Rotational Clicking Sound Diagnosis

Hello Gents,

I am hearing a rotational clicking sound coming from my truck, but I can only hear it when I'm driving somewhere it can echo, like along a wall or a guardrail, and a couple times in traffic when there was a van or something like that traveling beside me for a little while.

I don't hear anything at all while just driving down the open road, and I can hear nothing when parked and revving the engine in neutral, etc. It almost sounds like there is a rock stuck in a tire tread...that is the speed of the clicking sound, if that makes any sense...

U-joints are new, and I just greased them again this weekend.

Just curious if you guys have any ideas to throw out there before I go hunting all over the place trying to figure out what it is?

Does it stop if you lightly apply the brakes?

Good question.

Also, try shifting into neutral or into a different gear to see if it changes.

grumpin wrote

Does it stop if you lightly apply the brakes?

I will try that later today...and coasting/clutch in, etc.

Thanks for the suggestions.

grumpin wrote

Does it stop if you lightly apply the brakes?

As a matter of fact, yes! I just took it for a drive, and the noise does go away with a light touch of the brakes. Maybe the pads are loose...

It is the weirdest thing because I can't hear it at all just driving down the road, but as soon as I go along something that will echo the sound, I can hear it...click click clack...

Same thing on my Bronco. The pad "clip" had fallen out sometime or another.

Didn't know until it got warmer and I had the window down going past a building.

I had another vehicle do that to me, can't remember which one.

My truck used to make a very noisy and embarrassing clicking noise just like yours! Usually I would just be driving along, then I'd hit a bump and it would start clicking away until I pushed on the brake pedal.

It turned out that I was missing both anti-rattle clips on my brake pads. You can get under the truck without jacking it up or taking a wheel off, find the inner brake pads, and try to wiggle them around with your finger. Mine were free to move a fraction of an inch in all directions.

I Bought some clips for less than a dollar on RockAuto. You have to pull the calipers off to get the clips on, but it's not too hard to install them. Just make sure you put the pads back in the right way and on the right sides!