Front brake calipers rattle

Everything is new (on mine at least) and it is definitely the caliper.

One note of interest. i called A-1 cardone, and they said that even the pictures that they have show the small plastic inserts in the rubber bushings. I wonder if I can put those back in, and mabey it would stop the rattle.

The rubber bushings in all the re-man calipers ive seen have a small plastic (thin, with a slit lengthwise) bushing INSIDE the rubber. I'm going to take it apart tonite, and see if I can still get the pins in to the bushings. If I can, and its not tight enough to bind the calipers, that may be what the problem is. Think of it as a hard plastic shim in the rubber bushing, I guess.

I've always taken them out, but then again, its always rattled. I seem to remember when I tried to put the old style pins in with them, it would not work. The new pins may be a bit smaller around. Has anybody else ran into that particular problem?

Just found on the "coral"

"You say the rubber sleeves are good...there are two kinds. One kind is a very, very stiff rubber, almost plastic. The other kind is softer. If they're the softer kind, they require these little straw-like plastic sleeve inserts to stiffen them and so that the caliper pins can slide properly. Without those little "straws" the soft rubber ones will let the calipers rattle."

So it seems like I need to put those in. The OP would probably benefit from it as well!

So mine still rattles. I bled the brakes really good and that helped a little bit. I'm fairly sure that my new calipers from Napa didn't have any bushings for the pins, nor did they come with new pins. I'm positive no bushings for the pads existed on the pins. Of course the caliper came with new bushings where the small end of the pin slides in to the caliper, but nothing that goes where the ring on the pads are.
So where can I get these bushings? A new pin set?

the bushings im speaking of ARE the rubber where the pin slides into, not the outer pad style. the straw like inserts go into the rubber bushings to tightn the pins.

Im pretty sure this will fix the problem.

wait ... let me try that again.

the rubber bushings in the caliper (where the small end of the caliper pin slides into) had a small plastic insert (listed in the coral article i posted) and aparently that tightens up the pins so the caliper doesnt rattle. there is no plastic bushing on the pin where the outer pads slide over.

that make sense?

Yes it does thanks. So my new calipers had rubber for the end of the pin, but no plastic insert. Maybe I'll try the pen barrel trick.

You might be too thick with that. I'd try an actual straw first... that might work.

If you can move the rotors back and fourth alittle , you may want to try to look again at your inner and outer bearing . I replaced mine and the store sold me the wrong ones , still for a Bird , but not a T/C . Just a thought . If all else fails , Try that

D.Wilder

Here is my experience with the rattling:

Cause: Outer brake pad backing plate guidepin hole fit loosely over guidepin head, causing the brakes to rattle. New pads and guide pins still had the same problem.

Solution: "Gently Massaged" outer perimeter of the backing plate guidepin holes with a hammer until minimal clearance was obtained between the hole and the guidepin head.

Hello. Thanks to everybody who replied with a suggestion or idea on what was causing my front brake calipers to rattle. With so many comments about the straw like plastic inserts that I've never had, I made my own inserts out of thin wall stainless steel tubing and placed them inside new rubber bushings. It's been a couple of weeks now, and so far, the rattling seems to be gone or so minimal I can't hear it as before. In the meantime, I ran across a company on the Web called Brother's Performance that sells stainless steel bushings to replace the rubber ones. Their claim is that it really firms up the calipers and prevents them from moving like they can in the rubber bushings. Better braking, even pad wear, etc... are the benefits. I'm going to order a set and try them. They're only $30.00 for the set. Brother's Performance is primarily a Mustang business, but many things they sell will cross over to the Turbo Coupe. We'll see how it goes.

Thanks again.

Damon