Front brake fix

[hvac1000]

Kia Sportage Front Disc Brake Problems????
(Again, this is nothing but piss poor design. Luckily it’s real easy to fix!)

The Kia Sportage is designed with front disc brakes. Normally a good idea, but these idiots decided to add these useless little stainless steel inserts (clips or whatever you want to call them) in the slots where the ends of the brake shoes are supposed to rest.

Normally your brake pads set freely in these little slots and basically “Float” next to the rotor until the caliper squeezes the pad against the rotor and stops the vehicle. Well Kia put these thin steel liners in the slots where ends of the brake shoes are supposed to rest. These little clips or liners that are supposed to prevent the brake shoe from rattling hold the ends of the brake shoe firmly enough to keep them from rattling. Unfortunately, they also prevent the brake pad from floating, or sliding away from the brake rotor after the brakes are released!!!! The clips do not hold the pads so tightly against the rotor that there is any noticeable braking action but the pads are held lightly against the rotor causing your rotor and pads to wear out REAL FAST!! This has also been the cause of some problems with hot brakes.

To fix this just remove the wheel, pull the two bolts that hold the caliper to the vehicle and slide the caliper up and off the rotor. Slide (pry) out the two brake pads, and using a screwdriver or needle nose pliers pop, pull or rip the little steel liners out of the slots where the tips of the brake pads set. Now put it back together (notice how much free play there is in the pad movement now) and enjoy driving your vehicle without replacing the brakes and rotors every 10,000 miles!!!!!!

[LMP]

Well...I had..mean I really had..to change brake pads and disks and indeed saw that these pads were so tight in the caliper that it was hard to take them out...so much for the free play. I removed the clips on one end..kept them on the other end though to keep some spring action and avoid rattle and the change in free play and pad clearance when releasing brake is improved magnificiently: the most noticeable effect is how easy the car goes now: I used to think the poor speed gain (compared to my other car) when free wheeling downhill in neutral was wind drag....now I know there was also a lot of brake drag cause the speed gain is much greater now. There is a definite change of feeling on the throttle and I think (...I will measure it strictly when conditions allow and with no bias...) the fuel mileage could really improve a little due to that single change.

[e_powers]

and doing this is totally safe?