Hi there,
2001 MP3 with ~60k, SPOOL springs (1.5" drop), AEM intake and OBX header. When I am coming to a stop under light-moderate brake pressure, there is a popping noise that comes from the front of the car. It only happens when braking. If I were to glide to a stop in or out of gear, no. If I slow down to where the popping begins, and then switch to the e-brake (rear brakes), no. Also, if I let my car sit overnight, this noise won't occur for the first 3-4 brakings...

I removed the pads and regreased the area where the front pads go with brake grease, and re-greased the bottom slides where the allen key goes on the caliper. My next step is replacing the front swaybar bushings since they already creak in the cold. This problem happens in cold, warm, dry or wet.

Any ideas? Could it be control arm bushings? Motor mounts? CV joint? Ball joints? I rule out CV joint since it only does it when braking which shifts weight to the front, hence my belief its the suspension...

What can I do to diagnose this? I can do pretty simply things (installed header, changed brake pads/rotors, oil/tranny oil changes etc). Will a dealer or suspension shop diagnose this problem for free?

Chris

I'm having the same problem with a Protege 5. Has anyone else experienced this?

When the brake pedal is depressed there is a clunking noise until the car stops. The brake parts all seem tight.

Check your struts and casters. Also make sure the calipers are mounted correctly and are tight. It's probably a suspension problem. If you take it to an alignment shop they can probably help. I always get a lifetime alignment when I buy a car and have it checked every 10k miles or so. It saves tires and they are always happy to point out any problems, especially if they think they can sell you service. You should probably rule out the motor mounts, it's not likely but it's possible.