Is it acceptable to grind on the ears of the brake pads to make sure they slide easily in the brackets? Yes the bracket has been wire wheeled and scraped off well and has all new hardware. One side I really had to push with my thumbs to get the pad to move in the bracket.
Fitting brake pads.
- Thread starter Rust_Belt_Pete
- Start date
You shouldn't ever have to grind on a pad. I'm sure thousands of people have done it, but I wouldn't. Especially if you're in the rust belt. Just asking for faster corrosion and problems.
but if I dont grind they brakes hang up overheat warm the rotor and so on.
The area that I am grinding would wear to the metal any way pretty fast , they just rub and go back and forth all the time
The area that I am grinding would wear to the metal any way pretty fast , they just rub and go back and forth all the time
What brand of pads are they?
I've had to file on the ears of some brake pads just once and it was on my nephew's RAV4. The calipers weren't rusty, just the cheap pads he bought were oversized compared to the ones that we removed.
Also, remember that a wire wheel and scraping a lot of times isn't enough to get the rust off and will just polish it up. You need to sand blast it, or go after it with a caliper file to make sure all of the rust is off
Yes, it's not a big deal to remove a little material, though you should do so sparingly. I'd use a hand file for more control than a grinder. If I'm going to bother, I also ever so slightly, chamfer the edges. However before doing so, I'd make sure that if there are shims they are riding on, that those are fully seated, and if you had put grease under them to slow down rust, that there isn't an excessive amount causing the shims to not sit as flush as they could.
I can only assume that the caliper was sufficiently wire wheeled to bring it back to factory spec. If not then there is where the material needs removed instead of the pad.
At the same time, remember that a caliper piston produces orders of magnitude more force than your thumb can produce, so if you could get the pad in place correctly with only your hands, then it may not need any material removed.
I can only assume that the caliper was sufficiently wire wheeled to bring it back to factory spec. If not then there is where the material needs removed instead of the pad.
At the same time, remember that a caliper piston produces orders of magnitude more force than your thumb can produce, so if you could get the pad in place correctly with only your hands, then it may not need any material removed.
its becoming more and more common that i've had to buff/grind the ears down a little to get them to slide into the bracket.
I'm guessing its quality control issues etc.
I'm guessing its quality control issues etc.
But how much power does it generate on its way back? I don't want the pads to hang up wear and overheat.
Powerstop ceramic.
Yes it is, and even OEM pads often have burrs there covered in paint making fitment all but impossible.
On occasional I had to do some light filing. Grind? Not yet.
dnewton3
Staff member
I've done it many times, especially on my 2006 GM 3500 truck. I had no adverse effects, and the pads floated freely much better than before. The key is to go at it slowly and test fit them as you grind the ears. Don't take off large amounts; a little bit at time will do.
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
In the rust belt you have to do more than wire wheel the bare metal under the abutment clips. Wire wheeling or brushing doesn't fully remove the corrosion. It polishes it. You have to file or sandblast that area of the caliper brackets in order to get enough of the bad material off. I use a caliper file. Doing so has made my life easier, pads fit more loose and my brake jobs last longer. I did it wrong for decades.
A small triangular file and wire brush should be all that’s needed.
Brake pads are sometimes not applicable across all versions of a car model. Sometimes, the vehicle VIN is needed to get the correct brake parts.
Brake pads are sometimes not applicable across all versions of a car model. Sometimes, the vehicle VIN is needed to get the correct brake parts.
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2022
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Yes, I found on cheap pads I have to file and fit them so they slide smooth in the caliper brackets. I hit them with black spray paint after filing.
the grinder is right there in the workshop, it's just faster
No argument there. I'm set up differently, being a DYIer. By the time I get the grinder out, and set things up, the files in my tool box end up being faster and easier. Having said that if I felt I needed a grinder I'd take it out and use it.
In this vein, the most time consuming bit of a brake job is "derusting" the landing zone for the stainless steel glide shields.
They MUST sit in their places all the way down.
They MUST sit in their places all the way down.
