I own a 2006 Uplander. I have owned it since new. It has approximately 85K miles. I have had many of the typical uplander problems listed in these forums. Now I have a different problem. When the brakes are applied for the first time since rest, a distinct tick (metal on metal) is heard. The second time the brakes are applied, the tick is gone. The tick will not come back until the Uplander has been not used for a few hours. The brakes have been replaced recently, the tie rod ends have been replaced twice, I've tightened all bolts I can find however the tick is still there. I also lubricated the spring ends thinking there was corrosion causing the problem, but that didn't do it. If anyone out there has fixed this problem, please let me know. As uplander owner's, we're all in this together.

 

I've had the very same problem happen to me whenever I have replaced the brake parts on our '08 Uplander (specifically the disc pads sets), and have either used cheap/crappy quality parts (I'd tell you what those are, but if I did, then their tort/anti-tort retained attorneys might flood my mailbox at home with cease/desist mou's and/or subpoenas; I am too busy to read them), or have not specifically followed the brake pads manufacturer's installation instructions. Your problem of the clicking on the first startup is either caused by an abrasive/adhesive layer of rust forming between the new pads and their rotors and it has to break loose every time you start up which usually is caused either by excessively wet weather or parking on a wet lawn etc. or installing poorly designed/cheaply made parts, which can easily happen if you haven't done your homework properly. Always, Always insist on mandating to your professional brake mechanic which parts they will be installing, cause if you leave it to them, many times they install the crap parts and make lots more $$ off you, cause the job has a set price in most professional shops....you have to take control and tell them exactly what to install and how to install them. Personally, I always use Federal-Mogul/Wagner TheroQuiet Ceramic pads as they have done fine for us for over 45 years, along with a medium-quality (affordable) new rotors....do not get the old rotors turned which is a waste of time/money on an Uplander cause Uplanders are hard on rotors from the start. This problem also occurs if they didn't install the brake parts correctly, or if they re-used the brake-hardware (thin/polished leaf springs, etc.) without re-polishing the sliding surfaces down to at least 4,000 grit smoothness with the correct Micro-Mesh pads....brake parts absoluetly must slide freely and very smoothly, and apply brake grease only where the manufacturer says to. If you possibly can, or if you can get a young, healthy young adult (be sure to pay them fairly!!) either do it yourself or have them do it under your direct guidance while you sip on a fresh lemonde. I'm supposed to advise you to always buy a complete new set of brake hardware (springs, etc.) cause in most areas of the U.S., our winters rust it anyway and the hardware kit costs little anyway. So, you problem is either crappy parts (if you had a professional shop do that to you, maybe you can report them to your most local State Attorney General's Consumer Fraud Office, and/or Local Better Business Bureau's); or they didn't install the parts correctly. There is a third possibility, which if you kept your brake fluid clean & flushed at least every third year like we should on Uplanders, it shouldn't happen; which is your calipers may have held up or seized...one telltale sign of this is if your pads wear extremely uneven and/or one or more of the pads are wearing at a much faster rate than the other pads, or after some heavy city braking, when you hop out of your Uplander, run as fast as you can, feeling every wheel and rotor to see if one is significantly hotter than the others, which means that caliper is holding up....don't scald your fingers doing this; if you have a Fluke or Extech remote IR thermometer, use that instead which is how I do it. Of course, I'm only a DIY'er, so anything a Chevy field rep or a Certified Mechanic writes takes precedence. The main moral of what I'm saying is that I really don't trust any shop to do my brake work; so I do it myself; as I am more thorough than any shop can be anyway.

 

Thanks for the reply. There has been quite a bit of history with this Uplander, unfortunately not all that good. Since less than 400 miles it has had the following work:

Warranty work performed by Chevrolet:
New front brake rotors: 342 miles
Engine Crank shaft seal replaced: 1,896 miles
Right & Left tie rod ends: 16,735 miles
Replaced intermediate steering shaft: 16,735 miles
Replaced radio: 31,734 miles
Warranty expired @ 36,000 miles:

Work performed by Chevrolet paid by me:
Right front wheel sensor which includes hub & bearing assembly: 39,000 miles.
Left front wheel sensor which includes hub & bearing assembly: 47,182 miles
Right wheel sensor wiring harness: 49,587 miles
Replaced Upper bank O2 sensor: 51,329 miles
Replaced right & left tie rod ends again: 74,000 miles

Front brakes replaced @ 37,000 miles which I performed myself using the highest quaility brake parts (ceramic pads).

Front & rear brakes replaced again due to cracked pads causing squealing in front & rear brakes @ 60,000 miles. Replaced again with Ceramic brake pads supposedly designed not to squeal. So far they are quiet.

Ticking noise showed up @ approx. 78,000 miles. I have checked the calipers to determine if they have become loose or worn. I have cleaned & lubricated the 2 bolts that hold them in place. The rotors look fine, no high spots & when braking the braking is smooth, no vibration. At almost 86k miles I'm almost convinced the calipers need to be replaced as something is worn inside them, possibly the piston. I have bled the brake system thinking there could be an air pocket possilby causing the pads to be loose when @ rest, but no luck. We are located in the southern most part of the United States so winters are not an issue for us. I'm not convinced there could be a problem with the pad installation because the pads come with clips that lock both the inboard and outboard pad in place in the caliper, so there can be no movement.

Although up to about 50,000 miles the Uplander was a major disappointment, the past 36,000 miles have been much better. GM stood by the Uplander and put me on a GM maintenance program which included free oil changes & tire rotation up to 84,000 miles. GM also sent me a $1,800 voucher towards a new GM product.

I'll keep this post updated when I correct this problem.

 

Just an FYI, I cleaned the front calipers, bolts, & brake clips. Lubricated the hardware, reinstalled the calipers and bled the brakes. My ticking noise appears to be gone. Nothing unusual noticed while I had the calipers off.

 

In the GM service manual it states to use brake adhesive, something like CRC's high temprature brake quiet, on the outer pad. this will keep the pad for making that tick or click sound when they are cold.