Uneven brake pad wear

[IMtnBike]

I just replaced my front brake pads on my 1996 Jimmy 4x4 and noticed that the right side pads had worn about 50% more than the left side. Does anyone have any idea as to what might be causing this? My front pads seem to wear out very quickly. I have to replace them about every two years and do not drive it that much. When beaking it does not pull more to one side than the other.

any help would be appreciated.
Jeff

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by IMtnBike

I just replaced my front brake pads on my 1996 Jimmy 4x4 and noticed that the right side pads had worn about 50% more than the left side. Does anyone have any idea as to what might be causing this? My front pads seem to wear out very quickly. I have to replace them about every two years and do not drive it that much. When beaking it does not pull more to one side than the other.

any help would be appreciated.
Jeff

Both inner and outer pads or right side?
Are you using good quality pads or el cheapo?
Did you lube sliders and sliding pins?
Sticking caliper and or brake hoses or sliders pins can cause pads not to release good.
After warmed up and using brakes jack up front and spin wheels and check for even drag on brake pads.
Is right side draging more than left side?
If so crack bleeder on right side and then check brake drag.
If less drag the brake hose is bad.

[4x4 blazerguy]

I have had that problem but I run cheap pads. I got about 60,000 out of the last cheap pad. & bought another cheap pad. My reason was I never would of thought this Blazer would be around today. Three years & 80,000 miles ago the engine started rattling & I burnt the tranny fluid so bad it was blowing out the vent tube. So two years ago we bought a 98 Jeep GC 5.9 Limited to replace it. Well the Jeep sits waiting to be used as the Blazer with now 166,000 miles on it & keeps trucking with an engine rattle that is no worse & a tranny that was saved & I just had a valve body upgrade done because of NO OVERDRIVE. The tranny shop said it was OK they couldn't believe the converter wasn't burned up.
So anyway how much farther will this Blazer go is a mystery to me so I don't always buy top rated parts for easy fixes like brake pads etc.

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by 4x4 blazerguy

I have had that problem but I run cheap pads. I got about 60,000 out of the last cheap pad. & bought another cheap pad. My reason was I never would of thought this Blazer would be around today. Three years & 80,000 miles ago the engine started rattling & I burnt the tranny fluid so bad it was blowing out the vent tube. So two years ago we bought a 98 Jeep GC 5.9 Limited to replace it. Well the Jeep sits waiting to be used as the Blazer with now 166,000 miles on it & keeps trucking with an engine rattle that is no worse & a tranny that was saved & I just had a valve body upgrade done because of NO OVERDRIVE. The tranny shop said it was OK they couldn't believe the converter wasn't burned up.
So anyway how much farther will this Blazer go is a mystery to me so I don't always buy top rated parts for easy fixes like brake pads etc.

I have used GM oem pads for replacement in my vehicles ..now I use the advance auto gold pads with a warrantee.

I have found the very expensive OEM pads do not score to rotor surface.the wear on the rotors is even and a mirror like surface..

the much cheaper gold pads do work good..the rotors have slight scoring , but not bad when you consider the cost which is 75% less ....

with uneven wear this would be in most cases the caliper..the caliper need be removed from the vehicle and checked for any restrictions in its operation...

pins,piston,weather seal even the pads not correctly fitting into the caliper due to rusted caliper or poor pad finishing where the backing plate was stamped causing burrs to bind up the pads...

the pads should fit with not much force...filing the pad backing plate may be needed to have this occur..

[rprough]

I would also check and make shure slide pins are lubed and you might have 1 caliper hanging up a bit.

[4x4 blazerguy]

I lubed my sliders pins. I need some front end work done. But my uneven front pad wear isn't enough to bother me. When the caliber seizes & tears the pad off the steel backing I'll buy new calibers.
I fix only what is broke. Being an old, tired, & retired mechanic from back in the day things that worry the normal person don't bother me. I know what the chances of a real problem occurring are. In my brake situation it is very low chance of a real problem. If I have to put on $14 pads every two years that is fine.
Thanks for the suggestions.

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by 4x4 blazerguy

I lubed my sliders pins. I need some front end work done. But my uneven front pad wear isn't enough to bother me. When the caliber seizes & tears the pad off the steel backing I'll buy new calibers.
I fix only what is broke. Being an old, tired, & retired mechanic from back in the day things that worry the normal person don't bother me. I know what the chances of a real problem occurring are. In my brake situation it is very low chance of a real problem. If I have to put on $14 pads every two years that is fine.
Thanks for the suggestions.

with your issues of cost .....In scrap yards you can get many good brake parts even on older vehicles...most shops replace the brake parts on older vehicles even if not needed to make a bigger profit.


having a properly working brake system is important..binding brakes would mean longer stopping distances...with the pads moving easy on application and not hot from dragging , this would give a good brake effort..

this has nothing to do with cost of the irregular pad wear cost or work to replace...with a road that is wet you can end up in the ditch very fast.

[rprough]

Skimping on brake parts is like playing Rusian Roullete. This is one area where you might not want to "wait till it breaks". Preventive maintenance is a good thing here. Being a paramedic and living at the bottom of a mountain, I see the importance of good brakes. Just ask the 18 wheeler drivers whom have lost their breaks.