2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission '00 front brake pads sticking

[JBCumminatya]

I installed Autozone performance friction pads last February at 52,563 miles. Lightly filed, used emery cloth on parts that slide and greased with brake lube.



Now have 65,000 miles on truck. Took front wheels off this afternoon. Pads are binding on rotor. Noticed heat cracks on rotor.



After I installed these pads in Feb. ,I noticed a gray dust similar in color to aluminum wheels. Now I have a maroon dust. Turns out pads are composed of different layers. Start out gray and then wear a maroon color.



Have a little over 1/4" of pad left. Is this unusual that the calipers are sticking before the pads are worn out?

Is there a pad that gives off only a gray dust until worn out?

Still using original rear brake shoes! WHATS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE!!!:{

 

[Whitmore]

I'm not a brake expert

but it sounds as if your front brakes are doing all the work, do you adjust your rear breaks? pull the wheels and drums and clean your adjusters up real good and make sure they are in working order then put the drum bakc on and go thru the acess hole and adjust them up tite and then back off 14 clicks this will be perfect, then to use the auto adjusters you bank up and hit the brakes firm, this will activate the adjuster, I think you only get 1 cleck per try, good practice to do this all the time.

On your front pads it sounds as if the pads you have are shot ??? dont know for sure but I bet that is the signal from the different color, do they have screachers on them , a littlt tin piece that rubs the rotor when the pad is wore out? allso look closely at your rotors, do they have a rib at the very outside, if so you will prolly need them turned before your next pads, I understand they have to be turned while on the truck, saw it at the stealer done this way once but dont know if you can do it the old conventional way. Me I will stick with the softer pads so they wont wear the roters so bad, your choice, I have an E-brake so my pads are like new at 35 K , prolly make 100k at this rate, also when you do new pads change all of your brake fluid too... ... ... ... ... ..... Kevin, good luck

 

[John Berger]

I wish I had an access hole on my drums. I changed out the front brake pads yesterday and I was going to make the adjustment to the shoes, but no access hole. My pads did not look bad at all for having almost 79K miles on them. The passenger side outer pad was considerably thicker than the inner pad on the same side and it's counterpart on the driver side



My truck always drifted to the right, but not like some have observed on their trucks. The new pads feel good and I adjusted the back brakes with the back up and stand on the brake method.

 

[CumminsPower98]

If your front brakes are sticking it's almost sure to be bad calipers. I just got done changing out 3 sets of calipers on some Fords at work (2 F-350's and an E-350). The trucks each got one bad rebuilt caliper the first time and had to be taken back and exchanged. If your rotor does not turn freely when the wheels are off the ground then something is wrong. Also I talked to a good Ford tech and he said they were having a lot of trouble with the harder pads causing the rotors to not turn freely and over heating the brakes. He said they were able to solve the problem by going to softer pads. Something I found that comes in real handy is a heat gun. I can go drive a rig then come back and see just how hot each brake rotor or drum is, which tells me if one is dragging or doing more work then the others. I'm not a brake expert by any means but this is just some stuff I have experienced lately, hope it helps.



Mark

 

[JGK]

John,



I believe the reason your pads are not wearing evenly (outer pad thicker than inner) is due to the caliper not moving freely so that clamping pressure is even on both sides of the rotor. I think it's fairly common. I just replaced mine a week ago and discovered the same thing.



Pull the mounting bolts, clean the sleeves, rubber bushings, and cast iron guides for the calipers and lube them up again (graphite on the cast iron guides) and re-asemble. That should help.



-Jay

 

[emjay]

I agree with JGK as to the cause, but you should replace the bolts instead of cleaning them up and re-using them. Emery cloth can take off the plating and cause them to stick in the caliper due to fretting corrosion.