Have you ever had a brake pad that felt like it was extremely tight squeeze in the caliper bracket? The problem may not be your preparation of the caliper bracket or the new hardware. The problem might be the pad’s backing plate. Most brake pad backing plates are stamped out of steel. The force required […]
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 […]
What tools do you need to replace your brake pads? Below is a list of the essential tools and supplies you should have before you turn the first lugnut. Having these items before you start will save you from having to hitch a ride to the parts store. Torque Wrench Brakes are a safety-critical vehicle […]
Many OEMs and suppliers realized that corrosion and contamination of the guide pins and bores is the leading causes of uneven and premature brake pad wear. In order to extend the life of the pads and calipers, many using special plating and coating on the guide pins. This is why you should not use any […]
In this video, you can see that the brake pads from this Ford F150 have some problems. It looks like the caliper jammed and only the inner brake pad was working. Maybe the extra loads and heat caused the adhesives and integral molding to fail. The separation of friction and backing plate will result in […]
With the July 4th holiday fast approaching, many families are getting ready to hook up their boat or RV trailer to their trucks and cars for the first time in six to eight months. Before you hitch up the trailer, you need to have the not only the trailer inspected, but the tow vehicle. Have […]
It’s important that your technicians are trained on how to spot brake wear, and that your shops have systems and schedules in place aimed at avoiding wear issues on brakes. “The only real way to keep an eye out for irregular brake wear is visual inspection on both drum and disc systems. Spotting irregular wear provides early […]
Let’s say a vehicle had .003” of lateral runout when measured at the outside face of the rotor. If this vehicle is riding on 205/55R16 tires, in one mile, the high-spot with .003” of runout goes past the caliper approximately 836 times. Over 6,000 miles, that spot on the rotor will go past the pads […]
The recent recall of Ducati and Triumph motorcycles had many automotive mechanics asking, “What is a sintered brake pad?” The story also had a lot of automotive engineers asking, “why are motorcycles using sintered brake pads?” Sintering is the process of compacting and forming a solid mass of material by heat or pressure without melting it to […]