Bad brake pads

[4x4]

Tried to fit new pads (from a well known supplier whose service over many years has been too good to be publicly named here in a bad way - they will be quietly and privately notified) with my shiny new discs - except the backing on one pad was too big!

It just would not go into the caliper far enough to be able to get the split pins in.
Old pad went back in fine every time, new one got another four letter word (and a clout with a copper hammer) for a refusal to go in the hole.

After taking the caliper off yet again, and much measuring later (double, triple and quadruple checking), found the backing steel was just a bit too big.


Just a heads up here for anyone else struggling to get new pads to fit...............

[keeny]

May be a one off,What make of pads were you supplyed

[4x4]

Couldn't tell you - box went in the bin before I knew I had a problem!
They were in a bright green box though!

[keeny]

Check with supplyer im sure they will be more than helpfull,hopefully a one off
Keeny

[ChasR]

I shall take a guess at them being either County or Lucas pads?

I have had this happen before on modern cars where I have fitted genuine items oddly enough (more pad material) but with the piston fully back (more than with pattern pads) they can be just about eased in.

[keeny]

I would be surprised if it was lucas pads that were a problem

[4x4]

Problem wasn't that they were too fat requiring more piston retraction - the footprint of the metal backing was too big

[martin]

Problem wasn't that they were too fat requiring more piston retraction - the footprint of the metal backing was too big

Green Stuff ? M.

[keeny]

Sounds more like brown stuff pads Martin

[jleyton]

I had a problem with genuine Unipart ones a while ago - supplier swapped them immediately. In the box were four identical pads, instead of two inner and two outer ones. That's not your problem, is it ?

Cheers

Julian

DSCN1449.jpg

[dasadrew]

I was just about to say that Julian!!

When I was fitting my Green Stuffs I didn't realise that they were "handed". I'd even prepared a question for the Forum and then went to take the photos. Only then did I realise it was my mistake. The Green Stuffs wre also very thick and only just fitted with a lot of squeezing. Fitting them the wrong way around produced exactly the effect described - namely that the pin holes just wouldn't align.

Drew

[Princejohny]

Had a problem fitting pads to family Meriva a couple of years ago. I kept swopping them about and the conclusion was that one was larger than the others. Comparison and a knife showed that for some reason, it had a coat of black paint on the back, several mm thick. A few minutes with a file helped it in.
Johny

[Danny]

I have had the same problems several times before with after market pads. As Johny says just give them a file down around the areas where they catch.

Danny