Nissan Maxima: Rear Caliper Clunk, Rattle Or Knocking Noise

Nissan Maxima: Rear Caliper Clunk, Rattle Or Knocking Noise

Applied Vehicles: 
2001-’02 Maxima (A33)
Applied Dates:
2001 – All vehicles;
2002 – Vehicles built before Sept. 20, 2001.
If a customer with an above-listed 2001-’02 Maxima complains of a clunk, knock or rattle noise from the rear of the vehicle while driving on rough road surfaces or over harsh bumps, it may be caused by the brake pads moving in the brake caliper housing.
A replacement spring retainer kit that consists of replacement pad retainers, inner and outer shims and brake pads is available to address this condition.
Fig 1

Service Procedure:

1. Test-drive the vehicle under the conditions described above to confirm the symptoms.
Tip: Lightly apply the parking brake while the incident is occurring to verify if the noise is reduced or eliminated. If the application of the parking brake does not reduce or eliminate the noise, this bulletin does not apply. If the application of the parking brake does reduce or eliminate the noise, proceed to step 2.
2. Remove the rear wheels. Then, starting with the left rear:
Figure 2
Figure 2

3. Remove the brake caliper assembly pin bolts (see Fig. 1).

4. Loosen the parking brake cable by removing the parking brake cable bolt (seeFig. 2).
5. Remove the brake caliper assembly to gain access to the brake pad, shim and pad retainer.
Fig 3
Fig 3

Warning: Do not allow the brake caliper assembly to hang from the brake hose. Use a piece of wire to hang the caliper from the rear coil spring.

6. Remove the left brake pad, shim and pad retainer.
7. Use Nissan brake cleaner to remove Poly Butyl Cuprysil (PBC) grease and/or brake dust from the torque member (see Fig. 3).
Fig 4
Fig 4

8. Remove the red plastic tabs from one of the replacement pad retainers in the spring retainer kit and install the replacement pad retainer (see Fig. 4 on page 52).

9. Repeat step 8 for the other replacement pad retainer.
10. Install the inner and outer brake pads, outer shim and new inner shim from the spring retainer kit.
Note: Use PBC grease between the brake pad, shim and piston to reduce potential noise. Be sure to put the inner and outer shims in the ­correct location (seeFig. 5 on page 52).
Fig 5
Fig 5

11. Carefully push the piston back into the brake caliper body.

Warning: Do not try to force the piston back into the brake caliper. Caliper damage may result.
12. Reinstall the brake caliper assembly to its original location.
13. Reattach the left upper and lower caliper assembly pin bolts. Torque the bolts to proper torque specifications — 22-31 Nm, 2.2 – 3.2 ­Kg-m, 16-23 ft.-lb.
14. Reinstall the parking brake cable bolt.
15. Repeat steps 3 to 14 for the right rear brake.
16. Reinstall the rear wheels.
Note: When re-installing the wheels, evenly torque the wheel lug nuts to the proper torque spec. — 98-118 Nm, 10 – 12 Kg-m, 72-87 ft.-lb.
17. Repeat step 1 to test drive the vehicle and verify that the noise is no longer present.
Courtesy of Identifix

You May Also Like

Brake Problems

Reducing brake drag on late-model vehicles is not accomplished by a single component; it takes a system.

Drivers and technicians rarely make the connection between fuel economy and brakes. Moving the pads back from the rotor by only 1mm can increase fuel economy by as much as three to five percent. For engineers, it is a huge gain that does not involve exotic materials or adding expensive components.

The Real Cost of Installing Cheap Brake Pads

The brake repair market is starting to become dominated by a “good enough” mentality.

Brake Boosters and Start/Stop Vehicles

For a vacuum brake booster to work, it needs a source of vacuum.

Wheel Speed Sensor and Hub Unit Diagnostics

All wheel speed sensor codes are just the starting points of a diagnosis and not a reason to order a part.

Better Brake Law Update

Learn the latest about the salmon-inspired law.

Other Posts

Identifying Brake Issues With Brake Dust

Brake dust can indicate what could be wrong. This video is sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper.

Axle Torque Procedures

Guessing the correct torque setting is a bad idea.

Top 10 Brake Mistakes

Here are the top 10 brake mistakes technicians can make.

Drilled and Slotted Rotors

There’s real science behind the location of holes, slots and grooves in today’s brake rotors. Plus, they look great too.