rob22

FYI I just resolved a clicking noise that was coming from my front brakes on my 97 LS400. The symptoms were different from most of what I've seen on CL - in my case there was a creaking/rattling noise that came with increased pressure on the brakes. I could make the creaking occur at a standstill, just by depressing the brake pedal. The pads still have plenty of life left in them.

I disassembled the pads and applied some of that brake-quiet material to all mating surfaces. It's that dark silver paste that others have mentioned here.

I also noticed, to my surprise, that the pads had been installed upside-down by the last mechanic who worked on the car. Fixed that as well, and now the creaking seems to have gone away.

Attached is an image of the correct orientation of the pads. Note that it's possible to install the pads upside-down, as was done on my car. Hopefully this is a good reference point for someone doing a DIY brake job. Note that my car's a Gen2, totally different caliper setup from Gen1.

Rob

steveski

Thanks for post - can't believe the mechanic put them in wrong - and he is a mechanic? All the more reason to do that sort of thing yourself if you have tools and time