Break pad wear

[MuleShack]

I just got done doing the front breaks on my 05 Ram 2500 diesel.

The OEM set went 2 years, then i replaced rotors and pads last summer about this time.

Now I had grinding so i did it all over again.

When i took the rotors and assemblies off, i found that the pads on the passenger side were about 50% and evenly wearing.

However the culprit was on the drivers side, and only the outside pad was worn down. the inside pad was still 35%.

In my experience most of the time, things wear evenly. What can cause such a wear pattern?

I replaced the guides that the pads sit in (dont remember techinical term) last year. I have been doing more pulling with this truck over the last year and a half than the inital season. but that should still wear the pads evenly, just faster.

When i did the brakes, i compressed the cycinders back in with a clamp and they went in fairly smooth and even.

[Macgyver55]

The caliper slides could be dry, corroded or rusty, the piston in the caliper could be starting to seize, or you may have a pinched or collapsed brake hose. Any of these conditions can cause the pads to not be able to release fully from the rotor, greatly increasing wear. Pull out the pins and see how they look. If they are crusty and tight, clean them, regrease or replace them. If the pins look good, the caliper could be the culprit, and you would be best off to replace both at the same time. The least likely of the three would be the brake hose, but I wouldn't rule it out completely.

[MuleShack]

The 2 bolts on the caliper were still chrome and smooth. The brake lines looked normal to me.

There was rust on the back of the pad where the pistons push on the pad. Not sure if it was rusted together or not.

I put a straight piece of steel across the pistons and then used the clamp to compress both evenly. the drivers side seemed to compress harder than the passenger side.

The guides were black and dirty.

I put the new ones in again and lubed the chanels a little and greased up the back of the pad so the caliper wont stick to it.

Hopefully it isn't the pistons.

[Jeremy airjer W]

I think those have the sheet metal shims that the pads ride on right? If thats what you replaced than make sure the surface underneath them is clean/rust free. I would bet that it rusted under the shims and started to pinch the pad so that it did not move as freely as it should have. It is not uncommon to find a lot of rust under them. Some vehicles you literally have to pound the pads out with a hammer because of the amount of corrosion under the shims.

3M makes a copper looking break lube (looks like anti-sieze except its copper colored and high temp). Clean up the area under the shim and apply a thin layer under the shim to prevent it from corroding.

[MuleShack]

Thanks for the info guys!!