Clinking in the wheels

[superchargedman]

Hey, has anyone noticed at low speeds, particularly when you turn the wheel a bit of a clinking noise like pebbles are rustling around in the rotors or the wheels? I'm guessing it's the pebbles they put on the roads here for the ice, which are getting into the cross drilled rotors? Annoying.

[borabora]

i have this clinking noise coming from the rotors but after driving , once i parked the car . i don't know why but the compound brake rotors make that noise for a few minutes while cooling down !

[yemski]

The clinking noise you hear after driving the car is from the metal shafts contracting on the rotors. If you look at the rotors you will see the shafts connecting to the wheel hub and a gap between the two. This is designed to allow for thermal expansion. I remember one of the M videos or interviews talking about the clinking sound.

[borabora]

Originally Posted by HKG

The clinking noise you hear after driving the car is from the metal shafts contracting on the rotors. If you look at the rotors you will see the shafts connecting to the wheel hub and a gap between the two. This is designed to account for thermal contraction. I remember one of the M videos or interviews talking about the clinking sound.

thanks for the info , i too thought it sounds like some metal parts contracting but i didn't know which ones . now i know . thanks !

[MrRoboto]

[superchargedman]

Good to know! Thx guys!

[///M1]

Originally Posted by HKG

The clinking noise you hear after driving the car is from the metal shafts contracting on the rotors. If you look at the rotors you will see the shafts connecting to the wheel hub and a gap between the two. This is designed to allow for thermal expansion. I remember one of the M videos or interviews talking about the clinking sound.

Good to know. I get the same sound going up and down 10 floors in a condo garage, at very low speeds, sharp turns. Almost sounds like a FWD car in need of new CV joints! LOL

[nachob]

Originally Posted by superchargedman

Hey, has anyone noticed at low speeds, particularly when you turn the wheel a bit of a clinking noise like pebbles are rustling around in the rotors or the wheels? I'm guessing it's the pebbles they put on the roads here for the ice, which are getting into the cross drilled rotors? Annoying.

Yes, I have had that happen and it is exactly that, pebbles get stuck between the dust shield and the rotor. I had it happen in the rear.

It is very different from the cooling down clinking that everyone is referring too. It could damage your rotor.

I have not had it happen in the front only the rear.

Figure out which side it's on. Jack up the car and with a long wooden or plastic handle (so you don't scratch your wheels) strike the bottom of the brake shield enough to push it away about 1/4 inch. It will flex a bit and you should hear the gravel fall out on the wheel. At first I just pushed gently away and nothing came out, you have to hit it and push to jar the pebble loose. I think we hit it about three times before the pebble, the size of a BB fell out.

As always when troubleshooting you go for the most obvious thing and the normal brake clinking that everyone is referring to IS the most common issue so I'm not saying anyone is wrong here, I have just had the misfortune of having the same problem and that is how we solved it. Good luck and keep us informed in case it is something different.

[superchargedman]

Originally Posted by nachob

Yes, I have had that happen and it is exactly that, pebbles get stuck between the dust shield and the rotor. I had it happen in the rear.

It is very different from the cooling down clinking that everyone is referring too. It could damage your rotor.

I have not had it happen in the front only the rear.

Figure out which side it's on. Jack up the car and with a long wooden or plastic handle (so you don't scratch your wheels) strike the bottom of the brake shield enough to push it away about 1/4 inch. It will flex a bit and you should hear the gravel fall out on the wheel. At first I just pushed gently away and nothing came out, you have to hit it and push to jar the pebble loose. I think we hit it about three times before the pebble, the size of a BB fell out.

As always when troubleshooting you go for the most obvious thing and the normal brake clinking that everyone is referring to IS the most common issue so I'm not saying anyone is wrong here, I have just had the misfortune of having the same problem and that is how we solved it. Good luck and keep us informed in case it is something different.

I'll try that out. Thanks!

[Tamara]

Originally Posted by nachob

Yes, I have had that happen and it is exactly that, pebbles get stuck between the dust shield and the rotor. I had it happen in the rear.

It is very different from the cooling down clinking that everyone is referring too. It could damage your rotor.

I have not had it happen in the front only the rear.

Figure out which side it's on. Jack up the car and with a long wooden or plastic handle (so you don't scratch your wheels) strike the bottom of the brake shield enough to push it away about 1/4 inch. It will flex a bit and you should hear the gravel fall out on the wheel. At first I just pushed gently away and nothing came out, you have to hit it and push to jar the pebble loose. I think we hit it about three times before the pebble, the size of a BB fell out.

As always when troubleshooting you go for the most obvious thing and the normal brake clinking that everyone is referring to IS the most common issue so I'm not saying anyone is wrong here, I have just had the misfortune of having the same problem and that is howwe solved it. Good luck and keep us informed in case it is something different.

Thanks for this advice as this happens to me on a fairly regular basis. Always passenger side rear, to the extent I have to avoid gravel drives (not always possible) They do manage to drop out of their own accord or by driving backwards and forwards slowly as not always easy to stop and jack the car up! I was thinking of taking back to the dealer but seems its something one has to live with

[sq86]

Good to know this I thought I was crazy lol. It only happens when I really get on the brakes and therefore they get warm.

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by superchargedman

Hey, has anyone noticed at low speeds, particularly when you turn the wheel a bit of a clinking noise like pebbles are rustling around in the rotors or the wheels? I'm guessing it's the pebbles they put on the roads here for the ice, which are getting into the cross drilled rotors? Annoying.

YES!
Of course... this was after a day of autocrossing on a course with a LOT of gravel.. but YES.. i definitely have this.. seems like they are caught and hitting the backing plate..

Originally Posted by nachob

Yes, I have had that happen and it is exactly that, pebbles get stuck between the dust shield and the rotor. I had it happen in the rear.

It is very different from the cooling down clinking that everyone is referring too. It could damage your rotor.

I have not had it happen in the front only the rear.

Figure out which side it's on. Jack up the car and with a long wooden or plastic handle (so you don't scratch your wheels) strike the bottom of the brake shield enough to push it away about 1/4 inch. It will flex a bit and you should hear the gravel fall out on the wheel. At first I just pushed gently away and nothing came out, you have to hit it and push to jar the pebble loose. I think we hit it about three times before the pebble, the size of a BB fell out.

As always when troubleshooting you go for the most obvious thing and the normal brake clinking that everyone is referring to IS the most common issue so I'm not saying anyone is wrong here, I have just had the misfortune of having the same problem and that is how we solved it. Good luck and keep us informed in case it is something different.

I am definitely going to need to do this.. thanks Nacho...

wish I had seen this before I put my stock wheels back on at the course..

[nachob]

Yes, I had this happen at the autocross after exiting the course and kicking up dirt. Hope it helped!

[yemski]

reviving an old thread, I started noticing this clinking sound when backing up or moving forward slowly, kind of sounds like a tin can and was wondering if this is the same sound. It's pretty loud and sounds like a tin can being kicked around.
Had a friend look and it is coming from the driver side rear wheel. I'm assuming it is pebbles caught behind the dust shields. Just wanted to confirm with others who have experienced it.

[superchargedman]

Yeah, had to move them around. They were apparently warped, probably by driving in the snow. All fixed.