wtf is up with my brakes?

[stockgp]

in the pic of the brake pad, you will see how it's wearing unevenly. this is a problem i've run into once before, when one of the caliper bolts fell out. yes, fell out. then, not too long ago, the other bolt broke off i the bracket. now, the same bolt that broke before has broken again and ruined the caliper bracket.

 

i say the same bolts, but this is a new bracket, new hardware, new pads, new rotor. the hardware only came with a 90 day warranty from auto zone. i don't know that i have the receipt, and i'm sure it's been more than 90 days since i bought it. so basically, i'm fucked. again. trying to find parts for 94+ w bodies here is like pulling a purple winged donkey fairy out of my ass.

 

anyhow, anyone have any idea of what the hell my problem could be?

 

 

[Andrew]

it looks like the caliper was installed crooked somehow by the looks of that pad. maybe the caliper bracket is bent??

 

is the other pad the same way?

[19Cutlass94]

well the fact that theres NO pad left. There should be a wear bar on the pads and when it gets down to that wear bar, its time to change them. Although uneven wear of the pads can be caused by a bad caliper, bad hardware, caliper slides.

 

Ive seen MANY pads come in like that. worn down to nothing with half of the pad missing. Thats almost 3/4" that the piston is extended more than when thepads are new and the calipers are only designed to be pushed out so far. But I would say that either its a bad pad material ( being broken up like that ) or something in the hardware/caliper is amiss.

[stockgp]

well, the only thing that ISN'T new is the caliper. this is the second set of hardware i've put on this corner. the bracket is also "new." by that, i mean it's off of a junkyard car and is new to me.

 

how do you install a caliper crooked?

 

there is NO pad left because this isn't the first time this has happened. i'm trying to figure out why it's hapening before i keep changing pads and rotors.

[19Cutlass94]

If the bracket is bent just the slightest bit, the caliper will follow and translate that onto the pad. When you installed the new hardware, what kind of grease were you using for the slides?

[stockgp]

i used anti seize on everything. always have

[Crazy K]

You have missed a critical piece of info. WHAT does the other pad look like????

 

I've had two pads do this, both because the slides bound up. part of the slide in the claiper itself, it couls have a dirt bore where the slides go through.

[stockgp]

i noticed that it did bind up once in a while. like if i reached under the wheel, grabbed the bottom of the caliper and pulled outward, it would "settle" back into a normal position.

 

i'l go look at the other pad now

[stockgp]

ok, the other pad looks pretty good. it's starting to wear unevenly. however, it still has enough pad left that the squealer isn't to the point where it would hit the rotor

[BXX]

You do know the discard limit of a brake pad is 3/16"........ Right????

[stockgp]

well, the rear pad still has 1/4" or more on it. no way the front pad should have been worn that much.

 

also, what odn't you guys get about "i want to FIND the problem, not just keep throwing pads and rotors at it?"

[BXX]

No no my dear watson... Once the pads wears down 3/16" of an itch, it is bad... Not when the total thickness equals 3/16"

[slick]

One slider in the caliper may not be moving near as well, causing un-even wear.

[Crazy K]

i used anti seize on everything. always have

anti-sieze??????? No. It prevents siezing and rust, but is not enough of a lubricant.

 

You can buy for about 8 or 9 bucks a brush-in-the-bottle container of specific brake grease from advanced auto. "PERMATEX ULTRAS DISC BRAKE CALIPER LUBE" UPC: 6 86226 24110 8

 

 

I'm not clear from you description... which pad is most worn? the inner or outer???

 

 

 

[stockgp]

the outer pad is the one with almost no pad left.

 

blackbird, new pads are only 5/16" thick. that means i'm not near a pad change yet, if they were wearing evenly.

 

 

[slick]

One slider in the caliper may not be moving near as well, causing un-even wear.

 

Yep, after reading your above symptoms, I'm definately sticking with failing calipers. Either rebuild or buy some new ones.

[stockgp]

hmm. maybe. they seem to go in and come back out ok. i need to worry about finding a bracket first.

[19Cutlass94]

if you buy a caliper, they will come with a new bracket.

[stockgp]

oh yeah? from where? last time i bought one was for my 90, but it didn't come with a bracket.

 

that was from auto zone, though.

[19Cutlass94]

from napa.

[stockgp]

sweet, thanks.

[Crazy K]

one other thing I'll point out... both of the ones that gave me grief apparently had warped rotors, and could be a contributing factor. are they lifetime pads? I would slap another set in, lube them with a proper brake grease and let em go.

[19Cutlass94]

i doubt that they are lifetime pads. No one really does that anymore cause everybody that does looses money on it.

 

if you go to napa for the caliper and bracket, you can get loaded calipers that comes with pads and all the hardware you need. You can get standard or premium... But either way have your caliper and bracket with you. The core is insane

[stockgp]

well. i managed to get the piece of bolt out with a bolt extractor. i wasn't too hopeful, considering the last two times it didn't work. i put it back together so ican drive it to work tomorrow, and i'll worry about it after i get done tomorrow.

 

the pads were not lifetime. the rotors have less than 1000 miles on them, so i would HOPE they aren't warped yet. thanks for the help, guys. i'll figure something out tomorrow

[Andrew]

i would have them resurfaced though just so you have a nice flat surface for those new pads.