Anyone ever replace pads on one wheel, but not the other?

[AutoMechanic]

No I would never do that. Brakes are wear items and should be replaced together. Not to mention it would drive me crazy knowing one side was different from the other and not replaced at the same time. This sounds like pure laziness to me.

 

[dubber09]

I had to do both on that one. They were wearing uneven

I was being sarcastic, I'd never do just one side, makes no sense to me. Do both, you get pads for both sides in a box, clean, lube, be done mechanically and mentally for a while.

 

[D60]

Some users need to consider how the other half lives. Go watch checkout at a pick 'n pull.

I don't particularly care if other vehicles on the road have matching brakes so long as the drums or rotors are in good condition and the pads or shoes have sufficient friction material.

We all know manufacturers will only approve a single leaking shock or strut under warranty. I wonder if they also only approve pads on one side if the other side is with X mm of new?

 

[chorty]

After the premature replacement of my brake pads thanks to some swollen caliper pin boots causing uneven wear I only ended up changing the pads on one front wheel and not the other. I think I have another 3 or 4k miles on the pads on the other side and they're wearing perfectly so I used the if it aint broke don't fix it mentality on this one. Probably a bitog sin, but oh well. I'm going to have to start taking the tires off every once and a while moving forward so I can see the inner pad. I just didn't feel like messing with it today. Truck still stops fine, and the steering wheel doesn't pull one way or the other.

This is at least a step up from taking used brakes off a used vehicle and installing only one set.

At the same time, brakes are used to stop, just in case something happens in front of you.

 

[WobblyElvis]

A couple of times I have had problems with pads wearing unevenly due to stuck caliper or whatever. Changed one side only and it worked fine.

 

[The motor guy]

Some users need to consider how the other half lives. Go watch checkout at a pick 'n pull.

I don't particularly care if other vehicles on the road have matching brakes so long as the drums or rotors are in good condition and the pads or shoes have sufficient friction material.

We all know manufacturers will only approve a single leaking shock or strut under warranty. I wonder if they also only approve pads on one side if the other side is with X mm of new?

A good number of people on here have LOTS of money. Everyone says, oh just throw a new set on, takes 5 minutes. Not when you have to fix someone else's poor workmanship all the time and then figure out if it's the caliper that's seized or just a slide pin. Looking at the pads with the tire off I could see everything was fine on the drivers side, so I put the tire back on and took the boat out instead to retain my sanity for the rest of the week. The oil needs to be changed in another couple weeks. I can monkey with it then. I'm also not working on a honda civic either. I got 16 lug nuts that need to be torqued to 145 ft lbs and tires that probably weigh 80 pounds.

 

[crashz]

I don't struggle and feel lucky about that, but don't have lots of money.

But the pads can only bought by the axle set. So why not replace them all? It can't be a money issue because you can't buy just one side at a time.

I replaced the pads on my new-to-me truck this past fall. Every year or so, I like to get in and clean up and lube the slide pins and the brackets as rust usually seizes either the pads or the caliper from moving properly. I bought pads, they were the wrong ones, but the ones on the truck were in great shape with enough meat on each that they looked brand new. Rotors looked brand new as well. But the brackets and slide pins still needed to be cleaned and lubed.

Such is life in the rust belt.

As far as doing one side only, that would be for an emergency repair only. IE you're on the side of the road and need get home or a repair shop.

 

[rijndael]

I don't keep spare pads around. If I have to buy new pads, then I'm putting in all of the new pads.

 

[The motor guy]

I replaced the pads on my new-to-me truck this past fall. Every year or so, I like to get in and clean up and lube the slide pins and the brackets as rust usually seizes either the pads or the caliper from moving properly. I bought pads, they were the wrong ones, but the ones on the truck were in great shape with enough meat on each that they looked brand new. Rotors looked brand new as well. But the brackets and slide pins still needed to be cleaned and lubed.

Such is life in the rust belt.

As far as doing one side only, that would be for an emergency repair only. IE you're on the side of the road and need get home or a repair shop.

I don't live in the rust belt. You can keep a rust free vehicle for 30 years in the south

 

[D60]

I don't struggle and feel lucky about that, but don't have lots of money.

But the pads can only bought by the axle set. So why not replace them all? It can't be a money issue because you can't buy just one side at a time.

I replaced the pads on my new-to-me truck this past fall. Every year or so, I like to get in and clean up and lube the slide pins and the brackets as rust usually seizes either the pads or the caliper from moving properly. I bought pads, they were the wrong ones, but the ones on the truck were in great shape with enough meat on each that they looked brand new. Rotors looked brand new as well. But the brackets and slide pins still needed to be cleaned and lubed.

Such is life in the rust belt.

As far as doing one side only, that would be for an emergency repair only. IE you're on the side of the road and need get home or a repair shop.

Again, go to pick 'n pull and you'll see people buying one set of pads.

I wouldn't personally bother with used pads, but I applaud them for maintaining their brakes at all.

AFAIK the only thing u-pull-its won't sell is cats, and that was ~20 years ago before precious metal prices soared. Rather, it was an emissions/legality thing then.

 

[FlyingTexan]

After the premature replacement of my brake pads thanks to some swollen caliper pin boots causing uneven wear I only ended up changing the pads on one front wheel and not the other. I think I have another 3 or 4k miles on the pads on the other side and they're wearing perfectly so I used the if it aint broke don't fix it mentality on this one. Probably a bitog sin, but oh well. I'm going to have to start taking the tires off every once and a while moving forward so I can see the inner pad. I just didn't feel like messing with it today. Truck still stops fine, and the steering wheel doesn't pull one way or the other.

At a minimum do things in pairs

 

[Jetronic]

Considering how many times they stop, they probably just do it as a preventive measure. I bet they're metal on metal by month two and the drivers aren't going to care

they're not exactly going fast when stopping though.