I just finished installing new SS lines and Hawk pads, and I am having a problem with the drivers side front. After bleeding completely, I went for a drive to bed in the pads. When I got home, everything feels OK, but it looks to me as though the inner portion of the pad is not making full contact with the rotor, even though the outer 85% of the pad is contacting like normal. The other 3 brakes all work perfectly. What could cause part of a pad to contact and not the whold thing. BTW this is on stock calipers and rotors. Thanks

 

Check the slide pins. Make sure one if not both arent frozen.

 

also did you grease the pad retaining clips with high-temp brake grease? If not, it might not be sliding in correctly. The slide pins, as mentioned above, are a more likely culprit though.

 

I pulled the wheel off this morning to inspect the brake more closely. I regreased the slide pins even though they already had grease on them. After looking at it, only the front of the rotor is having this problem. The back side of the disc is making full contact, but only on the front(read outside of disc) is it not contacting. After looking at the pad, only the top half of the pad is making contact w/ the disc like the pad is tapered. See Driver's side pic:


compared to pass. side:


These pics were taken this morning after taking it apart, regreasing, and then going for a 10-15 min ride where I used the brakes very aggressively to see if I had fixed the problem. Nope. Is it possible that the auto parts store could have sold me a bad remanufactured caliper, as it has only been on the car for less than 4 months and came from Discount Auto Parts down the street from me? Or has anyone ever had a problem with the quality of Hawk pads before?

 

I see one thing very wrong. You painted everything including the shims for the brake pads. Go buy new shims and DONT paint those. It looks like the pad is just getting stuck some how. I dont think th caliper can be the problem unless the fingers that hold the outside pad are bent outwards.

 

The pads were not in when painting, the shims w/ the pads happened to be black. Nothing in the pads/shims are stuck, I just pulled it apart and looked.

 

Hmm. Can you take some pics with the wheel off? Several different angles?

 

Yeah, I can take some pics tommorrow morning, I have class in about 2 hours, and it's a 50 mile drive. Can't get too dirty now. Thanks for the help Dubbya.

 

Sorry it took so long to get pics up, it was a busy weekend. I took your suggestion Dubbya and bought a new shim kit anyways b/c mine were 3 years old. I greased everything properly and I am still getting the uneven contact. When I took out the pads, I could definitely see that the innermost part of the pad hadn't even worn off the initial pad surface yet.

On the Hawk pads, I did notice that there were no little holes top and bottom of the pad profile for the little clips that hold the pad off the rotor ( look like a V), but I assumed that was their design. Is it possible that I got a pad that was tapered, instead of flat? Here are the pics you requested.





And a little off topic, but since I already am asking Dubbya one?, I also bought the same E-bay ball-joints as you <6 months ago, and when I had everything apart last weekend, I noticed the boots on both ball-joints were torn. Now my front end makes a clunk sound when the suspension travels down quickly, or when changing from left to right also quickly. Would the bad ball joints cause this noise? I plan to replace w/ OEM, as I should have done the first time, but oh well, gotta learn somehow. Just want to try to fix everything this time.

 

seems that the pad could be tapered if u find nothing else wrong. simple way to check is put ur old pad on that side, if its ok then the pad is just bad, get it replaced. if its bad with another pad your rotor could have somehow got worn on the inside more than outside, but thats unlikely.

 

wierd...with a single-piston caliper that shouln't happen unless the pad is defective or something. Is it happening on the other side of the car as well?

 

no, the pass side is working perfectly. Has anyone had problems previously with the quality of Hawk pads?

 

Very weird. It also seems there is a deep groove in the middle of the rotor. Like there is some kind of debris or ^ shape to the pad. Id take it off and compair it to one that isnt doing that. Also while you've got it apart switch the drivers side outer with the passenger side outer and see if it still happens.

As for the ebay ball joints. They can cause a clunking or popping noise. You may want to inspect your stabalizer bar end links too.