Zephyr <davedejonge@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:bcc1ef88-6c2e-457e-9fdf-dcc6758851f0@a21g2000yqc.googlegroups.com:


>
> hmm, I'm rethinking it again, after re reading your bit about rust
> under the shims.. I know I had to pry off the the old pads with a
> screwdriver and they popped out of place pretty smartly after getting
> a bigger screwdriver... I gave lip service to cleaning under the
> shims with a screwdriver, and was able to place the new pads in by
> hand, but, it wasn't loose.
> I live in SE Michigan, on a dirt road where they put calcium chloride
> down in the summers... can't think of many worse places for steel
> brake parts to live...
>


"Lip service" doesn't help much. You have to clean ALL the rust off. Those
pads must be LOOSE.

Both pins, plus both pads, on each side, MUST be /perfectly free/ to move
in their positions. ANY stickiness will create uneven pad wear.

It's possible the hydraulic piston is sticking, but that would cause uneven
wear on that side (on BOTH pads) versus the pads on the other side. It's
even possible you have a combination of problems.

To easily check for a sticky piston, you can do one of three things:

1) Get an infrared thermometer for between $30 and $80. The sticky side
will be much hotter than the non-sticky side.
<http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/misc/infrared-thermometer.jpg>

2) After a drive, feel the wheel nuts with a fingertip. The sticky side
will be much hotter than the non-sticky side.

3) Elevate the end of the car with the suspected sticky piston. Remove both
road wheels, remove the calipers from the mount brackets and hang them
properly. Push the pistons back in all the way. Now step on the brake pedal
all the way to the floor about eight times. Is one piston ejected LESS than
the other? Then that piston is sticky.

Make sure there is sufficient fluid in the master cylinder that it doesn't
run dry when you do #3. And do not perform #3 if the brake fluid has not
been changed in five years or more.

By the way, I've been experiemnting with high-build zinc primer as the
anti-corrosion medium in place of grease between the slide shims and the
mount bracket. It's worked well, and I've been meaning to update the site
to show that.


--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/