Handbrake rattling sound

my +2 sounds like a toolbox thrown down the basement strairs and i figured out that this is due to the handbrake pads beeing quite loose.

my problem is that when i tighten them till the rattling stops the pads are to tight on the discs and wear pretty fast.
is there another way to get a little tension on them?
or are my rear brake callipers just worn out and need to be overhauled?
i dont have additional springs mounted on them, at the moment im searching for the right ones.
are the springs really stopping the brakes from rattling?
i guess then i`ll search harder :slight_smile:

wondo

Dear Mr Wondo

The handbrake pad return ‘spring’ is actually described as a Centralising Strip in the workshop manual. The key thing is that this strip has to be ‘re-formed’ whenever the pads are replaced.

The strip looks like a device to stop the pads from falling out when the caliper is dismantled. It is made from fairly heavy gauge steel and resists the movement of the pads towards the disk, because it is not spring steel the strips gradually get bent as the pads wear hence the requirement to correct the shape when you fit new pads.

The other benefit is pad life. I have had the same handbrake pads on my car for 10 years and rarely need to adjust it, and yes it passes the MOT (locks the rear wheels at low speed)

Ian Phillips

You can get some small coil springs that help push the pads off the disk and reduce the death rattle from the rear calipers. However it sounds like the rear calipers are due for a rebuild, the ones on my S4 have the same problem the mechanism becomes loose.

No commercial interest here, just a company I have used and had good service.