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Brake pad failures

Paragon

Member #42 if by Bus
Joined
May 19, 2020
Member Number
122
Messages
2,091
Loc
Jackson, MS USA
I have now had 2 brake pad failures on 2 completely different vehicles. Both were stock pads. First was on my F250 a year or so ago. This week same thing happened on my wife's Mercedes SUV. The ceramic material completely separated and was gone on the entire pad. Came unglued. I didn't notice it on the truck enough that it ate up the rotor so much I replaced the rotor.

On the Mercedes, I heard the same sound and got to it before it started chewing the rotor too much.

On both vehicles it happened to coincidentally be the outside pad on the driver's right rear. and I spent a fucking hour on the Mercedes because I could not get the caliper piston to retract. Come to find out those fuckers have an electric parking brake thing that you have to go into some secret coding in the car to get it to release the pads.


So, if you hear a groaning noise upon braking check the pads. It's a low sound. Also, if you change the pads on a mercedes, fucking google the secret code to release the pads :homer:
 
Yes. F-350 front passenger wheel. It went from fine to "what the fuck" in 1 stop. Totaled the rotor.

Shop did a brake job, all 4 rotors and pads and new back calipers. Few months later the calipers came loose in the rear and were riding around the rotor.
 
Been in the brake industry for 18 years. The only time I've seen pads delaminate from the backing plate is either severe overheating/abuse, rust (either creeping between the backing plate and friction material or locking the pad in the caliper bracket causing the caliper piston to bend the pad upon apply), or just shit quality parts. Why did yours fail?
 
Lbhsbz said:
Been in the brake industry for 18 years. The only time I've seen pads delaminate from the backing plate is either severe overheating/abuse, rust (either creeping between the backing plate and friction material or locking the pad in the caliper bracket causing the caliper piston to bend the pad upon apply), or just shit quality parts. Why did yours fail?
Click to expand...

I recently had a pad mostly failed when I was doing a regular brake service (was holding on just enough that it didn't all fall apart)...centric pads, only a couple years old, not entirely rusted to shit, rear brakes on an old rav4 (e.g. not abused at all). Shit does happen, had to go get new pads and rotors for the entire rear.
 
Happened once, 3rd gen ram 2500, front passenger pad delaminated at half life. Rotor ruined by the time i got it home. EBC pads.
 
hyundai rear pads did this in like 2014?
of course all the loaners at work needed that shit done eventually
usually only happens up here when rust jacks the lining off the backing plate
Paragon said:
and I spent a fucking hour on the Mercedes because I could not get the caliper piston to retract. Come to find out those fuckers have an electric parking brake thing that you have to go into some secret coding in the car to get it to release the pads.:
Click to expand...

notice how there's only two wires going to the motor
there ain't no sensing or stepper shit built into that, they just apply power either for a set time, or until the current ramps up from the motor stalling out
meaning: just unbolt the motor from the caliper and wind them back with a straight blade screwdriver jammed into the torx or hex that's in there
 
Happened to me. I bought cheap pads. The first and only time.
 
montrose818 said:
Real men engine brake. :flipoff2:
Click to expand...

I put a few days of machine time into a compression release brake for the TDI
then I realized I was about halfway to getting one cylinder working, with no easy way to do the outer cylinders and gave up
Still got all the pretty parts in a drawer somewhere
 
Lbhsbz said:
Been in the brake industry for 18 years. The only time I've seen pads delaminate from the backing plate is either severe overheating/abuse, rust (either creeping between the backing plate and friction material or locking the pad in the caliper bracket causing the caliper piston to bend the pad upon apply), or just shit quality parts. Why did yours fail?
Click to expand...

OE pads. Outside pads, so no piston issue. No overheating or abuse. It's a fucking 2008 F250 King Ranch farm truck that does very little heavy highway hauling and a 2014 Mercedes SUV. We live in the South with no mountains. Pretty hard to overheat.

So, the answer must be shitty quality OE parts.
 
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Maybe that snazzy e brake thing isn't retracting all the way causing an overheat issue? Just a thought. I've seen my share of pistons that won't go back in on their own. Or worse the rubber line with steel winding rusts and won't let the fluid/pressure back off.
 
Haven't seen that yet. The worst luck I've had with brakes was a set of new shoes for my Tacoma. Was about 6 months before I pulled it apart, Open the new box and 3/4 linings were glued on way crooked. $70 into the shitter and having to do an annoying brake job twice, lesson learned.
 
dave_dj1 said:
Maybe that snazzy e brake thing isn't retracting all the way causing an overheat issue? Just a thought. I've seen my share of pistons that won't go back in on their own. Or worse the rubber line with steel winding rusts and won't let the fluid/pressure back off.
Click to expand...

I think if it overheated it would be noticeable
 
[486 said:
;n94553]

I put a few days of machine time into a compression release brake for the TDI
then I realized I was about halfway to getting one cylinder working, with no easy way to do the outer cylinders and gave up
Still got all the pretty parts in a drawer somewhere
Click to expand...

pacbrake bro!
 
dave_dj1 said:
Maybe that snazzy e brake thing isn't retracting all the way causing an overheat issue? Just a thought. I've seen my share of pistons that won't go back in on their own. Or worse the rubber line with steel winding rusts and won't let the fluid/pressure back off.
Click to expand...

Yeppers; I had a rear brake line do just that. The hose was working like a leaky check valve; rear cylinders would apply but take forever to release. :smokin:
 
Oh, hell I forgot. When I lost the pad in the F250 I was about 200 miles from home dragging a tractor on my trailer when I noticed the noise. It didn't get worse and I figured I could make it, but I noticed the pad lost all of the friction material. I drove the truck to the school or somewhere the next day before I was going to go to Autozone and on the way back to the house less than a mile, I lost my brakes. I had to use the emergency brake. The pad got completely unseated.

The pistons came completely out and I lost all brake pressure and was about to blow a stop light when the Yield lane for the Right turn opened up. I nearly clipped the curb
 
Jraoffroad said:
It's called rust jacking. It's a big issue on truck brakes anymore.
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well if they didn't make them retard-huge they'd actually wear out in a reasonable amount of time
but nope, one '19 rear rotor needs to weigh as much as 4 of the front rotors for my '93, and those pads better be at least 10" long
 
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