I'm having problems doing my front brakes *2004 GT*. The right front started making noise a couple weeks ago. When I took the front passenger wheel off, the outside pad was ground down to the base of the pad and so was the outside surface on the brake rotor. The driver side brake rotor was fine, so just popped in the new pads.

I put a new brake rotor and new pads on the passenger side; but no way in h.ll could I fit the new caliper/pads back on. If you put a new pad and an old pad on, the caliper drops right in and that's what I had to do to drive home. I also put a new brake hose on.

At the end of the night tonight, I bled all four sides , starting with the passenger rear, and also bled both spots on the master cylinder... I am wondering , since I did the bleeding on the master cylinder will the caliper drop in now with TWO new pads...

I didn't use the new slide pins that came with the new caliper...reading the archives I am wondering this could make the difference...

Any ideas? thanks


Notice how the brake pad on the right is scratched up... this is a new pad with the new caliper AND also tried it with the old caliper... only way the caliper fell in its place was using 1 new pad and 1 of the old pads ..temporarily until I find a solution



Old passenger side disk, notice how it was way more worn on the outside... that's where the very worn down brake pad was... like if the caliper was locked .


Brake caliper is fully compressed with a C clamp..


This is the old disc, not sure if you can tell how scratched up it was from the old brake shoe just rubbing on there..

 

I read the following when I did a seach "Actually, just pull those bolts out(floater pins) and take the boots off. Clean them and the holes they go in on the caliper, and reassemble it with antisieze on the bolts, or a good moly type brake grease."

Are they talking about "the two bolts that hold the caliper and the piece it the bolt screws into moves so you have to hold with pliers"?

I am also wondering if I over tightened the brake rotor onto the axle and it made not be aligned with the caliper?

 

No. They are talking about the two slide pins that the caliper slides in/out on. They go through a rubber sleeve/boot which goes into the caliper.

Don't know how you could tighten the brake rotor. They just slide on. It is held on by the wheel and the lug nuts. You might have not installed the rotor all the way. It may not be pushed all the way on, or is being blocked from going in all the way by something. That could easily cause the problem your having.

Are you sure you bought the correct rotor for the front of your ride?

 

I'm talking about the nut under the center cap that holds the rotor in place. When I took it off it was tight as sh.it (never taken offer b4), so when I put it back, I tightened to the same level, so I imagine it would have gone in all the way. I'll have to check to see if something is blocking it , as you mentioned.

I compared the new and old rotor, so I am ok there..

Those are the slide pins I wa thinking about (the ones with the piece you have to hold with pliers so you can unscrew the caliper...

I'm going to have to take it back apart Saturday and look at it again... I'm driving with one new and one old pad, so it wouldn't lock up, lol

 

I came to the conclusion that they had to have given me the wrong rotor. I took the caliper apart last night again, microanalized everything (there's only so much that can go wrong there, lol)... took the rotor, caliper mount and caliper off, and put it on the bench and there is just no way... and that's the reason why it works with ONE old pad and one new pad..

I didn't have time to take the other wheel off to measure the thickness of that rotor.. and now I am going to be traveling for a couple weeks.. So when I get back I'll take both front wheels off and confirm that it is in fact the wrong rotor they gave me.. I am not sure why I am not ****.ed, lol, but what a f'n idiot at the auto parts if he did in fact gave me the wrong rotor, lol.. I spend last sat and sund 4-5 hours each day and last night trying to figure out such a simple thing... Last night I had a buddy come take a look at it and there's just no other way.. lol..

I'll post my results when I get back.. thanks for the suggestions.

 

Easy way to tell if its the wrong rotor is to compare the old and the new ones side by side. Lay them flat on a table/bench and make sure that they are about the same height (within a few millimeters). Make sure the thickness is about the same (within a few millimeters). Make sure the diameter is the same. Make sure the bolt holes line up. If any of these things are different then you've got the wrong part.

Good luck...