For a while now, there has been a creaking-clunking-popping noise coming from my engine bay during low speed maneuvering. For a long time, I thought it was either the suspension or the steering because it always happened when I was making one or the other move. However, I was surprised recently when I realized that as I was sitting in a parking lot stretching my leg against the brake, I heard the same sounds! I played with it some and it turns out that it does it when I change the pressure I'm putting on the brake. The only happens with relatively large pedal force, however.

What in the name of unholy bat caves is going on?

The popping also is happening in my '05 WRX (low speed, usually worse on a slight downhill). 19K miles, and I have the stock brakes and rotors. No noises prior to the turning of the rotors @ 15K miles (warped rotors) by a Subaru dealer under warranty. I described the noise to the dealer and they said it was the "pad shift" noise (found in my wife's Forester, a single "pop"), but this is different (series of pops). They did admit also that they spaced the pads a little further away from the rotor to slow the re-warping, which they say is inevitable. They will replace the rotors under warranty at that time. How many miles on your pads/rotors?

36k miles on the rotors, about 7k on the pads, the pads are replacements. Would the "pad shift" noise occur just pushing on the brakes while not moving at all?

I don't think so, but maybe the weight of the car could cause it at a stop. Pad shift is usually when you go in reverse, stop, then drive forward, stop.

Holy mollasses , i am new here and i was searching for that same thread of problem , i just bought a bug eye wagon 1 month ago and last night i change my summer tires to winter tires , i did bleed the brakes due to the fact that my wife was complaining that the brakes is not clamping hard(she forgot its a turbo too!) anyway after torquing down the wheels i have this noise coming out when braking hard and when you floor the gas, i asked one person here and told me to check my sway bar