Uneven pad wear: front back instead of top bottom

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97 Camry V6 XLE

So my FIL ask me to help change his brake because it is squealing. I took out the wheel and the pads on one side (not enough time to finish the other yet), and found the pads to have lots of material still on it. However, they are not wearing evenly. Instead of the common top / bottom uneven wear I've seen in the past on other car that points to top / bottom slope, this one has inner / outer uneven wear.

Something like this (not actual picture, but copied from others online), but much less severe

42445-uneven-rear-brake-pad-wear-03-29_1465195_52200590213pm.jpg


The pads from the same caliper are also not parallel when stacked together. If you look at how they align on the caliper (at the front of the hub), the orientation of the pads would look like a slight toe out.

The caliper bolts were very difficult to break loose (last break job was probably 6 years ago), the bottom sliding pin was sliding stiff but ok and in the rubber boot bushing, but the top pin has fallen outside the rubber boot and is not sliding freely.

I tried to break open the caliper bracket to check its condition, but the bolt (17mm I think) is so stuck that even with 2 feet of leverage I cannot break it loose.

What is worn out here? I'm going to replace the pins, bolts, and rubber boots just to be safe, and clean / lube the sliding surfaces and hardwares. Is it likely the caliper brackets and pistons are also worn out?
 
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I would just clean up the slides and lube them good, and replace the pads. The caliper is probably fine, and the caliper bracket is probably fine (especially if the slides sit in rubber bushings)
 
Think you might have a caliper that is not floating fully.
I'd pull the slide pins and clean the guides and ways completely, use very good caliper grease and reassemble.
 
I think SLCraig and ChiTDI are right on the money. Replace the pins if they're bent or corroded.
 
Are you sure that isn't pad chamfer you're seeing?

If the pads don't have them, I would suspect pins, guides & sliders.
 
Originally Posted By: scurvy
Are you sure that isn't pad chamfer you're seeing?

If the pads don't have them, I would suspect pins, guides & sliders.


It is front and back (as in taller near the hub side of the rotor and lower near the edge side of the rotor), looks like the pad above.

What is the "guides"? are you talking about the "hardware" that goes on the bracket where the pads slide into?
 
Some pads wear like that. The heavy pull on parts when braking shifts things slightly, and things get out of square.
Replace them where thy came off, for sure.
If there are no other problems than visual, leave them alone.
 
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