2014 4x4 f150 ecoboost, clicking when braking after new brakes?

Maintenance/Repairs
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I got a 2014 4x4 ecoboost 3.5 v6 f150 with 129k miles on it. I got new pads and rotors two weeks ago. Ever since then whenever I brake slowly I hear a clicking when I hit the brake and when I let off the brake as well(it clicks like a release click, can only hear when the windows are down). It doesnt do it every time but id say 80 percent of the time. The clicking starts, follows the rotation of the wheel(click increases or decreases with speed of tires when braking) then when I hit low enough on the pedal coming closer to a complete stop, it stops totally, before I come to a complete stop. The click is pretty constant, as soon as it starts when i barely press down on the brake, it doesnt stop until the truck comes to a complete stop. Doesnt make a sound when not braking or turning or going over bumps or on dirt roads or anything, ONLY when braking.

Took it back to my friends shop who did my brakes they cleaned everything up and reinstalled everything and checked calipers and rotors/pads and it’s still doing it and they have no idea. The clicking goes with the rotation of the wheel when braking, wasn’t doing it before, any ideas? They are a reputable local shop and not some cut rate hole in the wall.

Here is a video, It sounds like its coming from the front left but sounds are hard to pinpoint when bouncing and echoing off stuff when driving. My friend said it COULD be a wheel bearing going bad but it didnt do this before the brake change, he said when you hit the brakes it causes everything else to heat up and expand and that will make the start of a bad wheel bearing make a loud clicking noise but I havent seen anything else like that on the internet where a bad wheel bearing makes a clicking like mine and only a grinding/wobbling wheel bearing noise, not clicking. They put it up on the jack and there was no play in the wheels but they said that doesnt mean its not the bearing starting to go bad and hasn’t yet?

IT DOES NOT DO IT WHEN I BRAKE HARD. And no change in stopping speed/power. Only when going under 30-40 MPH and then gradual braking like coming to a stopsign/light and driving through residential neighborhoods. At my wits end, sucks because my friend runs a reputable local shop and has worked on all my cars/trucks before, he said wait and see if it gets worse and if so then its the wheel bearing but this noise is driving me nuts and makes the truck undrivable to me. Its VERY loud in person when braking. Any advice or help please? Thank you.

To me it doesn’t sound like a solenoid or IWE click. Doesnt sound like a wheel bearing issue either for all the research I have done it can ONLY be a brake issue since it only happens when I brake, right?

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by any chance do you have the painted caliper covers? my friend had them on his mustang and when he did his brakes it moved them out of alignment. the calipers move slightly when you brake and his would hit the back part of his rim when he braked and made almost the same sound. so i just adjusted it so it would not hit it was a 5 spoke foose rim and it would hit on the spoke part of the rim giving it the clicking sound. just a thought

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Now It does it no matter what speed I go. No wobble or any other sounds. Just that clicking and it’s been doing it 100 percent of the time today now I just did an hour drive and it did it every single time I braked slowly but if I hit them hard it didn’t do it initially until I let off the brake then it would click.

Would painted caliper covers make a clicking sound when releasing brake too?

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I had a small clicking 100% of the time for a few years, then the wheel bearing went out, gone after it was replaced.

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yes its possible. if I remember correctly there were 2 small screws holding them on. if they come loose a little the will move around slightly. or if there tight and the bracket gets shifted a little during your brake change they can hit the back of your rim. but you didnt say you even have them on your calipers, so im not sure that could even be your problem. it was just something that happened on a friends car so I thought I would mention it.

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this clicking is only when I brake 100 percent of the time now I should have clarified. It’s not when driving normal or turning or bumps. Only when braking. It didn’t do it before my brake change. So frustrated ha.

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A lot of technicians make this mistake when installing brake pads on these vehicles.

You might want to have them double check the installation.

Tester

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Did some testing. It also does it in 4 hi and 4 lo. But does NOT do it going in reverse in 2wd or 4wd. Only going straight and it’s only my front left wheel area making the sound.

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Anyone else have this problem it was an unseen bent clip getting in the way when you apply the brakes! Fixed!

2 Likes
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Glad it was simple. Yes this has happened to me. Hopefully just once.

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Sorry to comment on an old post! I just changed my pads, rotors, and calipers and I’m having this exact issue.

Which clip was bent in your case, if you can remember? Thanks!

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Are you able to tell which wheel the noise is coming from @ryanmcullen_185205 ? If so, rather than worrying about which clip it is, seems like the best idea is to remove the pads on that wheel for a look-see at all the clips. One of them is probably bent or scratched, possibly corresponding to a mark on the rotor.