything about clips. He knows now.

 

The clip came off during a hard corner. I still say they should have covered the labour to replace them. It took them over an hour, and cost me $110 in labour, and $20 in parts. I feel if I pay $800 for a brake job, they shoul dhave a little more respect... I took my car there all the time. Well.. they lost my business, cause they wouldn't even try and keep my business

 

Hey guys ok so I was checking out my brakes and everything, but I didnt find anything yet, I will look agian someother time. My buddy is a mechanic so he was just checking things out for me but he needed the tire off, I couldent do it at the time but we just checked everything in the front end, but other things got on his mind that he noticed. I was really low on oil for some reason? I was wondering if the idiot that built my engine didnt add enough oil? anyways I added oil today and the car so far seems a lot better. We also added more coolent and checked the transmission fluid. We added for whatever needed adding and checked everything out. My friends going to ask his guys at the garage to see what the problem could be.

ill report back to u guys. But about the brakes, I dont really understand what the problem is, but my buddy seemed to know. BUt he didnt find a problem yet?

 

Ah brakes.. the first thing I ever learned how to do on these cars... first things to wear out too...

Brakes don't take long to do, I can re and re brakes in 30 mins so on top of a brake job, I also regrease my bearings, extra 15 mins per tire so in total an hr spent on brakes... (front only)

Drums on the other hand are another beast entirely... it takes me a good hour to do those and after the first time I messed with drums, I never do them without goggles... many many springs... many many HIGH tension springs... luckily I only have to mess with these once every 3 years so that's good...

Funny thing is I gotta do these today prior to track and guess what busts on me?

My freakin deep socket ... anyways I'm off to ct for a replacement...