Removing rotors

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally posted by kuoh
Ok, how are you deducing that the piston is sticking? Unless you drain the fluid out, you can't really move it around like the calipers on the slides.

KuoH

Process of arbitrary elimination. The slides seem to be free and working, so that's all that's left that I know of.

I mean, it's entirely possible that there's something else I don't know about, but I figured that if the slides are okay, then it must be the piston.

[kuoh]

No, I ment what symptoms are leading you to think that there is something wrong with the caliper? The brakes are dragging? No braking from that wheel? Uneven pad wear?

KuoH

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally posted by kuoh
No, I ment what symptoms are leading you to think that there is something wrong with the caliper? The brakes are dragging? No braking from that wheel? Uneven pad wear?

KuoH

The inside pad was worn down to the metal. After braking, sometimes I could hear the pads dragging on the rotor.

[kuoh]

I see, but seeing as it's a floating caliper (I think that's the correct term), even if the piston were stuck, you'd still end up with even pad wear because the caliper is designed to distribute the force evenly between both sides. The only way I could see it being uneven is if the caliper is binding or distorted, which unless you have a wheel bearing falling off, I would doubt it's distorted.

KuoH

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally posted by kuoh
I see, but seeing as it's a floating caliper (I think that's the correct term), even if the piston were stuck, you'd still end up with even pad wear because the caliper is designed to distribute the force evenly between both sides. The only way I could see it being uneven is if the caliper is binding or distorted, which unless you have a wheel bearing falling off, I would doubt it's distorted.

KuoH

I think the pad wear was uneven because one of the slides was totally frozen. So, yeah, it was bound up and causing the uneven wear.

That's my theory, anyway.

[Beav]

There's only two things that will cause uneven wear on a sliding caliper. One is when the slides are frozen. If a piston is frozen the pads wear quickly, but evenly. The second is if the bracket the pads sit on is notched or grooved in such a manner that the pad hangs up in the notches. If the hardware/slides aren't frozen/binding/sticking and there isn't any notching it could just be that one pad was defective in its composition. Have you ever bit into a cookie and got a mouthful of baking soda? Same thing can happen when the friction material is being mixed. If it's not a huge difference in wear and everything else appears to be copacetic I wouldn't be too concerned.

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally posted by Beav
There's only two things that will cause uneven wear on a sliding caliper. One is when the slides are frozen. If a piston is frozen the pads wear quickly, but evenly. The second is if the bracket the pads sit on is notched or grooved in such a manner that the pad hangs up in the notches. If the hardware/slides aren't frozen/binding/sticking and there isn't any notching it could just be that one pad was defective in its composition. Have you ever bit into a cookie and got a mouthful of baking soda? Same thing can happen when the friction material is being mixed. If it's not a huge difference in wear and everything else appears to be copacetic I wouldn't be too concerned.

Well, one of the slides was deinfitely frozen. Now I suspect that the piston is sticking, but with brand new pads I can't say whether the wear will be uneven or not. I suspect not. I just know that after stops I sometimes hear the brakes dragging on that wheel.

[kuoh]

What Beav is trying to say is that if the wear is uneven, then what you have is a binding slide. However if the wear is even, but excessive, then you might have a problem with the piston.

KuoH

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally posted by kuoh
What Beav is trying to say is that if the wear is uneven, then what you have is a binding slide. However if the wear is even, but excessive, then you might have a problem with the piston.

KuoH

Argh...how many different ways am I going to have to type this? :P

I understand what Beav is saying. What I am saying is this:

The symptom that led me to check on the brakes was a rubbing noise from the right-rear corner of the car after stopping. When I removed the caliper I found that the inside pad was worn right down to the metal.

I ALSO found that one of the slides was completely frozen, which explained the uneven wear.

I replaced the pads and rotors on both sides of the car. While I was at it I also cleaned and regreased the slides on both calipers.

The noise persists, but not nearly as often and not as loud. It's problably not as loud because actual pad material is contacting the rotor and not bare metal.

I suspect that the noise persists because the piston is sticking. I also suspect that my theory will be supported by excessive, even pad wear on that wheel. I'll have to wait a couple weeks to find out.

Okay, so does anybody want to explain to me again pad wear symptoms and their causes? Because, gawrsh, I reckon I need to hear it again.

:P

[LarryIII]

Nick,

Please send me your current e-mail address ASAP.

Thanks.

Larry III

larry.singer@jacobs.com

[Beav]

Originally posted by Mr. Pockets




Okay, so does anybody want to explain to me again pad wear symptoms and their causes? Because, gawrsh, I reckon I need to hear it again.

:P

Just because you're car is in the garage, up on stands is no reason to think that we shouldn't waste some of your time.

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally posted by Beav


Just because you're car is in the garage, up on stands is no reason to think that we shouldn't waste some of your time.

You know, you just started a train of thought rolling in my head, so you're going to hear it ALL. First, after reading your post, I think about some cliche phrases. Like, 'time is money' and 'money talks.'

So if time = money, and money can talk, then it stands to reason that time talks, too.

Right?

Right.

Do they talk about the same things? Do they get irritated with eachother when they both try to talk at the same time, or are they completely ignorant of everything else around them and just talk talk talk all day long?

Maybe time is money's secret identity, like Superman.

Clark Kent = Superman. Superman and Clark Kent can both talk, so I think I'm on to something.

And Batman! Batman can talk! So can Spiderman, but my superhero knowledge ends there, I think.

Is time or money the superhero?

I kinda wish there was a place we could exchange time for money. Like, I'd go to a place, sign a form and sit in a chair for ten minutes if I got paid for it.

Exchanging the other way around will take some R&D. I'll look into that.

The next time my wife turns me down because we 'don't have time,' can I just hand her ten bucks and say, 'I've got yer time right here?'

Uh...hmm...maybe not...

'Would you like fries with that?'

'No thanks, that's it.'

'Okay, that'll be five ninety, please pull around.'

'Actually, you had me waiting here for a full three minutes. Why don't we call it four bucks even?'

Oh, hey, look at the time...

[Aredubjay]

Wow. Reminds me of some of the trains of thought I used to take, way back when, when I was into smoking those "left handed cigarettes."

Originally posted by wawazat??
Actually, I use a BFRM (big freakin rubber mallet) to knock mine free. I don't know the thread pitch on my BFRM though.

rubber? nahh, you need the big sledge hammer <~~ that's what I use one wack and they are off

Originally posted by Aredubjay
when I was into smoking those "left handed cigarettes."

this is giving me the wrong idea, i'm sure.