URGENT ADVICE NEEDED...Brake wear vs caliper

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I just pulled the driver front wheel off my '99 2500 to check out the brakes cause something didnt feel right on the way home. My outer pad is just starting to munch into the outer lip of my rotor. Basically, no more pad left and the anti-squeel tab didnt make a sound yet. One rivet is making contact with metal. I just caught it. The inner pad has more than 1/4" of meat left?? Pulled the passenger side off and the same thing except the outer pad isnt as trashed and has some life left. Is this uneven wear normal from inside to outside? If it is a bad caliper, it should be covered under warranty, right?? One last question... . would it be ok to just replace the pads even though I have a slight groove on the outside edge of the rotor? I hate the thought of cutting them. Thanks in advance to all who take the time to reply!!!!

 

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My '95 did exactly the same thing with the stock pads. I didn't do any thing with the rotors though one was worn as you said. Since then I've replaced the pads twice with $29 NAPA premiums, no problems for 120k. Lube the caliper pins good and make sure your rear drums are adjusted also. I doubt if anything is wrong with your caliper that warranty will cover,it's probibly just a lack of lube on the pins. If you let DC do the work you will end up with the same junkie Mopar pads that you will have to pay for,they aren't covered under warranty

 

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as long as the thickness of your rotor ----and it is if there's only a small lip--- is over the min thickness spec and there's no pedal pulsation , don't cut 'em; the usable life will be that much shorter .
and ,yes , careful 5k rear brake adjustments( oh, please , oh , please give me discs ! ) are critical to decent front pad life. Performance Friction makes a good lifetime warrantied pad, sold through Autozone .
Happy trails to ya!

 

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I agree with Racer... do the Performance Friction thing. If you tow something heavy I would also advise changing brake fluid to something more race-oriented with a higher boiling point. This will give you a firmer pedal for longer.

 

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I agree... I dont believe the caliper is bad and I know i will get hosed by the dealer. It doesnt even pull when braking. I really dont want to cut the rotors!! Looks like I will take the day off and do just the pad replacement. Any tips on doing this job, like compressing the piston or tightness of the pins, etc??? This will be my first time doing this on this truck. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

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When I replaced the pads on my '95 I used stock pads. I will get the Performance Friction the next time. I have 96K on the front pads now and will probably have over a 100K when I do the next brake job. One thing I did was really clean everything. Then sanded the glaze off the rotors with a sanding disk. Just enuff to dull the finish, no material removed. I polished the pins with crocus cloth and lubed them with LPS #2. I also smoothed the groves the caliper slides in with a file and greased them. If the seals look ok you can probably get away with just compressing the pistons. If they look bad at all get a seal kit. You can remove the pistons with air where the brake line attaches. Best use safety glasses since there is a lot of dust and crap that gets blown around. Use an old brake pad to cushion the piston from the otherside of the caliper when it pops out. I use a visegrip welders clamp to compress the pistons in the caliper. This works easier than a C-clamp.

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Joe George
Eureka, CA

'95 2500 CC auto 4X4,3. 54,Combo EGT/boost guage,custom switch panel,PacBrake,TST #5,BD valve body,Automatic motorhome steps on both sides,Foldacover hard bed cover,Cummins chrome kit,Black steel grill guard,Front hitch receiver

 

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Challenger,the hardest part of replaceing the pads is torqueing down the lug nuts. Once you know what you're doing 1/2 hour max per side. Get the Dodge Service Manual,well worth it. You need to get on it now before the rotors get damaged further so try this http://www.ecpe.vt.edu/~dfritz/technical/brakes/brake_job.htmClick TSB 05-02-96A at the top for pictures and instructions.

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95' 25004X4,AT,Driftwood,Banks,Warn fender flairs and running boards(Play truck)95 3500,5 speed,driftwood,Banks&phscotty,34,000 GCVW apple and tractor hauler(work truck)

[This message has been edited by illflem (edited 10-25-2000). ]

 

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#ad

dang,eric,if i'd read joe's (impressively thorough ) post i wouldn't have sent that longwinded e-mail!!
one of the best bang for the bucks---lord forgive this heresy... no flames, thank y'all. . is ford's brake fluid .comes in the 16 or is it 32 oz. can. have used it in race and performance cars for years and in those rare instances where i use the brakes ( ROTFL) ,no problems whatsoever. and the stuff's cheap (like their trucks... harharhar!)
good luck.

 

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I ordered a set of replacement "sleeves" for the pins that the calipers slide on. When "repairing" the brakes on a 97 of a friend's, I noticed that the old "sleeves" were rather soft as opposed to the new aftermarket ones. Looked like a place for some compliance in the system and I felt that they led to some of the brake "grab" that he was experiencing. After a thurough cleaning and crocusing/deburring of the mating surfaces, the brake problem was gone. I now inspect and relube the front brakes every time I rotate tires. good luck!!!

[This message has been edited by BZIN/UL (edited 10-26-2000). ]

 

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Illflem, GEEZ! ONLY IN AMERICA! What a wealth of information. Thanks for the Dodge Ram Tech web page. I added it to my favorites.

 

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Others have already alluded to it, but I think it needs clarification. Uneven brake pad wear is usually caused by sticking caliper slide pins. To check, take the pads out and reassemble the caliper to the carrier. You should be able to slide the caliper side-to-side with no binding. I think you will find that your's are binding up. Get new pins and sleeves, grease up with special grease. Some sleeves have to be pressed in by machine shop (Ram??). Replace the protective boots. Make sure the calipers move freely side-to-side, then reassemble with new pads. Follow other comments about de-glazing etc. Get a can of Brake Cleaner spray (this will remove any oils from surfaces) and clean all rotor and pad surfaces before final assembly. Consider getting rebuilt calipers as these will include new pins and sleeves (or at least should).

What happens with sticking calipers is when you apply the brakes the pressure is enough to center the caliper and apply even pressure to both pads. When you release the brakes the brake cylinder(s) on the inner pad releases pressure and its OK, but the sticking caliper does not fully release pressure to the outer pad. The outer pad continues to wear against the rotor even though you don't have your brakes applied.

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Just got my 2001 2500 QC, SB, 4x4, ETH 6-sp, 3. 54 LSD, SLT++ (everything but those lights on top of the roof), White over Silver, Tan leather. Picked it up 8/31/00.