Excessive pad wear

[keepingthe240]

I changed one of rear rotors, pads and caliper about 6 months ago. A shop changed the other rotor and pads. We both used the same pads from the same box set. THe pads i installed are worn down to the metal(less then 5,000 miles). What could of happened? Umm, could it be that i got the pads wet with brake fluid changing the caliper and dried them off and sprayed brake cleaner to clean them off?

[Nismo_Freak]

Sticking caliper?

[Exar-Kun]

sticking caliper, parking brake left on, brakes not bled correctly, etc...

I'd wager its a sticking caliper though.-chet

[keepingthe240]

This morning i took the brake pads off and put new ones on. I tried to push the caliper in with a c clamp, with no luck. Strange enough, the rotor have yet to seat on that side The rotor could be taken off with the slightest pull. Bad thing is, the store can't get me a new caliper until the 23rd and i work 15 miles away. How can bleeding you brakes wrong cause the pads to go bad quicker? It's not the parking brake, the other side isn't worn down. I was figuring the brake fluid caused the pads to become soft and worn at a faster rate.

[crzycav86]

To compress the rear calipers, you don't compress it with a c-clamp. You must turn it with a set of pliers. Notice how the piston is grooved.

[Exar-Kun]

did you align the holes in the piston with the little nubs on the rear pad?!?!?!?!?

if not, that's your problem.-chet

[IvoryJ30t]

you can only compress rear calipers that use a drum style parking brake.

if the caliper also acts as the parking brake, then the piston must be turned back in its bore.

the notch on the piston must align with the nub on the pad.

[keepingthe240]

I was so tired from the ordeal of getting to work that i took it up to the shop to get it looked at. It's the caliper, it's sticking! The shop put new pads on it but, didn't turn the rotor. The rotor felt smooth but, i always thought you always turned the rotor when changing pads. He said that you can't turn my rear rotors (brembo is the brand of the rotor) that there too thin. There 6 months old with 5,000 miles. The caliper comes in on monday and my rotor would be trashed (metal to metal) if i would of waited to change the pads.

[IvoryJ30t]

if the rotor is not deeply grooved, i just use 220 grit sandpaper on it to remove some of the rust from the hat, and to remove the deposits from the old pad on the rotor surface.

i think the minor crosshatching created by the sandpaper helps the new pads seat quicker.

just do it evenly.

ill go back and forth in a staight line and work my way around the rotor to create overlapping.

[keepingthe240]

I've got a stupid question!!! When i change my rotor or remove it for that matter. How do i get the hat to seat on the hub?? Do i tap on it with a hammer? I changed both front rotors last year and when i brake hard i have a pulsing feeling in the steerin wheel. I betcha if i took the wheel off i could move to rotor slightly. Recap............How do i get the hat to seat on the hub?? Do i tap on it with a hammer?

[Exar-Kun]

its a "fall off" rotor, so when you tighten the lugs, it tightends the rotor hat to the hub...

if you're getting a pulsation, get your rotors resurfaced.-chet

[keepingthe240]

When i was taking the old ones off, i had to use 2 bolts to screw into the rotor(they were mighty tight on there). Are you saying the new ones just lay on there and can be removed with the slightest ease??

[Dori Dori]

I had the same problem but it was not the piston that was sticking...it was the glide pins. The rubber boots that were supposed to be there were missing and the glide pins were all rusted up.

[Def]

if the rotor is not deeply grooved, i just use 220 grit sandpaper on it to remove some of the rust from the hat, and to remove the deposits from the old pad on the rotor surface.

i think the minor crosshatching created by the sandpaper helps the new pads seat quicker.

just do it evenly.

ill go back and forth in a staight line and work my way around the rotor to create overlapping.

Use emory cloth instead of regular sandpaper. Regular sandpaper = aluminum oxide, which most friction materials won't really like from what I hear.