I just installed new brakes on all 4 corners this past Friday. In the rear, on the driver's side, it looks as though the pad (RB800's) is not making full contact with the rotor (Stoptech). This didn't happen last time I installed pads/rotors. The fronts are doing it as well, but to a much lesser extent.

Is this normal, do I just need to let the pad 'seat' itself? As far as I can tell, everything is installed correctly.

Attached are pics of the drivers side (partial pad contact) and passenger side (full contact). This is with about 25 miles on the set-up.

 

Did you install the small V-shaped clip on the bottom rear of each pair of rear brake pads?

 

Yep.

 

Just one clip per side, on the bottom correct? IE not a pair of clips, top and bottom.

 

Yeah, just one clip on each side on the bottom...

Now your making me nervous, I was hoping you'd say "Don't worry Matt, they just need a hundred miles or so to seat themselves" .

 

Driver's side rear contact area looks pretty..... wrong.

I'd pull it all back apart to ensure that the 'nipple' on the backside pad is interfaced correctly with one of the pairs of pie-shaped slots in the innermost piston.

 

Yeah, that's a good idea. I'll take a look at that nipple again. I checked it when I installed them (in fact I don't think you can close the caliper if that nipple is not in the piston wedge), but something certainly looks off...

 

So I just took everything apart and found no issues. Except one thing caught my eye after I put it all together again... The caliper 'fork' that goes over the outer pad doesn't extend as far on the drivers side (side with issue) as it does on the passenger side. On the passenger side, it seems to extend about 3 or 4 mm further toward the center of the wheel. I checked the attachment bolts and the was no issues. I just bought these calipers, I wonder if this one was dropped or something? Who knows...

I'll see if anything clears up next time I drive it; but I'm pretty stuck on this one.

 

check how smoothly the caliper slides. chances are if they're original, they're halfway seized, or at least have a lot of friction.

to fix, pull the sliding half out, clean up the rods, and grease em up

 

It definitely slides well. It's hard to explain, but I'm now thinking the caliper may be skewed or slightly twisted. If you look at the rear face of the rotor, the wear is on the inside edge (opposite of the outside face); this is consistent with the the fork not extending as far over the pad as the passenger side.

I'll try to source another caliper and see if that's the issue.

 

Swapped out the caliper yesterday with another one... works perfectly and the caliper fits over the pad correctly (the 'fork' moved another 3-4 mm over the pad). No idea what was wrong with the other caliper, but it or one of the pins must have been bent.

 

just curious, as I am about to get new pads, do you have any pics of the "bad" caliper, also maybe in comparison to a caliper that is good?

 

Nope, no pics besides above. If your calipers are working now, there shouldn't be a problem. I bought these used and got a bad one.