When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I see what your mean. But it looks like there would still be uneven wear, no?
Yes I never they say didn't Kevin. As we discussed at the very beginning, you should not have to pry the pads out as you did. Also cleaning the pins up and making sure that everything moves easily is key for your pads to clamp down evenly. I have no experience with those modified version of your pads you purchased, but that design might be part of the issue. I myself would have never went that route. I was planning to go with the hawk pads I showed you earlier when the time comes. They are proven to be quiet and create very little dust. If you cleaned up everything and the pads can move freely, that should fix the uneven wear. Unless you have a caliper problem that is. I suggested that you compress your pistons 1 by one and see if any have resistance. You hadn't mentioned anything about that so I am assuming it was all good.
Ok I get it. I'm not sure I'd like that design. Each piston (4) per caliper is designed to work by itself not together one pad. The pin going through the middle of the pad begs for dust collecting and eventually start to bind.
Why not opt for the hawk pads if the dust and noise were a problem, but stick with the proper design. I have about 32k miles on my Z06 and still have stock pads and I have no noise issues but they do make dust.
I just took all the pads off, cleaned the surfaces that touch, and greased the pins. Hopefully this fixes it.
if not it's likely a pad material (compound) is the issue. make sure you clean up the discs as well. you need the mating surfaces to be free of rust or imperfections
Tracked cars use single pads over the padlets quite often and without issue.
The pins should be greased, but also the collars should be free to rotate. The collars help reduce pad squeal.
The 'shims' you keep referring to are anti-rattle clips, also designed to reduce pad noises and should have a small spot of grease where the pad contacts the clip.
The pad itself should have some 'play' in it, i.e., not fit tight or snug with the pins installed and the puck compressed into the caliper. If they don't, they are probably binding somewhere. I had this issue with a single padlet from one of the aftermarket manufacturers and couldn't tell if it was the pad itself or a fault with the caliper. I tried a different padlet in the same spot which fit fine so I filed the offending padlet to fit. No issues since. This was on a set of race pads which get very hot during track events and squeal terribly when driven on the street.
The pads are quite snug when the anti rattle clips are installed.
I suspect the pads may be dragging on the rotor. My padlets, with the puck(s) pushed back into the calipers, fit just a little loose, ie, you can wiggle them a bit which means they are free to ride on the pins without binding.
Try removing the two center pins (there are 4 the pad rides on, correct?) and push the pucks back to see if the pad will "float" on the pins. Seems to me there should be a little play such that the pad can easily slide on the pins.
You may also want to try your old padlets for fit and duplicate that fit with the single pad.
Nope, haven't driven them hard at all. The car hasn't even seen over 60 MPH since they were put on. It's only street driven.
Honestly at this point, rather than doing it another 5 times (poor you) get a shop to take off the absolute minimum off the docs to give them a clean surface and get a set of hawk pads and call it a day. Stick with the original "padlets" design. That's what I'd do. I'm a mechanic and despise working on my cars, I do it enough, I'd want to break it buy now lolol.
Haha tell me about it! I was thinking of sanding the rotors with Emory cloth to get off what I can.
I do that if I'm changing pads from different manufacturers. The rotors are actually pretty soft. Use 80 grit aluminum oxide paper and used compressed air to get the sand in dust off. The cross hatch pattern will help set the pads. Really though, you should first make sure the pads move freely otherwise you'll be wasting your time withe sanding.
I just don't really have the time to put the car on stands and remove the rotors to have a shop do it right now.
I've taken the pads out and greased the pins (which has led to more noise surprisingly). I'm not sure what else I could do to make sure the pads can move.
love hawk products!
