How soon after pads and rotors did it begin?

I ask because I did front brakes on my wife’s car, and the next day it started to sound like a wheel bearing was going out and it had some wobble. I chased it down to the brand new autozone rotor not being true. It had some kind of warp. The pads and rotor also oddly glazed, even after bedding them in. I had the rotors milled and put oem pads on, and the issue is gone.

I started chasing the brakes because the sound happened not less than 24 hours after replacing them, so maybe you can start assessing those first by a visual inspection and varied braking. See if any specific action replicates the sound.

 

Honestly I can’t remember well enough to tie the two together from a causation perspective. The easiest way I can reproduce the issue is to gently accelerate between 40 and 60 mph, and then release the accelerator pedal. The sound comes nearly as soon as I let go of the gas. And the sound only stays for a couple seconds. I’m totally baffled.

My sound is not really a “click.” The best way I can describe it is it sounds like some string or wire is caught in the axle.

 

Just wanted to say that I had the same metallic click sound from the driver side axle area, changed both nuts and retorqued. Issue solved, you all are awesome

 

Can someone explain the proper procedure for unstaking the old nut and restaking the new one? I bought the nuts yesterday.

 

Depends on what tools you have available. If you have a decent impact wrench, don't worry about it, just hit it with the gun and be happy. After installing the new nut, just take a smallish punch (1/8" or 3mm) and hammer the spot above where the groove is to mash the threads into the groove and you're done.

If you don't have a good impact gun, you can use a narrow gouge to lift the mashed in part, or you can grind on the nut with a grinding tool (I once did this with my die grinder and a porting carbide tool I have) where it is staked and remove the stake that way. I found the impact gun to be the most expeditious method by far when I was doing clutch jobs on Scion tCs in 2006.

 

Thanks yeah I have all the right tools. Just haven't seen this in person yet so didn't know what I'd be in for.

 

Here's another good visual....

Joe Z

 

That's perfect, dude. Thank you so much! I am highly suspect that my noise is NOT related to the axle nuts, since it seems to only happen as soon as I release the gas pedal, but this was a cheap first option to try.

 

I can recreate the click if I place it in gear, hold the brake and lightly press accelerator. Once it loads up it will click..that is how I determined it was coming from the left axle. I replaced bolt and it did not fix the issue for me, the noise is still there occasionally but I do not notice it getting worse or causing and drivability issues. Not sure what the long term affects might be (mine has been noisy for years) - but I suspect none, it's just a little annoying to hear it click occasionally.

 

Just got a “performance” alignment from a new shop and immediately noticed this clicking sound when I lifted off the throttle. I thought for sure they failed to properly torque the rear toe links or camber arms. I went back over everything with proper torque specs and the noise is still there. So glad I found this thread! Going to install new axle nuts ASAP. Thanks

 

Crazy thought: could it be your sway bar endlinks being worn? Were they ever replaced?

 

In my case, no. I recently did a full suspension overhaul. Car is completely dialed and drives amazing….just that clicking immediately after the alignment.