Preventive Maintenance Proves its Worth
It was time to do the bi-annual brake maintenance on the ol 95 Bounder F53. Which includes cleaning and re-lubing the caliper mounting system and brake fluid flush. The calipers were still floating ...
Forum Discussion
wolfe10 wrote:coolmom42 wrote:
Glad you checked that!
Just out of curiosity---why would the one brake pad be so much more worn than the others? Is that something to be concerned about?
This is common with FLOATING calipers-- you have one "lazy" pad and one with the piston. If the caliper slides are not kept clean and lubed, the lazy side can continue to ride on the disk.
This can not happen with 4 piston calipers, where both pads are activated by pistons (no lazy side).
As you noted by reading my post, "lazy pad" was NOT the issue with my brakes. I will admit that Ford's system on 88-97 F53s was lacking and need more maintenance than other brands.
I was in on the ground floor of disk brakes on American Automobiles and can guarantee you that uneven pad wear was a factor on 4 piston fixed caliper disk brakes. When one piston gets tight "lazy piston" in its bore, and they do, you have uneven pad wear. Just ask any Corvette owner with Chevy's first application of 4 piston fixed caliper disk brakes.
Both systems have their failings, with the 4 or more piston system being more expensive to install and maintain.
Richard
