Clunk!!!

[Stretchomatic]

Hey all,
I've noticed on a few occasions while driving around that when i put my foot on the brake theres a loud clunk (clunks once) from the passenger side front wheel area...i think that maybe the caliper is lose or something like that...but i can't be sure, so that's why i'm asking you guys...
i'll be having a look around down there later, cheers, Jason.

 

[Patrio7]

it might be the bit os suspension being loose rather than the brakes itself, either way i would check it out asap

 

[Stretchomatic]

yeah...i'm going to rotate the tyres sometime so i'll have a dig around...

 

[zegerman]

look at the swaybar link rubbers... when there gone you will get a clunk every now and then, it happened to me and when i changed them it went away... i dunno what else it could be??

 

[TheForgotten]

Well I'd check the caliper bolts aswell, as mione came loose over time, but knowing me, I didn't tighten them enough when I fixed the swaybar links

 

[digisol]

No offennce but, Instead of asking, why not just wip the wheel off and have a look ?

If it was a loose caliper you should be fixing it instead of talking about it, could be a drama if the thing did come loose, ouch !

 

[Stretchomatic]

oh **** sorry digisol...i didnt mean to ask a question...gees i'm an idiot...considering it's my first car and i haven't done alot on it i'm sure i'll be able to diagnose and fix any problem...this place annoys me sometimes...

 

[hako]

Jason - please read Digisols post again....he is offering the correct advice and in a friendly manner. Your 'clunk' may well be a loose caliper which can quite easily cause an accident in which you, your loved ones or a stranger get hurt and that ain't good. It could also be one of a dozen other things but safety must come first. Hope the fix is simple.

 

[digisol]

NP but it kinda looks like a question ? either way the commodore is sometimes a real bugger to diagnose simple problems, although there are harder, basically what I said was, if you think something like a caliper was loose the first thing to grab would be the jack, not the PC.

If it did work loose and the final bolt fell out the damage and following accident may be fatal, immediately the caliper came loose just the normal rolling pad/disk friction would tear the thing off in a big way, locking the wheel and spearing you off the road or into oncoming traffic, either not real healthy.

Just to remove the wheel your going to see all the rubbers and if one is missing, as for the front suspension there are not that many bits there, and the quickest way to learn is to see what's wrong, grab a spanner and fix it after all it's not as if your pulling the engine apart.

Most things are after all common sense, but of course some are pretty complicated for any beginner, especially once they added a computer plus countless sensors and other great fun little bits that are hard to fault find and expensive to repair or replace.

I learnt the basics on race bikes, but my first car was a Austin Freeway that cost $50, and the second an EJ that I rebuilt with no previous knowledge of cars but how to drive em and a workshop manual, the old 138 grey motor was pretty easy to fix.

Usually fixing it is easy, diagnosing what's wrong is the tricky bit.

 

[Stretchomatic]

sorry man, thanks for the info...i had a look when i rotated the wheels, i shook, pushed and pulled everything that looked movable and everything was solid on all wheels, the two fronts were the same and the rears were the same...it sounds like it comes from the wheel area on the passenger side, but it also sounds the same as something falling down in the boot, though mine is always empty so that isnt it.

i've only heard this clunk probably 5 times in the year i've had the car...so i don't know...

and yeah sorry before...this HSC is getting to me...