This pad was taken off a customer’s vehicle after they were complaining of brake noise.

The pad is above replacement specifications and the shim was still attached. One shop even tried to solve the problem by lubricating the back of the pad and the slides.

The friction material had separated from the backing plate and it was possible to slide a piece of paper between the two components. The noise was due to the components no longer being tied together. Eventually, the separation would have caused the friction material to fully separate from the backing plate.  Best solution? buy a better quality pad that uses advanced corrosion protection methods like galvanization and mechanical attachment.