Both rears and now the front drivers side calipers are experience uneven pad wear. I've asked a question about this before when it only concerned the rears. The responses I got were to grease the shit out of everything which I've since done and to no avail am still having the uneven wear issue. Keep in mind these calipers are only about a year old and I don't think they should be locking up like they are. I'm thinking brake hoses are deteriorating but I'd like a second opinion.
Uneven brake pad wear
- Thread starter Barbatio
- Start date
There are a lot of misconceptions about precisely where to apply the Silicone Brake Grease whenever performing Brake Jobs. Eric "O" from SMA (South Main Auto) puts on a Genuine Brake Job Clinic that covers what is arguably THE BEST Possible Advice any Mechanic performing Brake Jobs can have.
Ignore the fact that this Video was intended for "How to Replace The Wheel Hubs on a Chevrolet Truck"... it's the principals that really matter here and the focused, 'On Topic' Brake Job viewing begins at around 20:00 minutes into this Video:
Ignore the fact that this Video was intended for "How to Replace The Wheel Hubs on a Chevrolet Truck"... it's the principals that really matter here and the focused, 'On Topic' Brake Job viewing begins at around 20:00 minutes into this Video:
I had uneven wear because my caliper pistons were hanging up. Yours are only 1 year old but they may have contamination settling in them from brake lines. It would be worth compressing them in and out a few times and flushing with fresh brake fluid.
Also, depending on how uneven the wear is, it's common to have some uneven wear. Just confirm the wheels are spinning freely with as little resistance as possible. Telltale sign of too much drag are just smell of excessive heat, heat distortions on the rotors, excessive heat on rotors in general, and warping of the rotors in a short period of time.
Before I rebuilt all 4 of my calipers, they were dragging excessively. After the rebuilds, my mileage improved by 1-2 mpg.
Also, depending on how uneven the wear is, it's common to have some uneven wear. Just confirm the wheels are spinning freely with as little resistance as possible. Telltale sign of too much drag are just smell of excessive heat, heat distortions on the rotors, excessive heat on rotors in general, and warping of the rotors in a short period of time.
Before I rebuilt all 4 of my calipers, they were dragging excessively. After the rebuilds, my mileage improved by 1-2 mpg.
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Mooseman
Moderator
And also recheck the guide pins as they are usually pretty stingy with the grease. I add more to new calipers.
gmcman
Member
- Dec 12, 2011
- 4,656
I'll throw this out just in case.
If you do change your front brake hoses, be aware that GM used a coating on the steel lines and they tend to stick.
To avoid twisting the steel line and giving yourself a major PITA job to bend a new line, do this when removing the line...
With the line junction block secured to the frame with the 10MM bolt, take a LINE WRENCH and just break the flare nut free, only enough to break it loose, you will likely see the steel line start to turn...don't turn it anymore.
Using a propane torch, use a small flame and heat the flare nut for about 5 seconds then start applying pressure with the line wrench, wait for the nut to start to turn, you can remove heat at this point, won't take much heat to free the nut.
This will melt the coating and allow the nut to turn.
If you do change your front brake hoses, be aware that GM used a coating on the steel lines and they tend to stick.
To avoid twisting the steel line and giving yourself a major PITA job to bend a new line, do this when removing the line...
With the line junction block secured to the frame with the 10MM bolt, take a LINE WRENCH and just break the flare nut free, only enough to break it loose, you will likely see the steel line start to turn...don't turn it anymore.
Using a propane torch, use a small flame and heat the flare nut for about 5 seconds then start applying pressure with the line wrench, wait for the nut to start to turn, you can remove heat at this point, won't take much heat to free the nut.
This will melt the coating and allow the nut to turn.
northcreek
Member
That was my case, I think that I got some paint on the exposed part of the pins when I sprayed the calipers and the inner pads went metal to metal because the paint stopped the pin travel....
I try and grease my guide pins up at least once a year, usually twice when I rotate tires around. It's amazing how quickly they can start to seize up here in the rust belt. Other thing is I bleed my brakes once a year as well to get good clean brake fluid coming out, plus it keeps that bleeder screw from seizing up. My pads have always had a little uneven wear it seems, but when one pad starts grinding the rotor and the other is in good shape you've got a problem to fix besides new rotors and pads. I've heard of guys even grinding down the ears of the brake pad a little to get them to slide better, never had to resort to that myself.