Nobody wants their brakes to wear out prematurely. When they do, a vehicle owner loses money, and time. That is why it is important to do everything you can to help prevent early pad wear. The first step to preventing this, is to know the system. Because there are many different brake systems, it is necessary to first take a good look at the configuration of the system. One you’ve identified the system, you can then start looking at different parts. To help you do this, we’ve created a list of potential causes below.

Outboard Pad Wear

Premature wear of the outboard pad is caused when the outboard pad is not allowed to release off the rotor properly after releasing the brake pedal. To fix this, the list below goes over the most common issues that arise when dealing with outboard pad wear.

A. Floating Caliper

– Rusting of casting hole – reduces diameter

– Corrosion of slide pin

– Lack of lubrication

– Caliper housing binding in knuckle (insufficient clearance)

– Pad binding on slide rails due to corrosion or slide rail wear

B. Sliding Caliper

– Corrosion of sliding hardware

– Incorrect lubrication

– Corrosion of caliper housing/steering knuckle

C. Fixed Caliper

– Outboard piston(s) not releasing (mechanical)

– Outboard pad binding on pins or in housing

A. Floating Caliper Pad Wear

rusting caliper housing casting hole

Rusting of casting hole – reduces diameter

Corrosion of slide pin

Corrosion of slide pin

Lack of lubrication

Caliper housing binding

Caliper housing binding in knuckle (insufficient clearance)

Outboard pad binding in bracket due to corrosion

Pad binding on slide rails due to corrosion or slide rail wear

B. Sliding Caliper

Corrosion of sliding hardware

Corrosion of sliding hardware

Incorrect lubrication

Corrosion of caliper housing steering knuckle

Corrosion of caliper housing/steering knuckle

C. Fixed Caliper

Outboard piston(s) not releasing

Outboard Piston(s) not releasing (mechanical)

Outboard pad binding on pins or in housing

Outboard pad binding on pins or in housing

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