Hi guys,

I have an odd problem with my stock '98 XJ.
When applying the brakes whilst moving forwards, I get a single "click" from somewhere in the front end. It doesn't happen if I'm braking very gently, but it does it almost 100% of the time if I'm braking hard enough to come to a stop.

If I come to a stop, release the brakes, then brake again, it won't make the noise at all. It will only do it again if I'm moving and it will only do it once per brake application, so if my foot is on the brake for a while (going down a steep hill) it won't make the noise more than once.

It seems like I can feel the click a little through the pedal too.


Now for some details on the XJ:
-The rotors are almost new and the pads are about 18 months old. This started happening about 12 months ago.
-The grooves on the knuckles have previously been welded up and ground smooth.
-The front axle has recently been replaced. My old knuckles were re-used. The ball joints are brand new and all steering components are good. Control arm bushings seemed in decent condition.
-The noise hasn't changed at all since having the axle replaced.

The only thing I can think of is that the pads are shifting when I brake, but I can't understand how that would be happening when the knuckle grooves have been welded up.

Can anyone help?

 

There are pad clips that you can get that might tighten up the pads.

Not sure if these are the correct ones for the XJ, but that's kind of what they look like.

Are you sure it's brake related or could you have a loose shock bolt or something like that?

 

Thanks! Looks like they could help - I know I really need to get a wheel off to check properly.

I'm pretty sure it's brake related - the suspension seems completely quiet over any kind of bump, no clunks, thuds or rattles at all. I have wondered though if it's worth checking control arms, but I don't really know what to look for.

 

It might clunk over bumps if the control arms are bad. You shouldn't be able to move them at all by hand - you're basically looking that the bushings are in good shape and not cracked or loose.

 

with your foot on the brake, shift back and forth from forward to reverse. have someone looking at the control arm bushings as you do this. if one is bad, you definitely will notice it. been there, done that. haha.

and one other time, i had it happen, but it was a missing caliper bolt. it must've fallen out on the trail and i noticed it before i got back to camp. the piston was rocking on the upper bolt, just enough to cause a slight knock.

 

Thanks for the advice guys - I'll do some more investigating and post my findings!

 

It might be just a LOOSE caliper bolt allowing it to shift when applied. Hopefully.

 

Hi guys, sorry for the slow follow up to this. Engine problems with my Grand Wagoneer have distracted me and my XJ has been soldiering on with little attention.
The brake click is still happening and really bothers me, but I do have new information.

A couple of months ago I asked somebody to check the caliper bolts whilst they had my XJ up in the air. The bolts were tight, but after they checked them the click went away completely for about the next 30 miles. It then gradually came back, eventually to being just as bad as before.
A few weeks later I went underneath and checked the bolts again. They were completely tight, but I cranked them down just a bit more anyway. After that the click was a good bit quieter for a few days.

It therefore looks like it's almost definitely to do with the bolts. Would you say I need to replace the bolts, or is it at all likely that it could be the slide pins?

 

Personally I'd pull the wheels off and have a good push/pull on the caliper and pads. It should have movement side to side but very little up and down. The pads should also have slight movement but be rather held in place. That should at least rule in/out the caliper side of things.

 

Aren't the "caliper bolts" the same thing as "slide pins" on a 98? At least on my 95 and my 00 TJ the only thing holding the caliper to the knuckle were the 2 bolts that serve as slide pins. Perhaps the XJ's outside the U.S. use different brakes..?

 

Mine has a bolt and a collar which is the slider pin so to speak.

 

Thanks guys. I will get the wheel off and have a wiggle, although it requires quite a bit of braking force to make it click so I don't know how successful I'll be at replicating it by hand.

PatHenry, when I say slide pins I mean the collar like boxburn described, which sits inside the rubber boots on the caliper. FYI the brakes are identical outside the U.S., as are most components.
I was wondering if those slide pins/collars could have worn.

 

 

My 91 XJ did the exact thing, turned out to be worn out caliper bolts...the driver side, even I could not feel it with my hand, was bad. I got new ones from a seller on E-Bay and it fixed the clicking sound. the caliper is designed to move a little when used and with the turning forces, and movement it does have, things get wear after many years...change the caliper bolts and any thing else you can...it will sure help. good luck