Anti Rattle clips won't stay on.

[ORCoaster]

I replaced an axle a while back and after that I can't seem to keep the anti rattle clips on that wheel.  I am on my second set in less than 3 mths.  Anyone have this kind of trouble in the past.  Seems strange than they stay on for thousands of miles then when you remove them they just don't want to stay on anymore.

Come to think of it i replace the front brakes as well with that repair.  I can't seem to get the clips to stay under the brake pads.  It is like the wire is to big or the gap between the pad and the caliper is to small.  Should I just file a bit of the pad keeper off to make the gap larger? 

The rattle is drawing attention and people think the car is just an old beater like the driver.

Advice and comments please.

[wdkingery]

oh about those anti rattle clips..
i had the damndest time with them friggers. mine wouldn't stay in for the life of me.. i ended up throwing them away but it can with no ill effect thus far so..
i'm not sure what this rattle is you speak of.
altho i might not understand what you speak of. might need a photo

[ORCoaster]

Photos no can do.  It would have had to be an audio clip of some sort.  As I would trundle down the road at say 25 or 35 every crack or pot hole or "patch in the road" would cause the front end to vibrate. That sets off the brakes wiggling back and forth in the calipers and is just darn annoying to a mechanic like myself.  They shouldn't do that!  Where people are on the side of the road or particularly bikers in the Portland area would tell me you have a bad rattle up front.  Is something going to be falling off soon?  

If I just barely covered the brake with a tad of foot pressure the sound would go away.  So I knew how to fix it, buy another set of clips.  When I couldn't get them to stay put I started to look at the way they were overhanging the pads.  They were not catching in the bottom of the pad at all.  So I filed a bit of the tab off making the space for them to snap into a bit larger.  Is it going to work for me?  I will see as I head out Wednesday for the big city.

[CRSMP5]

what kind... flat ones or wire ones??

wire ones require a notch in the pad.. if memory servs me right.. they quit making pads for the wire kinds years ago.. kinda ***ty too as the wire ones were better thent he mk2 style flat kinds..

your diagnossis is correct on pad noises too..

[ORCoaster]

I was talking about the wire kind.  The local parts place can get them to me in a day and they cost a bit over five bucks.  They didn't have a notch to hook into on the pad.  So I took a little of the tab off with a file so they could get a bite under it.  Otherwise I was chasing them all over the lawn and driveway.

I also think these new wire ones are fatter wire than the old ones but because I have lost all of them I can not be certain.