2000 Maxima - When I took my pads off and replaced them I had these pop out (the part that looks like a Y)....albeit worn. Are these required hardware? I've found conflicting reports in my search. Some say not needed, some say needed, some say the calipers were changed in later years such that they weren't needed, some say the pads now don't have the holes for the pins, so don't need them.

Didn't come with the brake hardware from the dealer, and not found on the FSM. Confused.

 

When I replaced the pads for the first time in my car, I noticed they had some "V" shaped hard wires used to keep them separated from the rotors. The new pads I got (Duralast ceramics from Autozone) came with the holes where those pieces of hardware go into, so I reused them.
There is a particular kind of pad retainer with protuding bent tabs. Those tabs are meant to keep the pads away from the rotors, when brakes are not being used. If you have those kinds of retainers, then you really don't need the "V" shaped wires.