The AUSubaru.com.au Forums

Hi there,
after having my Liberty parked (handbrake and auto in P), when maneuvering out of the driveway, the first couple of times I apply the brakes, even when softly, there's loud clicks, usually from the front wheels and sometimes from the rear ones. After that, i.e. in normal traffic braking, no more.
CVs? I thought if they were gone they'd be audible when turning tight corners before anything else, but I don't have a problem there.
Any suggestions as to what it is?
Thanks,
Matt

Does it do it when going in a straight line or only when turning? What happens if you park somewhere else?

Sounds like maybe the brake pads might be loose, their locating springs might not be working properly. When you have the handbrake on with the car in a position to roll backwards perhaps the pads get shoved to one side then when you apply the brakes to slow down when driving forwards they get slammed the other way (hence the noise).

You could test this out by reversing slowly down the road then applying the brake, it probably will make the click then too.

I'd take the wheels off and have a good look in there to see if theres anything out of the ordinary.

Clicks from wheel areas (when you drive on smooth roads) could generally be happening due to a number of reasons.

1) CV joints (click quite loudly, but generally only when you turn)

2) Bearings (generally only click if dirt got in or not packed well), but the sound is fairly quiet, and happens when the wheels move. You can test this by jacking up the car and turning the wheel by hand.

3) Worn out front suspension bushes - but generally only when you go over bumps

4) Worn out shocks can radiate knocking sounds into the wheel area.

But how about the Hub nut done up tight?

check bushes.
expecially radius rod bushes as they are basically what stop the wheel fm jumping backwards as the brakes are applied.

if theyre worn the wheel has excess travel when ur accelarating and braking.

ie. a front to rear motion in the wheelarch

radius rod bushes?? its a liberty - it doesnt have any

I'm with Andrew T on this one, seen what hes talking about happen a few times before, and sometimes when the clips on the ends of the pads weaken and the pads move back and forward when changing direction from reverse to forward the ends of the brake pads backing plates wear or "mushroom".
this can be fixed with a small hammer,just sit the pad on a vice or something and peen the ends of the backing plates back over so it is a tight fit in the caliper or mounting bracket again. Dont bother if the pads are worn out though, just put new ones in and this noise should be gone.

thanks everybody for the quick replies and suggestions.
had to put new pads on and it looks it was what Andrew T and Busdriver thought it was.
cheers,
Matt