2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Rear Brake Pad yikes!!!

[ceastmen]

In all the years of barking my knuckles working on cars and trucks I've never seen anything like this.

I was putting new pads on my 2001. 5, did the front first they were worn down to about 3/32 left. Went to the rears and they looked to have plenty of pad left. This is the second set of pads on the fronts and the factory original pads on the rears. So I looked at the rear pads again and thought what the heck I might as well change them anyway. My wife always says "did you really need to fix that", impling I have_ _ _ _ with it itis. I do!!!

When I pulled the caliper off the friction material came off from the piston side pad. The piston side pad looked rusted and the bond between metal and friction material was gone it just flaked off in my hands! The other side was the same, the piston side pad just flaked apart.

I've never seen this happen before, I feel lucky that I deceided to go ahead and change them out even if they appeared to have plenty of pad left.

It would have been an ugly situation especially when towing.

My lesson learned is to inspect the pads even if they appear to have plenty of friction material left.

ChuckE.

 

[IngrahamS]

I had the same thing happen when i changed out the factory pads, they fell apart in my hand. One of the inner pads on the rear of my truck completly seperated and the friction material got caught between the caliper bracket and the rotor it started smoking and made a awfull smell.

-Stew

 

[JKinney]

How many miles on your truck?

 

[ceastmen]

milage

My truck has 65k on the odometer and like I said the rear pads seemed to have plenty left. I'm just glad I pulled the rear calipers off. It was a shock to see them crumble in my hand.

Chuck E.

 

[EricBu12]

Now go to EGR and get the Carbon Kevlar pads. They are very well worth it!! Last Longer too



The neat thing is they need to be heat treated to set in so they won't crumble like most.

 

[WyattEarp]

guess what, 120,000+ on the 2000 and still the original pads on rear, as long as they hold im not messing with them, i just adjust them once a year.

 

[DonS]

guess what, 120,000+ on the 2000 and still the original pads on rear, as long as they hold im not messing with them, i just adjust them once a year.

If I'm not mistaken, all of the previous posters have rear disc brakes, while you have drums.

 

[PC12Driver]

Yeah, those would be shoes, not pads.



I had mine fall apart on me too. I had a mysterious squeak that would go away when I applied my brakes, so I thought maybe it was some dust or maybe the pins were hanging up. So I took the calipers off for a good cleaning, and as soon as the caliper cleared the disk the friction matierial fell to the floor. The other side did the same thing. Sure leaves you with a warm feeling.



The sad thing is that when I put the new pads in I didn't have to retract the pistons at all. Just a little wiggling and the caliper dropped back in to place. So in 85,000 miles there was minimal wear (I use my exhaust brake quite a bit), and if it wasn't for the pads falling apart I wouldn't have needed brakes.

 

[WyattEarp]

exactly, so are the disc design on the rear safe or was it mainly a pad problem, im curious, i have thought about the idea of upgrading to rear disc but no im questioning it...

 

[tazzen]

i had the same problem around 37,000 miles. was getting inspection done when they called me and told me mine fell apart. i walk over to the place to see because i didnt belive them and they showed me the parts. i got bendix on now for about 30,000 or so miles so far so good.



ed

 

[BBridgeman]

. . as a comment on your brake rear pads, I bought a used '01 duallie, it was raining cats and dogs when I looked at it, thought I would just checkd brakes at home, if I bought, brakes don't scare me...



The rear pads were worn through all friction mateiral, and almost on the caliper piston... . and the truck still stopped like it was fully braked..... BB

 

[Gregg Mig]

Chuck, had the same thing happen to my 02 except the pad fell of the backing plate in my drive way, looked to small to be from my Ram,plus I always check my pads when swapping my snows on and off,I have a set of 4 mounted on separate wheels. About a month a go I was plowing and noticed an orange brown all over the left rear especially on the wheel, I knew right away it was rust and sure enough it was metal on metal. I replaced both rotors,and when doing the right side the pad can right of the backing plate. Seems like a bad batch of pads,This could be a potential safety concern for DC???? Gregg.

 

[litespeed]

Very bad "PADS"

Yes... ... ... .



I have been there too.



Check out the pictures in my gallery under "various pics". I have a couple photos of the good ones (what was left of them).



I have since replaced all of them but now I am dealing with a front wheel bearing going bad and ruining a new set of pads that I just put on .....



It's always something.....



AJ

 

[BigPapa]

We see this occasionally on off-road motorcycles and fairly regularly on ATV's. More often on brake shoes than pads but we still see it on disc brakes. We have determined that water gets behind the friction material and when it freezes it pops it right off. I just thought this might be relavent to the discussion.



Scott

 

[Gregg Mig]

Big papa, I always garage my truck and it's heated I don't think its freezing, I think water is getting behind it and it is rusting thus breaking the glue bond, poor materials choice.

 

[PC12Driver]

Found another one. My Dad pulled out of my driveway this past week and I heard the same squeak that my truck had when the friction material separated from the backers (low speed, foot off brake, high pitched squeak, goes away with slight brake pedal pressure). So I got some pads and took his apart today. His friction material wasn't completely separated (mine fell apart once they cleared the disk), but there was a gap of rust forming between the material and the backer, so they didn't have long to go. 40,000 miles on the truck, 3/4 pad left. And on both trucks, the only pads with the corrosion were the piston-side.



So if your rear disks squeak at low speed with your foot off the brake pedal, and the squeak goes away with a little pedal pressure, you may want to check out your rear pads.

 

[ceastmen]

Ditto

My sons 2001. 5 has the same problem as mine did.

I can't figure out why it's just the piston side pad, any ideas?

For all the 2001. 5 and later owners with original pads it's worth taking a look just for peace of mind, I don't even want to think of what might have happened had they totally seperated while towing in panic stop.

This problem is more wide spread than I imagined from reading the other posts. Just a side note PC12Driver you are right about the CIPA mirrors they are excellent, I think I can read my licence plate!

Chuck E.

 

[PC12Driver]

Glad they worked for ya!

 

[nps]

Same situation with my rear pads at 50K. For the last 20K a low speed squeak from the LR brake. Slight pedal pressure - no squeak. After reading this thread pulled pads and caliper side was 50% separated. The truck has never had the pads wet and frozen. Looks like rust between the plate and friction material.

 

[DWeiler]

Thanks Guys, mines doing the same thing,exactly,what pads are you all going with to correct the problem,should i turn the rotors to while i'm at it?,truck only has 16500miles for a 01. 5.