Pad fell out?

[jasonojordan]

So good news and confusing news. caliper bolts and pad holder bolts are all tight. Slide Pins all move free. Caliper piston moves free no leaking. Also all pads are at damn near 3/4 life....Sooo wtf chuck?

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by jasonojordan

So anyone else ever have this happen??

No, but I do know that some people will steal anything anymore ......

Seriously, I'll summon @Ultramaroon ....... he is good with figuring out weird happenings with automobiles ........


humfrz

[dowroa]

I don't think it is an answerable question, but did the pad break or was the pad dragging and just got worn through? I don't see how it would with the steel backing plate... that's all I got.

[Ultramaroon]

I don't see any photos.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

I don't see any photos.

Heck, if there were pictures, I've could have figured out ......

How is he going to take a picture of something that isn't there anymore ......





humfrz

[Spuds]

We're the clips still there? My best guess is if the clip wasn't seated properly, or broke, or was the wrong size, etc. it could have failed or fallen out, taking the pad with it.

[dowroa]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Heck, if there were pictures, I've could have figured out ......

How is he going to take a picture of something that isn't there anymore ......





humfrz

I think the point originally being made is that the original photo is now non-viewable.

[jasonojordan]

Here is the one pad that was remaining. It is worn a little funny but I think that is likely due to the 10 blocks or so I had to drive to get to a safe spot for the tow truck.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8DVHUieY8CxW2WiV2

I took everything apart last night. 2 bolts holding the caliper to the slide pins were tight
2 bolts holding the bracket to the hub were tight. Piston in the caliper moves freely
Slide pins move freely. All pads on each corner were around 3/4 life left. My original guess that they were getting low was wrong. My original guess was just looking at the spacing without actually removing the caliper and checking the pads so now I know that just a visual wont give you any indication of pad life.

Here is the original photo of what I saw on the side of the road after hearing the loud pop.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/LfuGUedYCfEZkV963

Let me know if the links don't work and I will try a different photo hosting site.

[JoeC]

Originally Posted by Spuds

We're the clips still there? My best guess is if the clip wasn't seated properly, or broke, or was the wrong size, etc. it could have failed or fallen out, taking the pad with it.

What clips are you referring to?

[jasonojordan]

Originally Posted by JoeC

What clips are you referring to?

I am assuming he is talking about the clips that hold the front pads in on the bracket. They are still there.

[dowroa]

hmmm... from all the Googling I did, the most common is that you wear away all the material. If there is enough knockback, the backing plate can slide between the caliper and the brake disc falling out. I am assuming you would hear this, as it should be loud.

Another way would be if the pad delaminated with the same failure scenario.

Also, I guess if the clips on the end are not holding the pad in place and there is enough knock back, the worn pad could fall out, as above.

Does the pad that remains fit snugly in the outside of the caliper or loosely?

Did you notice anything from around the time you lost the pad? Do you know when you lost the pad?

Has any work been done recently where it would have been possible that someone just forgot to put them in?

You got anything else, @Ultramaroon?

Most of the searching I saw was from worn or failed parts but it is a common enough failure scenario.

In the short term, I would just go to NAPA/O'Rielys/AutoZone/Advance and get some stock OEM pads. Put two new ones in there and see what happens (keep note to keep looking). Take some left/right corners and then hit the brakes. See if there there is a feeling of knockback. Inspect the caliper and piston movement before to place in.

Try to determine if it was isolated (wear), a caliper failure, or a bearing/hub failure. Go from there.

[jasonojordan]

All of the pads still on the car including the pad on the opposite side of the pad were at 3/4 of their life.

Pads had been installed no other work done in that area for nearly 3 years 30k miles

Pads fit snuggly when installed originally. Will check when I install the new rear pads on Friday that this is still the case.

I was starting to brake coming up to a stop sign when I heard a loud pop and the brake pedal when to the floor. There was a pile of traffic behind me so did not stop at that exact spot to look for the pad check the issue. I rolled up to the intersection and made the turn as normal and proceeded to just carefully drive it back to my work that was a few blocks away.

I have a new set of hawk hp+ rear pads on the way to match with the fronts I still currently have. I am bringing my caliper home from work to measure all the rear brake parts and compare things from the other side of the car to make sure nothing is out of tolerance/broken.

What makes this so baffling is none of the brake components are worn down much at all.

Current general consensus from myself and a few other car buddies is we think the pad likely delaminated.

Leading up to it happening I was hearing at low speeds off and of when I would apply the brakes a click sound like maybe the pad was not maintaining contact with the rotor as it should. This is the only indicator I had of there being an issue.

[dowroa]

I personally hear clicking all the time from my pads in floating caliper design just moving back and forth in the clip.

If you return back to that intersection, if safe, I am pretty sure you will find some if not all of your brake pad there.

I don't disagree with your assumption, but I don't have enough hard data to move to a conclusion.

Glad you are safe/OK, and it is a good time to keep some brake pads and a spreader in the rear.

Else, good time to upgrade rear calipers to a fixed monoblock

[jasonojordan]

Originally Posted by dowroa

I personally hear clicking all the time from my pads in floating caliper design just moving back and forth in the clip.

If you return back to that intersection, if safe, I am pretty sure you will find some if not all of your brake pad there.

I don't disagree with your assumption, but I don't have enough hard data to move to a conclusion.

Glad you are safe/OK, and it is a good time to keep some brake pads and a spreader in the rear.

Else, good time to upgrade rear calipers to a fixed monoblock

Hahah yea the area where it happened is super busy for the foreseeable future due to its a detour route but I may take a drive through there one day this week and see if its laying there. City of minneapolis does a pretty good job of cleaning up trash though so I don't have high hopes.