1964 Riviera query (Brake noise)

[Guest GLine64Riv]

Looking for some assistance or guidance in identifying a fix for an annoying knock that occurs in my 64 Riv currently.

Under medium braking and usually to a full stop (traffic lights etc), a knock can be heard coming from underneath the car, possibly drivers side. This does not happen all the time and cannot be felt through the pedal at all.

When you take your foot off the brake, there is no second knock noise to suggest it coming from calipers or similar.

My mechanic has checked all aspects of the braking system for anything that might cause the noise, but to no avail.

Has anybody else experienced this in a Series 1 or other Riviera, and if so, what can be done to eliminate the noise. It has no impact on braking ability in any way, and is more annoying than anything.

[Guest JRMcClain]

This is possibly from a brake drum turned too fast. It's like a record groove and will pull brake shoes away from the backing plate. The snapping back will be a knock. Pull the brake drum. The surface should be smooth with your fingernail. Re-turning at a slower metal removal rate is the fix.

[Jim Cannon]

See if you can reproduce it this way:

1. Brake fairly firmly when you are going in reverse.

2. Get going forward again and brake firmly.  Listen for the noise.  (Kind of a clunk.)

3. Get going forward again and brake firmly again.  Probably no clunk.

 

This has been reported on several 1st gen. RIvs.  It is some part of the front suspension sliding forward and back when you brake firmly in reverse and forward.

[rapom]

I had the same noise with my 64 last year.  Never effected the braking but was a bit annoying.  Over the winter among the many things I did to my car was adjust my pads tighter to the drum.

 

I don't get any noise this year and my brakes still feel the same as before I adjusted the pads.  I also replaced the idler arm but that shouldn't have anything to do with the noise.