Uneven brake pad wear.

Topic: Uneven brake pad wear. (Read 872 times) previous topic - next topic

Uneven brake pad wear.

November 04, 2015, 05:58:21 pm

Having the brakes looked at today because of mild surging , like maybe a warped rotor. The front pads and rotors "looked"great but the rear pads look to be wearing wrong. Each rear wheel is the same issue. One pad is hardly worn and the other pad is worn much more almost to the point that the drivers rear outside pad is almost worn out.
The passenger rear rotor looks to be a little heat checked also.

Guess my question is what could cause that kind of brake pad wear. Did some searching and yet to find related answer.
Also, they are looking for the "casting numbers" on the calipers and rotors if anyone knows what they are.

Thanks for any help. 1995 u280 36'

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #1 – November 04, 2015, 06:14:20 pm

These are floating calipers. If the pins are not kept clean/get rusty, the "lazy" pad does not retract when the brakes are released. A common issue with all floating calipers, whether air or hydraulically activated. Floating calipers are activated from ONLY one side.

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #2 – November 04, 2015, 06:22:46 pm

Do be sure to quantify "worn much more" is. When the pads are new, they are of differing thickness. But, when the caliper does bind, the inside pad will wear completely out (and down to the metal).

Small heat cracking on the rotor---shows on all of mine. I don't worry about it.

Also, rear brakes provide more breaking force than the front on heavy vehicles. They will usually wear faster.

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #3 – November 04, 2015, 06:48:38 pm

Slide pins not releasing

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #4 – November 04, 2015, 08:03:11 pm

I'm not where the mh is right now and I would have preferred to stay with it while the work was being done but couldn't (my fault).

I believe it's the outside pad on both sides that had the wear. Hopefully it is an issue of lubricating and cleaning the slide pins.
Would the surging effect not come from a warped rotor. Mechanic said they don't turn rotors.

It's just that when I had the brakes done on the Silverado they turned the rotors, replaced the calipers, pads, shoes and turned the rear drums as part of the package with a 2 year warranty. It's the only way Les Schwab Tire shop does it.

Do I get a sense that our coaches are done more of a piecemeal type because of availability or cost ?

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #5 – November 04, 2015, 08:16:20 pm

You might like to read down a couple and see my saga re the caliper slide pins. I too thought that a good clean and lube might fix them, but, there is no lubrication requirement from Meritor, strange though it mat seem.
Brian.

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #6 – November 04, 2015, 08:48:47 pm

My drivers rear outer pad was metal to metal. I caught it early and replaced only that one pad. Used a grinder to flatten the rotor and let the new pad do some "on road machining" to finish it off. I wire wheeled the slide pins while off and lubricated them slightly with anti sieze, against the wishes of Meritors guides. If it ends up attracting dirt and sticking because of it, I wont lube them next time. But for now all works well.

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #7 – November 14, 2015, 12:23:10 am

Quote from: wolfe10 – November 04, 2015, 06:14:20 pm

These are floating calipers. If the pins are not kept clean/get rusty, the "lazy" pad does not retract when the brakes are released. A common issue with all floating calipers, whether air or hydraulically activated. Floating calipers are activated from ONLY one side.

So today we got our MH back from the truck shop with our new rear brakes, rotors, calipers seals and bearings. It seems to me that it was a case of lazy pads on the wheel side. 3 coach bucks later but it sure stops good and no more surging.

Took a little longer to get it done because the shop wasn't familiar with antilock air brakes Took 2 try's to get the proper seals.
They weren't familiar with the caliper pin springs either so those didn't get ordered or installed.
When we get the front done sometime down the road I will have Kaiser Brake and Alinement in Eugene install the springs front and back. When I called Oregon Motor Coach Center in Eugene, they had a Foretravel in their bay and are a factory authorized service shop. Oregon Motor Coach said Kaiser does all their brake work and stock the meritor parts including the springs.

Brakes should be ready for the next 150,000.

Follow-ups
- Trailing Arm Service (aka: Torque Tubes)

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #8 – November 14, 2015, 01:13:31 am

Quote from: Bob & Sue – November 14, 2015, 12:23:10 am

When we get the front done sometime down the road I will have Kaiser Brake and Alinement in Eugene install the springs front and back. When I called Oregon Motor Coach Center in Eugene

Camping in the parking lot of Kaiser right now! Dropped a couple of coach bucks today on a front wheel seal, all 4 calipers serviced to remove you guessed it wrong grease, and during the servicing found the rear pads were toast and one of the rear calipers needed to be rebuilt.

Luckily all pins in good shape! A couple of years ago they replaced all bushings in my torque tubes, custom built adjustable torque tubes for drivers side rear, and did a 4 (6 really) wheel alignment. A few more coach bucks. They do excellent work but are a little pricey. You gets what you pay for.

see ya
ken

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #9 – November 14, 2015, 01:19:06 am

So, how do you know if someone used the wrong grease for the calipers.

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #10 – November 14, 2015, 01:37:51 am

I had them do a chassis lube and asked them to check if the brake grease was correct. After reading other post here about how often the grease monkey just hits every zerk in sight. I will be zip tying or removing and plugging those zerks before my next lube.

see ya
ken

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #11 – November 14, 2015, 08:57:21 am

Quote from: kenhat – November 14, 2015, 01:37:51 am

I had them do a chassis lube and asked them to check if the brake grease was correct. After reading other post here about how often the grease monkey just hits every zerk in sight. I will be zip tying or removing and plugging those zerks before my next lube.

see ya
ken

A VERY good idea unless you do your own chassis lube. Trying to "teach" each kid in each lube bay what not to grease is an exercise in futility. Sadly, ForeForum members have proven that over the years!

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #12 – November 14, 2015, 09:03:12 am

I just gotta ask: does the old '89 Oshkosh Truck chassis Grand Villas have these type brakes requiring the special grease?

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #13 – November 14, 2015, 09:31:32 am

Quote from: nitehawk – November 14, 2015, 09:03:12 am

I just gotta ask: does the old '89 Oshkosh Truck chassis Grand Villas have these type brakes requiring the special grease?

No. The special grease requirement applies to the air disk brakes, not drum brakes or hydraulic disk brakes used by Oshkosh, and the U225 and U240.

But, both the air disk brakes and yours can fail for exactly the same reason-- the caliper slides hang up and the lazy pad does not
release.

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #14 – November 14, 2015, 02:40:07 pm

Quote from: Bob & Sue – November 14, 2015, 01:19:06 am

So, how do you know if someone used the wrong grease for the calipers.

So, are there some symptoms to look for if the clay based grease wasn't used in the new rear brake install. Also I have yet to do the front brakes because they look really good except for the stuff I can't see ( right grease,wrong grease, clay based , over greased or whatever).

I know the question has addressed on some other thread but might be good to have the answer connected here if ok.

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #15 – November 14, 2015, 07:21:29 pm

The brake grease is usually gray and the chassis is usually red. That is not always true.

Scott of Carol & Scott did a lot of research
in this thread It's a long but good read.

The tech at Kaiser rubbed some between his fingers and declared it chassis grease. Not sure how he determined that. Didn't think to ask how he knew. The grease was black not red or gray...

see ya
ken

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Uneven brake pad wear.

November 04, 2015, 05:58:21 pm

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #1 – November 04, 2015, 06:14:20 pm

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #2 – November 04, 2015, 06:22:46 pm

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #3 – November 04, 2015, 06:48:38 pm

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #4 – November 04, 2015, 08:03:11 pm

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #5 – November 04, 2015, 08:16:20 pm

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #6 – November 04, 2015, 08:48:47 pm

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #7 – November 14, 2015, 12:23:10 am

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #8 – November 14, 2015, 01:13:31 am

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #9 – November 14, 2015, 01:19:06 am

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #10 – November 14, 2015, 01:37:51 am

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #11 – November 14, 2015, 08:57:21 am

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #12 – November 14, 2015, 09:03:12 am

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #13 – November 14, 2015, 09:31:32 am

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #14 – November 14, 2015, 02:40:07 pm

Re: Uneven brake pad wear.

Reply #15 – November 14, 2015, 07:21:29 pm

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