Front brake pads come off!

[metalguy]

Guys, I recently (yesterday!) installed new brake pads on the front of a 1991 Explorer, and today while driving, one outside pad departed the caliper while driving. Now....in the caliper's defense, I didn't lube the rubber/steel "pins" that hold the caliper in place. Was this why they are wanting to come off?? I installed them correctly, they really only go in one way. The pads were in the detents on the caliper, and the spring arms were on the outside of it, where the ones that were replaced originally were. So....why did this happen? Seems pretty weird to me. I have been working on cars my entire life (I'm 51) and never once had a caliper shed a pad! So...back to it...can not lubing those retainers cause this??? I can't bring myself, or any one else to drive it until I can be sure it will stop. As it is, I have to replace the pads again. Could it be the pads were not formed with a big enough detent to key it to the caliper??? Please advise. ------Metalguy

 

[FR-425]

The rattle clips will not cause the pad to come out.

The "steel rubber" retainer can move, however.

Best to replace.

Brake hardware kit is readily available for first gens. I paid $10 from O'reileys.

Here's a kit on eBay for 13.88 free shipping.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/321256765570?lpid=82&chn=ps

Lube? I just use a dab of anti seize on the cast iron slide portion only, It's not necessary but helps with the clunking caliper issue. You don't want to lube the pins.

 

[FR-425]

Of course double check that the caliper and knuckle are not broke.

May have sheered off the pad stop.

 

[vq5speed]

I never lube mine so that was not the problem. Was the pins that hold the caliper still there? are did you lose one of them. I know on mine one of my dowel pins needs replacing. I just did my pads few weeks ago one of my pins has lost its springyness. I needed to flare the ends to make sure it would not rattle out.

 

[metalguy]

Ok, maybe I'm missing something in terminology here. By "pins" I mean the steel/rubber retaining pins. There are no...."dowel pins"? The steel/rubber retainers were/are there, and no damage to the calipers. Its why I'm baffled. Could the new pads not have a deep enough detent to hold them in place? The inner pads are where they need to be, complete with anti-rattle clips, just the outer pads moved completely off! The spring clips broke because of the pad moving out of its place. I got the pads at Autozone, and bought the middle of the road quality, so I thought they would be fine. Could they be the issue?? -----Metalguy

 

[vq5speed]

There are two pins the hold the calipers on they look like this. I don't know how a pad can slip out if they pins are holding the calipers on. Unless you never had the pad completely seated to begin with. Maybe you put one in backwards by mistake.. Or maybe you had a defective pad that the material separated from the metal pad clean off then the metal pad just fell out.

 

[metalguy]

Yep, those were still in place when the entire pad came out! Steel backing still on the asbestos pad. No way really to install them backwards. I was amazed to see one laying against the wheel when it came out.-----Metalguy

 

[vq5speed]

Sure you could put it in backwards. Just flipped with the metal against the rotor instead of the pad. You probably didn't. I just can't figure how a pad can slip out cause there's like ears on the pads that slot into the calipers.

 

[metalguy]

I guess it COULD be installed metal-side toward the rotor, if you tried hard enough.....of course, the springs would be against the rotor, and would need to be mashed down to do that.... But no, it was installed with the pad side toward the rotor. I guess I'll just buy some new pads from a different vendor.------Metalguy

 

[vq5speed]

I know one of the pads have a metal spring on the back but there is one does not. Not sure which one the inside or out one does not, So how did you find the pad laying in the rim? After a test drive?

 

[Anime]

You mean the outer pad friction surface came off the backing plate?

Seems like it would be nearly physically impossible for the entire outer pad to come out with the backing plate and retaining spring attached, other than if the inner pad was extremely worn, the slide pins seized, and the cailper got stuck with a gap big enough for the complete pad + backing plate+ spring to drop out.

For the friction surface part of the pad to detach from the backing plate, all you really need is a poor adhesive job on pads that are just stuck onto the plate. That's why some prefer riveted pads (and shoes), that are not just stuck on with adhesive, but physically attached with rivets.

 

[RangerX]

Why would you guys NOT lube these? Am I missing something?

 

[vq5speed]

today while driving, one outside pad departed the caliper while driving.

You say you found the pad laying against the wheel. I can't picture this did the pad slip out from the caliper but did not lose it on the road. How was it still laying against the wheel while driving and not fall to the ground.

The only way there would have to be a lot of play, space to let the pad slip out. Maybe the piston had not compressed back before you took it out for a drive and the pad fell out.

 

[metalguy]

The pad is intact, still on the metal backing plate. the ENTIRE new pad came off from the position it was supposed to be in, and was trapped between the wheel, and the dust shield. The pad now has some really nice dents in it from its journey, too, as well as the spring clip now a mess, bent and broken on its way out, too. It came off while driving, yes. From the above pic, the detents that hold it in aren't nearly as pronounced as those in the pic. -------Metalguy

 

[vq5speed]

Why would you guys NOT lube these? Am I missing something?

I never knew you needed to. Why would you need to? I don't want those pins to slip out. I want them to stay on..

I suppose if you do a lot of mudding or they get rusted up they could get frozen and stuck in there from rust. Then I can see a need to keep them greased up to prevent rusting. But I never lubed mine ever...

 

[metalguy]

I didn't lube the metal/rubber pin things. They had no lube when they were removed, so none went on when they were put back in. The caliper was against the pad when the car was driven, as I pumped the brakes to get it out before leaving the garage. Brakes were functioning fine for over 8 miles before the pad ejected from the caliper. ------Metalguy

 

[natenkiki2004]

I never knew you needed to. Why would you need to? I don't want those pins to slip out. I want them to stay on..

Just on a side note...
They allow the caliper to slide since there's only a piston on 1 side (even calipers with 4 pistons, 2 on each side need to slide). It needs to slide in and out in order to squeeze evenly. If the pins become sticky or frozen, you'll only be using the inside pad OR the outside pad will start to drag since the caliper can't slide back. Bottom line, you'll get excessive or uneven wear on the pads and rotor. Clean the slides up, take a wire brush to their corresponding grooves and lube them up with this stuff:

Back on topic, I have no idea how the outer pad came off. Though, the first time I did brakes on my 91, I didn't get the pad seated into the caliper right but that prevented me from even getting the caliper on the rotor in the first place. I don't know how you could reassemble things and have it fall apart. The whole thing is carefully designed and if any of it was questionable, Ford wouldn't have been able to sell it. I'm stumped.

 

[metalguy]

All I can think of is substandard pads. They fit up nice, went in well, but still shed the caliper while in use. I can't see why, that is why I posted. I know I am new here, but in no way new to cars, brakes, or otherwise, so I would see if it is a Ford Explorer thing, but I am seeing it isn't. Really cornfusing. ----Metalguy

 

[vq5speed]

Just on a side note...
They allow the caliper to slide since there's only a piston on 1 side (even calipers with 4 pistons, 2 on each side need to slide). It needs to slide in and out in order to squeeze evenly.

Well I just ordered a new set of pins while discussing this topic. It reminded me I needed to replace one so I just ordered a set. I guess I will lube them when I replace them since you showed me why I need to.

 

[Jason94sport]

Why would you guys NOT lube these? Am I missing something?

I have always slathered mine in wheel bearing grease...I never had a problem?