[jeffcoslacker]

Soemtimes you have to look at it a couple of ways...what appears to be a brake that is wearing too fast and has a problem can also be an indication that it is the only one actually DOING anything, and the problem lies on the other side...

However the dust is a good indicator of a brake that is constantly dragging. So you have to think what causes this. The pads can tell you sometimes...you only showed us the friction surface of one of them in the pics...were they both worn to the backing plate?

Having one that is worn more than the other will tell you where the problem lies....the inboard (piston side) being worn more indicates a sticking caliper piston that won't properly retract, a worn outboard (sliding contact side) indicates the caliper is not able to glide on it's pins and guides like it's supposed to, so the sliding side drags after applying the brake.

Pads worn at angle (beveled wear) indicates slop or misalignment. Pads not properly seated in the caliper or worn out pin/sleeve hardware allowing the caliper to move in unwanted directions are to blame. Both conditions can cause disc brakes to drag.

If the pads seem evenly worn, the caliper seems to be easy to push the piston into and glides easily on it's mount, the hardware is all good and everything fits together properly, then you have to move onto a possible hydraulic issue.

Most common is a bad brake hose. A deteriorated inner lining can collapse inward, and act like a one-way valve to fluid movement...when you apply the brake pressure moves toward the wheel but can't return back toward the master cylinder when you release...as far as the caliper is concerned, your foot is still on the brake.

There's a couple of easy ways to figure this out. I take the car for a ride, and bring a proper sized wrench for the bleeder screw. Drive around for a while and get things good and warmed up. The run down the road at 45 mph or better for several miles without using the brakes...

Pull to the side, let the car roll to a stop or use the e-brake if you have to....the idea is to NOT use the front brakes...after driving this far without using them, they should be fairly cool.

OK so first feel the wheels....if you have one side considerable warm or even hot, and the other is cool, you have confirmed your suspicion about that wheel dragging. Now onto phase 2...

Drive it around, using the brakes heavily and repeatedly...then find a place where you can stop, parking lot, whatever. Cut the wheels so you can reach the bleeder screw, and open the screw on the affected caliper. Don't worry about getting air in, the only way you can draw air into brakes is if you were to have the pedal down with the screw open and then let the pedal up. Anyone who tells you different is WRONG....

OK so listen and pay attention closely as you open it. Do it quickly, in one short snap...if you have a hydraulic issue, like the collapsed hose I mentioned, when you open it a couple of things will happen...one is you will get a pressurized shot of fluid out of the bleeder, as if someone was pressing the pedal. The other thing is you may hear a little grunt from the caliper as it releases and relaxes it's grip. The car may even move a little. If so, you have definitely found your problem...change that brake hose.

Once in a great while you'll find one that has some other issue, like a crushed hard brake line or a bad proportioning valve or something, but I'm not going into that now...too rare...