Pads not contacting after reassembly

[camrydriver111]

Anybody experience the problem where pads do not make full contact with the rotor after brakes were taken apart and put back together (not replaced though)?

I had brake pads that were contacting the rotor perfectly. The brakes were relatively recent. The brakes were taken apart and reassembled. Now the pads are not making full contact anymore.

This has happened to me twice already. I think it may have to do something with the practice of greasing the backs of pads. It's like shimming the pad with grease, and when that grease is disturbed later, everything is not the same as it was before.

Will this problem go away or should I try something to fix it? I don't want the rotors to warp because of this.

 

[Falken]

Did you inspect the Caliper Slider Pins (Caliper Guide Pins).

Sometimes they are bent.

Always make sure a sliding assembly has no bent pins or it won't slide evenly.

 

[Hokiefyd]

What type of grease are you using on the back of the pads? Is it a "hardening" grease like an assembly paste? I'd use nothing but silicone paste or a thin coating of anti-seize on the backs of the pads.

What type of vehicle is this? Can you assemble in the pads in to the caliper mount without the caliper on it, like in picture below?

If so, do they not sit square to the rotor then?

 

[KitaCam]

Originally Posted By: camrydriver111
Anybody experience the problem where pads do not make full contact with the rotor after brakes were taken apart and put back together (not replaced though)?

Will this problem go away or should I try something to fix it? I don't want the rotors to warp because of this.


When a DIY project fails, take it to a pro....advice I've given often, (as have others), most recently to Engineer20....with tires and brakes you don't want to take chances.

 

[Sawdusted]

Don't know what vehicle you drive, but any chance you have reversed the inboard and outboard pads?

 

[Quest]

+1 to KitaCam's comments.

It is apparent that you cannot do such job proficiently, so instead of dwelling on this board and perhaps others for advice (and try to correct your own mistakes), it's time to get professional help on this.

If the brake system fails to perform properly, your life will be at stake.

Q.

 

[spasm3]

I would inspect the rotor to hub mating surfaces, make sure the rotor is sitting flat and no grit or rust is making the run-out wonky.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Look how far that caliper piston is extended. I've never seen that in almost fifty years of working on disc brakes.(1966 on a Dodge Dart with front disc brakes). The pads are probably long past their maximum wear spec. Hard to tell from the pictures but it appears all you have is backing plates.I'd replace pads and be sure they are the correct units for your vehicle. Follow KitaCam's advice and leave brakes to the pro or purchase a good manual and read up on brake repair.

 

[camrydriver111]

Thanks for the responses, however I have the problem after taking the car to a "professional". lol

He actually wanted to check my hubs so that's why the brakes were taken apart in the first place.

The brakes were initially installed by a professional as well. It looked like they used caliper sliding pin grease on the backs of pads.

The pads can't be reversed because one of them has a clip that attaches to the caliper piston.

This an E46 BMW. The factory manual actually says not to grease the sliding pins, and install them dry.

I've done almost a dozen brake jobs, so I think I am pretty good at it. I've had this problem once in the past when I did DIY. Now I have it again after the pros did my brakes.

Exact same problem, good contact after initial installation, pads are removed (for whatever reason) and reinstalled, poor contact later on.

 

[Falken]

Wow, dry slider pins, no silicone lube?? I learned something new...

 

[camrydriver111]

I guess I will drive and see how it wears.


I took everything apart, gave it an extra cleaning, and it looked good. My guess it's due to the brake design the outer pad may not get even pressure. This clip seems to help tension the outer pad in place, maybe replacing it helps?

https://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-325i-M54_2.5L/Braking/Caliper/ES59561/