# GTR Dinner plate rattle - Solved with solution



## jensengtr (Sep 1, 2011)

I have read many entries on here re the GTR R35 "Dinner Plate" rattle famous on these cars but could not really find any solutions short of a £4k brake upgrade, so my workshop team and I set about this issue, the fault as some may know and others may think is "transmission" is in fact the rear brake pads rattling in the calipers, fact. A simple test for you to do is when driving on a slow bumpy road listening to them plates rattling gently ride the brake pedal (left foot brake), the noise dissapears !!, this may be as "Nissan" techs would say normal but something my team and i were convinced could be solved, we have run many race cars with floating discs and big calipers over the years and never had this before, whilst the handbook does state a small rattle from the rear of the car occasionaly is normal this is probable in reference to the floating disc bobbin wear (after lots of wear), or indeed some of the transimmsion noise, but do not mistake this for the DINNER PLATE RATTLE, and with this the fault is simply this *not enough pre load on the caliper springs.*

The solution :, Remove wheel, remove 2 retaining pins (just drift out inwards), remove pad spring plate and re shape the 4 corner tabs downward towards the pad edge, its real simple the tabs on the four corners create preloaded pressure onto the pad edge to stop the "rattling", the preload is far less than the rattle plates we used to run on the big GT cars, simple bend down the four corner tabs and re-fit the spring steel plate by re-inserting the pad pins, (note the more you re shape the plate, the more preload of pressure you put on the pad the trickier it is to re-fit the springs), that said it took me and 1 race engineer ten - fifteen minutes per corner and it was done albeit very fiddly and leverage needed to preload the reshaped plates against the pads to get pins in, a long test drive over the same bumpy roads and the rattle had COMPLETELY GONE. Furthermore a quick check with the pyrometer showed brake temps were normal (so no extra binding due to increased pressure plate preload) and the wheels span freely when brake released.

I really cant believe this was so easy to fix, why hasnt nissan brought out a better spring ?, I am sure this mod is so simple but could also be done with a slightly different shape plate if Nissan wanted.

Litchfields got me a couple of plates for very little money but well worth a go.


Anyone want any advice or some pics of the shim "before" and "after re shape", PM me and I will email you.

I Love it now, Rattle free, its soooooo quiet.....that is untill the Miltek Y Pipe starts to sing !!!

Jensengtr


The fix is easy, remove the two


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## jensengtr (Sep 1, 2011)

Pics uploaded soon by my friend for your reference.


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## scoobyc (May 15, 2011)

Here's the pics, thanks for your efforts Jensen 

Reshaped on the left, standard on the right









Top one is standard bottom one reshaped









Standard one









Reshaped one


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## Litchfield (Feb 26, 2008)

Really pleased you sorted the problem :thumbsup: We will be fitting the updated 2011 rear springs as part of all rear brake pads installs. At £2.50 each I'm sure customers won't mind 

Regards

Iain


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## scoobyc (May 15, 2011)

Ian, do you keep these as a stock item or am I just as well calling the dealer and getting them sent out?
Cheers SC.


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## w8pmc (Sep 16, 2010)

Excellent work. Will look into how i go about this as may book Litchfields for my 12mth Service.


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## Naranja (Dec 4, 2008)

Litchfield said:


> Really pleased you sorted the problem :thumbsup: We will be fitting the updated 2011 rear springs as part of all rear brake pads installs. At £2.50 each I'm sure customers won't mind
> 
> Regards
> 
> Iain


Hi Iain,

Does this imply that the 2011 springs are supposed to be better? My 09 car didn't do it at all but, my 2011 car is very bad, drives me mad....! 

Thanks.


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## jensengtr (Sep 1, 2011)

*rattle*

No that 2011 spring I understand are the same, its just pot luck if your car has the rattle or not, I takes 15 mins per wheel to do and simply remove spring as said above, reshape the tabs to increase pressure against pad and refit, note : the more you bend the tabs the trickier to re-fit, but worth the fiddling for sure, instant ratlle remover !!!!


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## Litchfield (Feb 26, 2008)

The 2011 springs have a different part number and seem to be slightly thicker than some of the early cars springs. As Jensen says a slight tweek to get the right tension seems to cure the rattling noise.

We have plenty in stock if anyone wants them sent out.

Regards

Iain


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## [email protected] (Nov 4, 2010)

*2009 Rear calliper spring*

This is what the 2009 spring is like,
I ordered the 2011 springs from Litchfields.


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## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

Just checking, but this rattle is different from the clicking sound when turning, right?


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## w8pmc (Sep 16, 2010)

David.Yu said:


> Just checking, but this rattle is different from the clicking sound when turning, right?


David, i'm guessing so as the noise in question comes from the rear of the car or at least it does in my car. Can best be described as an iritating rattle over less than perfect tarmac & at lower speeds.

Getting this minor upgrade done at SVM during next Service

How was Germany?


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## Naranja (Dec 4, 2008)

David.Yu said:


> Just checking, but this rattle is different from the clicking sound when turning, right?


Definitely is David. It's very obviously from the rear and (as discussed) if you lightly press the brake pedal whilst travelling, the noise completely disappears.


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## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

Cheers, thought as much. Thankfully my 2009 doesn't do it to any appreciable degree.
Clicking (which only appeared a few months ago) has now almost completely disappeared. (Wheels have been remounted a couple of times since then).


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## vxrcymru (Sep 29, 2009)

I have this rattle, I'm at Litchfields on the 7th for a service so will probably get this done the same time and report back.


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## 888_76 (Sep 12, 2011)

Ive got a MY11, and its driving me up the wall!!

How do I go about getting these? Will my local HPC have them in stock? or is this something they are unaware off meaning Litchfield is my next point of call? After getting my hands on the part, there is obviously the job of getting them put on. Is this something my HPC can do for me? 

Thanks 

Roj


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## 888_76 (Sep 12, 2011)

Considering I replied to your "rattle" thread not to long ago, just like to say good job jensengtr in not taking no for an answer and getting to the bottom of it. The sound really gets under my skin, but don't think I would have had the inclination to go through the efforts you have to find the problem and solution. So job well done sir!!

Cheers 

Roj


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## RichF-R35 (Jun 16, 2012)

This quick fix has just cured my rattling rear Brembos, it's now so quiet:clap:
Thanks Jensengtr for the write up:thumbsup:

Cheers Rich


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## alex_123_fra (Mar 26, 2008)

I've had the 2011 caliper springs fitted to my rears and it has reduced the rattle but is there a fix for the metallic sounding rattle which comes from the front caliper pins? These are loose and cannot be tightened and rattle about in the pin cylinder whenever going over bumpy or pot-holed roads.


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## RichF-R35 (Jun 16, 2012)

Mine seem quiet so haven't checked the them or the set up. Can you not do the same as the rears so you get more preload on the pads?

Rich


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## james_barker (Nov 17, 2016)

I'm suffering this and it's driving me mad so watch this thread closely. 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk


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