ejmack1

i went through lifetime warranty pads in 3 months, i think somethin is wrong with my brakes.... they seem to fade alot also.. any suggestions on what to check?

CrispyRX7

iTrader: (139)

If it's the front, chances are the caliper pistons are stuck/binding and the calipers need a rebuild ($30 in parts). When the calipers stick the pad is constantly dragging (touching the rotor) they don't "retreat" once the brake pedal is released, causing them to wear out prematurely. Similarly because they are constantly rubbing they are essentially too hot all the time so when you do go to use the brakes....instant brake fade. As for the rears the same problem exists except its probably poorly lubricated sliders/pins that allow the outer half of the caliper to float. Either replace the pins (they may be worn out) or just grease them up well and make sure they move freely without binding. These are easy initial steps towards fixing your problem
Regards,
Crispy

ejmack1

how can i tell if the front calipers are bad? can i test them some how?

ejmack1

?????

djantlive

Do you hear screeching or friction noise when the car is rolling without brake applied? Is the pad wear pattern even? What's the condition of your rotor? What pads are these?

If you drive real hard or race, it's quite possible to wear out the pad very quickly. It doesn't sound like that's the case.

If the wear is not even, the pad can be worn prematurely. Sticking caliper can cause premature and EVEN wear.

BTW, how many mm is left on the pad? <2mm is when you should replace the pad. A lot of shops tell you to replace pads when it's still perfectly good. Many tell you to replace rotors when they're perfectly within MINIMUM spec. Some shops use the spec when the rotor is new - they are wasting your money.

ArcWelder

I believe the manual shows a procedure for testing the force it takes to rotate the wheel. It's basically done by wrapping a cord around the lugs and with a hanging weight scale, pulling on the scale and measuring the force required to turn the wheel. If it's too high, the brakes are probably dragging.

An other way to tell if a single piston is hung up is to look at the wear pattern on the pads. If its worn uneven, then you have a sticky piston.

Mark

ejmack1

well the pads look burnt and are a bit uneven, the rotors are nearly new

kevinmfaust

Jack up the car at the wheel that you think is draging and spin the wheel with your hand. If there is alot of friction that is no good. If there is a light draging sound that is good. The pads dhould have light contact with the rotor all the time. If they dont water will get between the pad and the rotor and that is a horror show.
Kevin

RotaryKnight

Crap I've warped 3 sets of rotors already. 1 stock and 2 aftermarket. Damn i must really suck ***.

CrispyRX7

iTrader: (139)

Better late than never I guess.
How can you tell if a piston is sticking? Pad wear should be even from the left side wheel to right side wheel, from inner pad to outer pad and from elading edge to trailing edge, ie all 4 pads should look identical. (if you ttack your car the inner pad might wear slightly more due to less cooling) If one is worn more than the other three then chances are one of the two pistons on that side is sticking. All it takes is one sticking piston and you should rebuild both calipers anyways.
As for testing, I'll go with ArcWelder on this and the others on this. Jack the vehicle up and try to spin the wheel by hand. Can't spin it? Then a pad is dragging. It should spin freely with just the *sound* of the pad dragging on the rotor
Good Luck
Crispy