Help With Brakes..Why Is One Pad Off Center..?

[solaris=amazing]

Hey guys, i went to pepboys today cause they guarenteed the job within an hour, i'd have to wait much longer at the local mechanic. Everything went good, but the main reason why i had the rear pads replaced was because of the passenger side INSIDE pad, it was slanted-causing the end of the pad to wear down and have the metal backing of the pad scrape the rotor.

These pads still had life to them, but i got new pads anyway...why was that one pad crooked like that..? basically, instead of both pads compressing normally, the inside pad was tilting and making the edge of the pad hit the rotor. ONE thing i did notice, that same pad was MISSING the top clip-the one that bends down and under the top of the caliper to act as a support-and LITERALLY that pad was pretty much 'free' moving.

PS, job done, everything good...i just want to know why that would happen. The pep boys mechanic said something about freezing..?

[solaris=amazing]

Also, how long do pads last in general..? I got new pads in the front this past summer (august) and wonder how long those will last..? 10k..?20k..? I'm not a "brake" driver either if that helps.

95 4.6L bird.

[Austin8214]

Originally Posted by solaris=amazing

Also, how long do pads last in general..? I got new pads in the front this past summer (august) and wonder how long those will last..? 10k..?20k..? I'm not a "brake" driver either if that helps.

95 4.6L bird.

It all depends on how may times and how hard you apply your brakes. I know a lady that delivers the mail and her brakes last about one oil change. I also know people that do alot of highway driving and their brakes last them 20k to 40k. Hope this helps.

[MagicRat]

Often uneven wear is due to the fact that the pad does not 'slide' on the mounts easily.
The mounts for the pads must be free of rust and debris. Most mechanics coat the contact points in a specialized brake lubricant "Siliglide" or anti-seize compound.
If a mechanic fails to clean up the mount points, uneven wear may result.

Also those clips are the 'anti-rattle clips' and do just as the name suggests. Their absence is more likely to result in noisy brakes than uneven wear. But they may be indicitave of a shoddy brake job done in the past.

[solaris=amazing]

Thanks.

[The Dude]

if it is a floating caliper one of your slide pins might be siezed. usually alot of inside pad wear is caused by these pins getting rusted inside your caliper. This pin lets the non piston side of the caliper move and force its pad against the rotor.

[E38_Charger]

Originally Posted by solaris=amazing

why was that one pad crooked like that..? basically, instead of both pads compressing normally, the inside pad was tilting and making the edge of the pad hit the rotor. ONE thing i did notice, that same pad was MISSING the top clip-the one that bends down and under the top of the caliper to act as a support-and LITERALLY that pad was pretty much 'free' moving.

Do you mean tilting up down like this / or just a un eaven wear cos with that clip missing it would free the pad which would cause pad slap. This will, after time wear the end of the pad down which will let the pad fall out of the cradel which would be why the anti squeel backing on the pad was scraping. The pad fell out of the caliper cradel.It is very feasible for a seized cal to cause this but also could be bad workmanship but eather way it is bad workmanship cos like said erlier cals should be greased with every pad change.

[E38_Charger]

Originally Posted by E38_Charger

With that clip missing it would free the pad which would cause pad slap.

Pad slap: You can hear pad slap (a clicking /knocking noise) when reversing and then brakeing and then you will hear it again after takeing off and brakeing again. Its the pad moveing from side to side of the cal cradel.
if you still sufer pad slap the easy solve is to center punch each end of the pad (not to close to the end of the pad but close enough to flair the edges). which will give a much tighter fit.