Click sound from wheels, Integra

Hi!

For last couple months, I am hearing a periodic click - click sound
that appears to be coming from the front wheels. The sound goes away
when I press the break pedal a little bit. This sound disappears
sometimes completely, and changes its loudness from time to time.
Lately, I am hearing the clicks almost all the time. So, I guess that
whetever the problem is - it is getting worse. I would greatly
appreciate any insight!

My car is Integra 1993. I had a break replacement (calippers and drum)
about two years ago (10k miles since then). The noise started almost a
few weeks after break repair. The mechanic that did the replacement
says that he can't find any problem!!! I also see excessive break dust
on one of the wheels, and after driving, that wheel is much hotter than
the others. On rainy days, you can see steam coming from it.

Thank you!

 

The front wheels should be the same temperature when you stop, and should
not be hot unless you have been doing some spirited driving, or just come
to a stop from highway speeds. It sounds like you have at least one brake
dragging, usually because the calipers are binding from dirt or corrosion.
Corrosion is likely if you live in an area where salt is used in winter.
If it is not too bad, it might be corrected by cleaning and relubing the
calipers. Routine maintenance in my part of the world. If it has
progressed further, the calipers may need to be re-built.
Dan

(This account is not used for email.)

 

BRAKE noises are easy to diagnose, unless it's your CV joints actually
making the noise. Does the noise happen at parking lot speeds when the
wheel is turned all the way to one side or the other? Then it could be the
CV joints.

Does the sound speed up and slow down with the car, or is it a constant
speed regardless of how fast the car is going?

A click that is consistent with car speed suggests a rotating mass
contacting a fixed mass at regular intervals, meaning (if it's the BRAKES)
the rotor is touching something as it spins.

There are three possible culprits if it's the BRAKES:
1) Rust on the rotor perimeter contacting the pads shims or the caliper
anti-rattle spring, or
2) ALB (ABS) gear is rusted and contacting the speed sensor, or
3) rotor splash shield is rusted loose and is intermittently touching the
rotor.

A competent mechanic will be able to easily identify and cure any of the
above problems.

You don't have drum BRAKES. You have disc BRAKES all around.

Then your mechanic did a poor job of fixing your BRAKES.

Either:
1) The calipers are poor quality and the pistons are binding, or
2) the pads are not free on their sliding surfaces, or
3) a pin (or both) are seizing.

There may be a combination of problems present.

Have your mechanic see this page:
http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/rustybrakes/brakes1.html

 

There is no sound at turns. Another person suggested CV joint too, but
I don't hear clicks at turns at all. The sound does pick up with speed.
I think that the clue here is that it goes away when I press the brake
pedal even a little.

I am going to check all the things that you have mentioned here. Thanks
to you and Dan for the input.

<SNIP>