Front end rattle

[Athame57]

Most days I ride about half a mile on a cobbled road in ye olde Wapping, east London....there is always a strange rattle coming from the lower front end, which I think is the brake caliper but I'm not sure, there's nothing I can find amiss (now) with them, is this normal, could it be something else?

[royhall]

It could always be something else, but the caliper is free to swing sideways on it's mounting arm so it may be rattling the pads a bit.

[Nurse Julie]

I get a rattle when riding over cobbles too. There is definitely nothing loose on the front end if mine, I just think it's the front mudguard rattling a bit, it's on there good and proper but that is the only conclusion I have come to.

[K2-K6]

Ride across them with front brake lightly held on to see if it still does it.

Dragging it will stop pads and caliper movement so it will either prove caliper or not.

[K2-K6]

Oh, and if you are using tapered roller steering head bearings.

When installing them,  tighten to about 40 pounds of torque while rotating them back and forth,  then release and finally tightened to 2 to 3 pounds ( lightly nipped in old money)  will prevent the tracks from not being fully home after drifting them in.

If you don't set them fully they will rattle later from having play in the headstock.

[Athame57]

Ride across them with front brake lightly held on to see if it still does it.
Dragging it will stop pads and caliper movement so it will either prove caliper or not.

Did that and most of rattle stopped, more stopped when I  suppressed bunch of keys in ignition , a small rattle left I guess something would on cobbles though.....me included!!