where did the friction material go??

Jayne

Jayne

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Wife was hauling some hay back from the feed store and said "there was a noise, and now there is a screeching noise when the truck stops". The passenger side front wheel was covered in brake dust. Huh. The truck was washed recently so I know that dust is all new.

I ordered new pads, and when I pulled the drivers side it was totally fine (brakes have ~10k miles on them). On the passenger side where all the dust was, I found this (below). The inner pad looked fine, the outer pad was just the backing plate dragging on the rotor. Ouch. The caliper seemed ok, no binding or damage or anything I could see.

I asked if she noticed it pulling when stopping, said it was fine. I had driven it just last week and noticed nothing. With new pads on it stops fine, no pulling at all.

So where did the friction material go? Is it possible that it cracked and came off due to age? Rock got in there and damaged it? The caliper was stuck and we've been totally unaware that the brake hasn't been working all this time? The truck has only had about 10k miles put on it in the last 5 years, it mostly just sits quietly in the car port awaiting the next chore, so lots of time for something to corrode I suppose.

'06 1500 4x4


IMG_9738.JPG
 
Did you do the brakes last time? is it possible a nucklehead at the shop failed to change that pad?
 
Catfish said:
Did you do the brakes last time? is it possible a nucklehead at the shop failed to change that pad?
Click to expand...

dealer did them 10k ago when I bought the truck, and I suppose they could have just done 3 pads and not 4... but I've had it worked on by other mechanics for other things since then, and I can't imagine if the pads were that bad that one of them wouldn't have tried to sell me a brake job (more jiffy lube than the real mechanic).

the massive coating of brake dust on just that 1 wheel makes me think it wasn't just normal wearing out of parts.
 
Do you have a pic of the other side pad from the same caliper?
 
Jayne said:
That's the other side laying next to it in the photo.
Click to expand...
I thought that was a brand new pad sitting next to it. :)
Based on seeing that, I would say that either things were somehow installed incorrectly, or the caliper is binding on the pins/sliders. (I’m assuming your vehicle does not have fixed calipers)
I once bought a 1-ton Dodge van to fix up, and someone had installed the caliper mount incorrectly. it did similar what you described - made it so that one pad was always in contact with the rotor.
 
All that material burned off. Either stuck slide or stuck caliper piston. Might require a new caliper

Make sure you bleed them well.

Edit I read truck as 2016 not 2006. Based on the rust flaking off that other pad you should probably change the caliper as it may be rusted and the piston could be stuck. Can you take pics of caliper??

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 
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I had what I thought were stuck calipers last brake job, too, but my front pads were immaculate after the rears were toast. Did all 4 calipers & pads, etc, but had a heluva time compressing the front brake pistons, even though they were not far extended.

It didn't feel "right," so we crap-shot it & replaced the front brake lines. Bingo. I'd been driving on rear brakes only for 10's of K's of miles... Now I've got power brakes again!
 
I've seen the friction material separate from the backing before. Manufacturing defects happen.

I'd hazard a guess that it separated and fell againt the rotor causing all the dust, until it wore enough or got pressure during braking just right to break up and fall away (prolly the noise).
 
BloodRunsThicker said:
Can you take pics of caliper??
Click to expand...

It's already long back together now, was before I took those pictures.

The calipers weren't rusted (much) and the pistons retracted easily with some pressure, nothing bound up there. Didn't see any leaks or fluid residue anywhere.

I'll have to bleed them at some point, the fluid is old, as are all the fluids. 2k miles/year is hard on a vehicle just sitting around. I probably need to just start driving it more in general, but then I'm going to want to upgrade the stereo. :)
 
my guess is defective pad. lost a pad on the loop around DC one sunday night coming back from Thanksgiving at BIL's place up north. Luckily i only lived a few miles from I-95 so not much need for brakes and not much damage to rotor.
 
I wouldn't worry about it. You've still got working brakes on the other the wheels.
 
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