Brake & Related Questions...

[bassadict69]

I have our detail guy polishing the wheels on my truck & decided to check the brakes while he has the wheels off the truck.

 

On the front, is the inner pad (behind the rotor) alot smaller than the outside pad? At first, I didn't think there was a pad back there. I had to get a flashlight to shine down behind the rotor to see it.

 

Should both hubs spin freely on the front? The passenger side front spins easily but a little more force is required to spin the drivers side. I would think they should both spin the same.

 

Truck info is in my siggy...

[Bish]

I have our detail guy polishing the wheels on my truck & decided to check the brakes while he has the wheels off the truck.

 

On the front, is the inner pad (behind the rotor) alot smaller than the outside pad? At first, I didn't think there was a pad back there. I had to get a flashlight to shine down behind the rotor to see it.

 

Should both hubs spin freely on the front? The passenger side front spins easily but a little more force is required to spin the drivers side. I would think they should both spin the same.

 

Truck info is in my siggy...

 

If I were to guess, I would say your caliper slides are sticking and they should be cleaned and greased. If the slides are sticking, the caliper will not properly center itself when is use and it will wear the piston side faster than the outside. Greasing the slides is a critical part of a brake job that is skipped way too often IMO.

 

Regarding spinning the wheels, it could be a sign the wheel bearing/hub is going bad. Do you hear any noise when you spin the wheel?

[bassadict69]

Both inner & outer seemed to be the same thickness, it is just the the inside pad is alot smaller diameter than the outside.

 

The only noise I noticed was on the passenger side which is the side that spins easier. It kind of made a faint rubbing sound when spun.

[asilverblazer]

It could just be the way the differential is spinning. Pads "should" be the same size, I don't know why they would be different. But my truck is different than yours. Could be part of those new improved front brakes.

[bassadict69]

He now has the back end in the air & the rear wheels off. The rear hubs are the same way...a little harder to turn on one side than the other. It takes a little effort to spin them...I thought they should spin quite freely!

[Bish]

Disc pads should be the exact same pad inner or outer. I have never seen a vehicle with different sized pads on outside versus inside. Different backer sometimes but the friction material should be exactly the same size or you will get different pressures and wear.

 

Unless you are mistaking diameter for thickness. Is that possible? They should start out the same thickness when new and should wear the same until end of life....unless there are other issues.

[bassadict69]

In order to see the inside pad, I had to shine a light down behind the rotor. The outside pad is several inches long & plain as day. Without a light, just looking over the backside of the rotor, there is a gap directly opposite of the outside pad. Just looking at it, it looks like nothing is on the backside, until you get a light, stick your head over the rotor & shine it down behind the rotor, then you can see what looks like the inside pad. The thickness on them look to be the same.

 

For the first time yesterday, I noticed a squeeking. I had my window down & was driving through the grocery store parking lot right in front of the building with the building on the drivers side. I was slowly rolling through & with the sound bouncing off the building, I could plainly hear something squeeking at about the same rate as what my tires should have been rolling.?

[Bish]

In order to see the inside pad, I had to shine a light down behind the rotor. The outside pad is several inches long & plain as day. Without a light, just looking over the backside of the rotor, there is a gap directly opposite of the outside pad. Just looking at it, it looks like nothing is on the backside, until you get a light, stick your head over the rotor & shine it down behind the rotor, then you can see what looks like the inside pad. The thickness on them look to be the same.

 

For the first time yesterday, I noticed a squeeking. I had my window down & was driving through the grocery store parking lot right in front of the building with the building on the drivers side. I was slowly rolling through & with the sound bouncing off the building, I could plainly hear something squeeking at about the same rate as what my tires should have been rolling.?

 

Squeaking could be a simple as the wear bars starting to contact the rotor as the pad wears down. If you pull the wheel, you should be able to see the wear tabs one or both ends of the pad. If they are touching the rotor, time for new brakes. If not, it may be something else.