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 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
Mechanic Facebook Group
For more tips and interaction with mechanics from all skill levels, please consider joining our Facebook group, “Mechanic Mafia“. Just click the button below to join now:
