Disk Brake Pads With Heat Cracking

SidecarFlip wrote:
Not all pads are created equal and not all calipers are either.

One thing to always keep in mind is that unlike drum brakes, where the retraction springs pull the shoes away from the drum, with all disc brakes, the only physical thing that provides clearance between the disc and the pad when you release pressure on the hydraulic system is the piston seal itself and the retraction clearance provided by the contraction of that seal is very minimal, much less than with drum/shoe brakes.

Consequently, it's imperative that the pads slide freely in the caliper bosses without any movement restriction and the pad ears, where they intersect the caliper boss are lubricated with a high temperature lubricant made specifically for disc brake application.

Having said that all pads are not created equal, I mean not the friction material but the stamping the material is mounted to. Stamped backing plates can be loose fitting or tight fitting and must always be checked and adjusted (filed or ground) for a slip fit.

That especially holds true for Ford trucks with twin piston Girling style calipers, because of the caliper / carrier design.

Being an EBC dealer, I run EBC HH Ceramic pads and Stop Tech drilled and slotted rotors but in reality most all are fine, I just don't like brake dust on my polished Alcoa wheels.

When an inner pad is shot but an outer is fine, that is a good indicator that the pads are not sliding in the caliper bosses and the inner pad will stay in contact with the rotor when the brakes are released. A lesser cause is the breakdown of the brake hose inner diameter and flakes of the material blocking the fluid flow. Keep in mind that when you apply pressure (to actuate the brakes), you apply a lot of hydraulic pressure. Upon release, the only pressure generated is the pressure from seal retraction and it's minimal.

My rule of thumb on flex brake hoses (chassis boss to caliper) is 10 years and change out. Besides at 10 years, the system should be flushed anyway. Brake fluid is hydroscopic, that is, it attracts moisture and that lowers the boiling pint and causes brake fade under high application pressure so 10 years is time for a flush, hoses and a refill (following your manufacturers recommended change / flush procedure).

Properly clearanced and operating pad sets don't wear uneven. There are underlying reasons for that uneven wear that need to be addressed. Just replacing pad sets does nothing for the root cause. just wears out another set of pads or eats up another rotor or both.

The video shows pad to pad springs that push the pads away from the rotor.

I don't think wear itself was an issue. 3 pads looked very even but heat cracked, 1 pad lost the entire pad material. I assume heat was in process to break apart all the material on all the pads just that the one gave way first.

Braking method in extreme conditions could be an issue. +1 for checking the rear brakes.

And with some FF I watched the whole video. Brakes are important.