[anom3]

What a nightmare. Did a 4 corner brake pad swap on my F30 with m sport brakes. Posted about 4 days ago about one of the corners grinding. Turns out they put in one of the pads backwards. Yikes! Welp, at least I got a new set of rear rotors out of that. All taken care of.

Now the following issue, and this was NOT there before the brake pad swap.

When ever going from 0km/h (standstill) to a slow speed, let say 5km/h and then stoping (using brakes) I get a SINGLE clunk from the front brakes.

And then when I switch to reverse and use the brakes to stop, again, single clunk.

Once I have already gone in a direction (eg: forwards) and I have use the brakes, and I brake again, it will not make this noise.

Simple logic, sounds like the pads are shifting.

Anyone else experience this?

Any solutions? What could be causing this?

Just to be clear:

STOPPED -> FORWARD @ 5KM/H -> BRAKE TO STOP -> CLUNK -> FORWARD AGAIN -> BRAKE TO STOP -> NO CLUNK

STOPPED -> FORWARD @ 5KM/H -> BRAKE TO STOP -> CLUNK -> SWITCH TO REVERSE -> DRIVE @ 5KM/H -> BRAKE TO STOP -> CLUNK -> RELEASE BRAKE AND CONTINUE GOING REVERSE -> BRAKE TO STOP -> NO CLUNK

[DrifterX]

It's normal - happens to my M Sport brakes but it doesn't bother me. Happens to my wife's car with single piston sliding calipers as well. Also happened to my previous Nissan 4 piston brakes.

If you want less noise, add brake grease to the sliding pins to provide lubrication. You may need to add some a few times a year as the noise may come back over a period of driving the vehicle in various weather conditions.

[Joshd63]

I personally have never experienced this but like others said using copper grease together with a good clean should help.

As a side note I would seriously be questioning the competency of a garage that put a pad in backwards! What else have they done wrong!?

I personally don't think they should be clunking after a replacement

[Joshd63]

I personally have never experienced this but like others said using copper grease together with a good clean should help.

As a side note I would seriously be questioning the competency of a garage that put a pad in backwards! What else have they done wrong!?

I personally don't think they should be clunking after a replacement

[anom3]

I'm going to stop in there tomorrow and get them to greese it up.

I know, the pad backwards is a horrible mistake. It was a new worker there for what its worth.

I'm usually one to like to see someone who deserves to burn, burn... But they have done me right, and installed a new set of rotors on the rear as well as replacing the pads yet again on their cost since one of the originals was chewed from the 25km or so I drove there and back with it installed backwards.

I'll add, I have been going there for about 5 years. Including with my E92 M3. They did a rod bearing swap on my S65. I have sold the vehicle to a friend of a friend 2 years ago, runs like clock work to this day.

They washed my vehicle for free (yippee...) and said my next oil service is 50% off as well...

[Joshd63]

Originally Posted by anom3

I'm going to stop in there tomorrow and get them to greese it up.

I know, the pad backwards is a horrible mistake. It was a new worker there for what its worth.

I'm usually one to like to see someone who deserves to burn, burn... But they have done me right, and installed a new set of rotors on the rear as well as replacing the pads yet again on their cost since one of the originals was chewed from the 25km or so I drove there and back with it installed backwards.

I'll add, I have been going there for about 5 years. Including with my E92 M3. They did a rod bearing swap on my S65. I have sold the vehicle to a friend of a friend 2 years ago, runs like clock work to this day.

They washed my vehicle for free (yippee...) and said my next oil service is 50% off as well...

That's fair enough I suppose - mistakes do happen, at least they've sorted it out!

Yeah maybe worth and ask as I've had my pads out 2/3 times in the past few weeks and have never heard of any clunk what so ever and I'm quite acutely aware of any sort of new noise

[BEAR-AvHistory]

Brakes & Steering are the very last things I would want a "new guy" to work on.

FWIW or not worth. Have not had the clunk on the 435 or 440.

[upsidedownfunnel]

Originally Posted by BEAR-AvHistory

Brakes & Steering are the very last things I would want a "new guy" to work on.

FWIW or not worth. Have not had the clunk on the 435 or 440.

Yeah but brakes are dead easy. The new guys will get oil changes and brakes all day.

[Westcoaster99]

Yeah, the m sport brakes on my 330d do the exact same thing. A single clunk when going from reverse to drive and vice versa. Slightly anoying but I’ve done thousands of miles at this point, not overly worried. I changed the pads and disks recently I don’t remember the clunk before. I know my previous 320d with the smaller m sport brakes never had this problem.

I’ve bought genuine Bmw pads for £80 anyway, I’ll get round to fitting them and if I remember I can update this post if there’s any difference. The current pads are pagid from Euro car parts.

[Big Mexican Women]

Originally Posted by DrifterX

It's normal - happens to my M Sport brakes but it doesn't bother me. Happens to my wife's car with single piston sliding calipers as well. Also happened to my previous Nissan 4 piston brakes.

If you want less noise, add brake grease to the sliding pins to provide lubrication. You may need to add some a few times a year as the noise may come back over a period of driving the vehicle in various weather conditions.

no, a clunking noise is NOT normal. usually signifies worn control-arms.

OP, I would inspect your lower control arms. you can easily do it yourself by lifting the car up and taking a crow-bar to the arms. if the ball joint allows the control arms to wiggle around a little, you need new arms.

[DrifterX]

Originally Posted by Big Mexican Women

no, a clunking noise is NOT normal. usually signifies worn control-arms.

OP, I would inspect your lower control arms. you can easily do it yourself by lifting the car up and taking a crow-bar to the arms. if the ball joint allows the control arms to wiggle around a little, you need new arms.

I must have a broken ball joint since I got the vehicle brand new then ... Given he has an F30, he hasn't mentioned steering issues and he went in the shop twice who would have noticed it, I doubt he has a worn/broken ball joint.

By the way, I hope no one takes a crow-bar to their control arms.

[Big Mexican Women]

Originally Posted by DrifterX

I must have a broken ball joint since I got the vehicle brand new then ... Given he has an F30, he hasn't mentioned steering issues and he went in the shop twice who would have noticed it, I doubt he has a worn/broken ball joint.

other than a clunk and a little bit of front suspension slop when going over bumps/cornering, there would be absolutely no major indications that the ball joint is loose until you actually get them checked, replace them, and note the difference in handling with new tight ball joints. You live in Toronto, so i'm sure you know all about the great quality roads we have here. all it takes is a few nasty potholes here and there to make your ball joints just about worthless.

Regardless, a clunking noise whether it's coming from your brakes or suspension (going on and off the brakes at low speed and getting a clunk is a strong indication of ball joint wear) is NOT normal and needs to be checked out.

[IAmATeaf]

I don’t get any clunking of any sort when going back and fourth between drive and reverse.

[anom3]

Sounds like this is a semi-common issue.

In my case this was NOT happening before the brake pad change and appeared right after so I do not think its either of the ball joints.

[Savageenterprise]

I've got this noise too and have an 18 340ix with less than 7k on the clock. I was thinking about bringing it in since it's covered by warranty. I don't remember having this noise when I first got the car

[Gr-Racing]

loose caliper bolt bet

[Mr Podman]

It's not normal.

The first thing I'd do is visually check to see if the brake pad spring clips are installed on all four corners.

Their omission could cause brake pad movement and resulting clunk.

[Savageenterprise]

Originally Posted by Gr-Racing

loose caliper bolt bet

It's definitely not this. I've experienced this before and I used to do mechanic work for years before owning my own businesses. It almost sounds like a bad ball joint, or endlink but the fact that it has less than 7k miles to me essentially rules those out.

I've scheduled an appt with the dealer for next week, I'll let them take a look at it. I would throw it on a lift if I had access to one but I cant be bothered jacking it up off the floor to try and check it out lol

[RockBamson]

Check the 2 caliper mounting bolts and make sure they are wrenched down snug to spec.

I had a same clunk noise you are describing and it ended up being one of the caliper mounting bolts. The caliper would slightly shift during driving and then clunk upon braking. I grabbed the caliper and could wiggle it slightly.

[arvi604]

That shop of yours that installed pads backwards almost certainly didn't lube up the pistons and the sliders with copper grease. I wouldn't go back there again lol.

[Assassin]

NOT Normal......I agree that it might well be a loose caliper bolt! Having found one potentially dangerous error I would check every nut and bolt they may have touched.

Greasing pins / pads will not sort it as their movement is at right angles to your direction of travel whilst the clunk is in line with it. Strange its appearance coincided with the pad change but might be play the rubber joint on the prop shaft due to it perishing. It may have some under a little extra strain when the car was jacked up and the rear suspension was hanging.

Other ball joints, control arms are possibilities as suggested before.

But I would check that workmanship on the brakes first!

[Kevin_Trxn]

I would say this is normal.... if the car drives fine all day i wouldn't say its anything else.

There us a bit of play in non-oem pads since their measurements wouldn't be exact.

The single clunk when switching to reverse is the pads shifting inside the caliper. You notice it won't clunk again until you shift back into drive and step on the brakes for the first time the pads will shift back and clunk again.

Its no big deal.