MK3 front (and rear) brake metallic rattle

Both my front and rear brakes are stock. The previous owner rebuilt both calipers. Both brakes work very well but...At slow speeds I notice a metallic tink, tink, tink at slow speeds when the brake IS NOT activated. I examined the calipers and found that I can touch the under side and move my finger back and forth and produce the rattle. It feels like there are two tabs in sockets that have all this front to back clearance that are making the noise. Both calipers do the exact same thing and make the same noise. I believe that these are the tabs of the two friction pads that are floating in these oversized sockets. Now...the qiestion. Is this supposed to be happening? Is that noise part of the operational symphony of noises that go with these bikes?

To clarify. It is only the outboard tab rattleing. Goes away when brake is applied.

Brake pads rattling in the calipers is nothing to worry about, but it can be annoying, so I suggest you remove the pads and smear the metal backing plates of the pads with either copper grease or proper brake pad grease, and hopefully that will stop the rattling.

Thanks L.A.B. I just posted a confession as a new topic describing how I found this noise. The truth is I thought for sure that the sound was engine ping! I am elated to find that it is just the brake caliper! The journey of understanding this bike inside and out continues. Thank you thank you thank you for this forum.

If the copper/brake grease doesn't work, a more permanent solution to your paper shim idea could be to apply a thin smear of silicone sealant around the edges of the metal pad backings and let it semi-harden before refitting the pads to the calipers as I have found that to be a reasonably permanent and the most successful way, so far, to cure pad ratting problems with my Triumph-Lockheed calipers, as the Triumph-Lockheed calipers and pads often suffer from this rattling problem.

How do I remove the pads to deal with them? Do I have to drain the system etc? I have never done much with the brakes so it's kind a spooky to me.

Ya take off caliper or remove wheel then pry the pads
apart a bit, watch for over flow at mastercyclinder.
The just wiggle one at a time out.
I ran into similar on my SV650 and was told to use
this which worked a treat.
I've got some I'll never use up - can just send to you.
Orange and sticky liquid.
http://www.amazon.com/Permatex-80729-12 ... B001REZ5TY

hobot