Ticking noise from wheel area - rotors?

[OzJustin]

Hi all

Hoping to get some advice re a ticking noise I've had for a while now. I suspect it is my brake rotors but thought I'd grab a second opinion.

Essentially I have a constant ticking noise coming from my left side front wheel area. The right side appears minimal/none. The noise is unrelated to the engine or throttle application but does speed up as my speed increases. It is particularly noticeable at lower speeds when I have barriers/cars/trees to either side of me to reflect the noise with windows down.

Originally I thought it was my worn out tyres/alignment but I have recently replaced them with new Goodyears and a proper alignment and it has not removed the noise.

Speaking to another mechanic he believes the noise is coming from my aftermarket EBC drilled and slotted brake rotors/EBC red stuff pads. I've read many posts that say this type of rotor can often make whooshing/ticking noises based purely on their design. I also understand that a misaligned pad can grab the slots/drill holes and contribute to the constant ticking while driving.

Thoughts on this analysis? Would sanding back the pad and reseating it likely remove the ticking?

It is only really evident on the passenger side and is more an inconvenience than anything (can't put the windows down without hearing ticking).

[mahlerbeatdown]

I have this EXACT issue on my rears. I installed a new set of akebono pads with ebc slotted/dimpled rotors. I even redid the rears and relubed, making sure everything was okay and sound persists. But yes, driving by a barrier or other cars, especially with the windows down, magnifies the sound greatly. It's almost as if there is a high spot on the rotor and it has a slight rub during it's revolution. I just hit about 500 miles since the change, but the noise persists. I was thinking about removing the calipers AGAIN and reseating the piston back into the carrier. Maybe that'll give me the 1/32" of an inch i need to rid the noise. I thought maybe my wheel bearings were flaky, but thought it woulda been weird since noise only started after brake/rotor job.

[OzJustin]

At least I'm not the only one. I wonder if machining the rotors and sanding back the pads would fix the issue? Anyone else been able to overcome noise issues with drilled/slotted rotors?

[mahlerbeatdown]

Originally Posted by OzJustin

At least I'm not the only one. I wonder if machining the rotors and sanding back the pads would fix the issue? Anyone else been able to overcome noise issues with drilled/slotted rotors?

I'll see if pushing back the piston does anything...... since it's been quite a few miles since the install (about a month ago). On another note... with our cars up on a lift or on jack stands, no wheels touching, should the back hub(s) spin freely? The fronts do, but mine in the rear have pretty significant resistance. Wasn't sure if that's because RWD or not. That's why I thought it could of been my bearings, but the car drives and feels fine otherwise.

[OzJustin]

Quick update to close out this thread. Went for a decent drive with my mechanic having a good listen out the window to check for front & rear brake noises etc. Initially he thought it was unrelated to the brakes & may be the wheel bearings. He also tested the hand brake for rub etc. After he realised that I had aftermarket rotors he listened more closely & determined that the sound of the tick would change when on & off the brakes & depending on the pedal effort. His final position was that the ticking was definately coming down to my style of rotors. He suggested I revert to solid BMW rotors if I wanted to eliminate the noise entirely. Given my pad & rotor combo is so new I may just suck it up & put it down to 'racing brakes' if any passengers ask about the noise haha. It is still annoying but I'll live with it for now.