Handbrake rattle…

[timbob]

I’ve been investigating the cause of a metallic rattle/clatter which seems to afflict the rear of my ‘96 K Series Supersport (S3) over bumps and undulations. It has “big brakes”, I believe - the callipers are branded AP, and the front discs are vented. There is a secondary caliper for the handbrake on the rear.

Today I’ve had the car up in the air and all looks pretty good - nothing appears to be hitting anything (the noise is more a loose rattle than a suspension knock, thud or clonk in any case). The wheel nuts were tight, of course.

The inner (or outer, I can’t remember now) main brake pad has an ever-so-slight amount of movement in the caliper (0.5mm tops), but nothing that would cause the rattle I’m hearing.

One thing I have noticed is that when the handbrake is slack, the little lever the handbrake cable actuates hangs loosely down and rattles around its spindle bolt in the aperture in the caliper. If I wobble this around side to side, the noise is akin to the metallic rattle I hear when driving.

Any thoughts folks? Anyone encountered this before? It looks almost as if I could undo bolt this hangar is mounted on, slide it out and pop some tube/sleeve arrangement in to space the hanger on and prevent it clattering around in its slot…?

 

Edited June 2 by timbob