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Last weekend I decided to paint my calipers and replace my brake pads. I bought the car used a couple years ago with 15k miles on it and now it has about 36k miles. When I took the pads off, I noticed all the inside pads on all four wheels looked like they were wearing funny. When I took off the rotors, I noticed the inside surface was wearing differently than the outside. If you look at the picture, the two rotors on the right show a very thin surface in which the brake pads were working. For comparison, the two rotors on the left are turned outside-up to show the normal wear. All four rotors had this thin "track" on the inside surface.
They never made any noise and they never felt funny when braking. But, I'm a little concerned since I was using only about half of the brake surface on the inside pads. What could have caused all of my rotors to wear like this? How can I prevent this from happening to my new pads?
It looks lıke a small rock or something got in to your brake pads and caused this. If you get new brake pads you will solve this issue. I had the same problem so i am changing my left rear brake pad.
When you get the new pads do a visual inspection to the rotors regularly and if you see a uneven wear you can solve the problem before it gets worse.
Originally Posted by drifttolga,Jul 9 2006, 01:40 PM
It looks lıke a small rock or something got in to your brake pads and caused this....
It's not like a groove (like that from a small rock). I'm talking about the entire surface where the brake pad meets the rotor. The outside surface of all four rotors wore cleanly--along the entire surface of the brake pads. The inside surfaces of the rotors only wore in a thin path--about half the total surface of the pads.
I'm assuming they are the original pads since I bought it with only 15k miles and they look just like the OEM pads I replaced them with. However, I can't be sure they were never boogered with before I bought it.
In any case, I got the rotors turned and replaced the pads with good, clean OEM pads
^probably not. What would you recommend? Should I change the brake fluid?
I recently had the 30k mile scheduled maintenance performed by the dealor--I don't know if they changed the brake fluid, but they at least topped it off because it was over filled and would have spilled everywhere if I hadn't sucked some out prior changing the brake pads.
It wouldnt hurt. Find a shop who can actually pressure bleed the system. Not just foot bleed. I bet your right about the dealership they probably just topped it off. Everyonce in awhile the fluid needs to be flushed. Because old fluid will not react as well and can act as if there was air in the system.
The stock brake calipers have one piston / caliper.
That piston pushes the inner pad against the rotor first, then the "sliding part of the caliper" slides towards the centre of the car and the outer pad starts to push against the rotor too.
Only then is when the brake feels hard and you are braking.
IMO "bad fluid" won't create a difference in contact wear as in the pictures.
It wont hurt to flush (if done properly )
If possible post a pic of the old pads.
Are there any serial / part numbers on them?
07-09-2006, 01:11 PM
strange rotor wear
If you look at the picture, the two rotors on the right show a very thin surface in which the brake pads were working. For comparison, the two rotors on the left are turned outside-up to show the normal wear. All four rotors had this thin "track" on the inside surface.
(if done properly 
)