# What is this cranking noise when depressing brake **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [May 1, 2019, 1:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-this-cranking-noise-when-depressing-brake/139590 "2019-05-01T01:45:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dlugosmi\_151449](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@dlugosmi\_151449](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dlugosmi_151449)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 1:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-this-cranking-noise-when-depressing-brake/139590/1 "2019-05-01T01:45:55Z")
2007 Kia Spectra. When I depress the brake pedal with car in gear it makes a loud cranking noise. In park there is no noise. [https://imgur.com/gallery/J6iVu5K](https://imgur.com/gallery/J6iVu5K) ---
**Author:** ![COROLLAGUY1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/corollaguy1/32/7575_2.png) [@COROLLAGUY1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/COROLLAGUY1)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 11:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-this-cranking-noise-when-depressing-brake/139590/2 "2019-05-01T11:53:30Z")
This doesn’t sound too good! Are the brakes stopping the car as they should?When was your last brake job performed?If you have drum brakes in the rear,make sure they are adjusted properly.The automatic adjusters in the rear will make this ratcheting noise to take up slack due to shoe wear. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisTruck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@ChrisTruck](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ChrisTruck)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 12:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-this-cranking-noise-when-depressing-brake/139590/3 "2019-05-01T12:25:17Z")
That’s a strange sound for brakes. Sounds like a ratcheting sound. I don’t know what it is. It doesn’t sound like worn pads. Are you getting any warning lights for brake or ABS? ---
**Author:** ![dlugosmi\_151449](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@dlugosmi\_151449](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dlugosmi_151449)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 4:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-this-cranking-noise-when-depressing-brake/139590/4 "2019-05-01T16:30:30Z")
Agreed. It sounds awful. The car does stop fine and the pedal feels normal. The brakes were last worked on 2 years ago. The pads in front are fine. And the ratcheting noise sounds like it is coming from the front not the rear. It’s such an unusual but specific sound that I figured someone might be able to identify the issue based on that alone. I’ll look up automatic adjusters to see what that is about. ---
**Author:** ![dlugosmi\_151449](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@dlugosmi\_151449](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dlugosmi_151449)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 4:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-this-cranking-noise-when-depressing-brake/139590/5 "2019-05-01T16:31:21Z")
No warning lights: the brakes are functioning and the pedal feels normal. ---
**Author:** ![COROLLAGUY1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/corollaguy1/32/7575_2.png) [@COROLLAGUY1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/COROLLAGUY1)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 5:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-this-cranking-noise-when-depressing-brake/139590/6 "2019-05-01T17:32:32Z")
You should see some springs/seats on the brake pedal arm inside the cab. It could be those springs.Find them and spray white lithium grease on each springs.It should stop the cranking. ---
**Author:** ![dlugosmi\_151449](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@dlugosmi\_151449](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dlugosmi_151449)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 7:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-this-cranking-noise-when-depressing-brake/139590/7 "2019-05-01T19:38:13Z")
Thank you. I’ll give it a shot. Weird because everything seems to be working well. Car brakes fine, the booster feels good, the pads are healthy on front and the rear brakes seem okay - and the noise comes from the front end anyway. ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 7:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-this-cranking-noise-when-depressing-brake/139590/8 "2019-05-01T19:45:49Z")
You don’t have automatic adjusters, those are only for drum brakes, you have discs all around. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2019, 9:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-this-cranking-noise-when-depressing-brake/139590/9 "2019-05-01T21:47:22Z")
It should not be too hard to isolate where the noise comes from. Start there. ---
**Author:** ![dlugosmi\_151449](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@dlugosmi\_151449](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dlugosmi_151449)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2019, 10:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-this-cranking-noise-when-depressing-brake/139590/10 "2019-05-08T22:44:38Z")
Haven’t played with it yet. Replaced the rear rotors and pads this past weekend just because they were pretty gnarly. I did continue to peruse the brake booster idea online, this particular forum thread seems to be talking about the same type of noise. One feller said he replaced the fluid and that cured the issue. A few others said they replaced the master cylinder and that did the trick. Will report back when I try something. [https://www.fordf150.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=59762](https://www.fordf150.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=59762) ---
**Author:** ![dlugosmi\_151449](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@dlugosmi\_151449](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dlugosmi_151449)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2019, 2:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-this-cranking-noise-when-depressing-brake/139590/11 "2019-12-29T14:49:32Z")
I forgot to update this post. So the issue was that the front brakes, while they appeared to have some meat, were fairly low and the rotors had been recut I think. The caliper pistons were absolutely maxed out. I replaced the rotors and pads and managed to get caliper piston pushed all the way back, and the ratcheting noise stoped completely. ---
**Author:** ![Honda-Blackbird](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/honda-blackbird/32/3159_2.png) [@Honda-Blackbird](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda-Blackbird)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2019, 5:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-this-cranking-noise-when-depressing-brake/139590/12 "2019-12-29T17:40:12Z")
That is a strange one, I must admit… If I had to guess…it sounds like a steel brake line that is trying to straighten itself out and or abraiding against another metal surface. Bent steel brake lines will actually try to move or deflect depending on how they are bent when internal pressure rises sharply…when you apply the brake. You’d be surprised at how much movement is possible which is why those steel lines are run within the many clips and holders on vehicles. Thats just my guess because I dont have any others… Your noise may be too long of a sound to attribute to my theory however, but thats all I got…sorry ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2019, 7:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-this-cranking-noise-when-depressing-brake/139590/13 "2019-12-29T19:56:04Z")
Might be just a worn pivot bearing or however the pedal is attached. Just crawl up there to take a look while pressing on the pedal or having someone else press it while you head is under the dash. Then go from there. ---
**Author:** ![dlugosmi\_151449](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@dlugosmi\_151449](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dlugosmi_151449)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2019, 8:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-is-this-cranking-noise-when-depressing-brake/139590/14 "2019-12-29T20:24:41Z")
[quote=“dlugosmi\_151449, post:11, topic:139590”] So [/quote]thanks all. This problem was resolved simply by replacing the front rotors and pads. The ratcheting sound is completely gone. It came from the area of the brake booster. It was some how related to the caliper pistons being completely extended due to worn pads and the rotors being thinner than they should have been.