Breaks problem

[never_retreat]

So I had a noise in the front drivers side of the truck.
I pulled the tires off on Saturday to find the rotor all chewed up.
Went out and got 2 new ones. I only put the one on the drivers side because there was almost no wear on either of them.
I did new pads and rotors only a few months ago.
I sanded the brake pad down to smooth it out and reassembled. Drove the truck to day and it is grabby and sounds like crap. Any ideas?
Do I need it to break in a bit?

[Tallpine]

Did you brake your breaks      


Seriously, wtf caused the rotor to get "all chewed up" ?

Something else is wrong 

[never_retreat]

Did you brake your breaks      


Seriously, wtf caused the rotor to get "all chewed up" ?

Something else is wrong 

I think the rotor was just a Chinese pos. It came apart like the casting was bad. I was just missing chunks here and there from the smooth area. No round gouges cut in it like a stone or something was stuck.

[lupinus]

Odd.

Defective part, either rotor or the pad? Can't see it chewing up a rotor that quickly without something being seriously screwed up.

I'd have done both just to be on the safe side. Cheap insurance and all that. And I just have it to ingrained that you don't do brake work on one side and not match it on the other, I suppose.

[bedlamite]

wtf caused the rotor to get "all chewed up" ?

Honey Badger was gnawing on it. Honey Badger don't care.


Seriously, I'd try pads from a different source.

[grislyatoms]

I had an issue with my pickup one time where the left side caliper clamped down on the rotor and wouldn't let go. It's an old pickup. After fiddling around with it for a week or so, I took it to the brake guys around the corner. New caliper and lines. Haven't had any trouble since.
Also reminds me that I should check pads and shoes here soon.

[Brad Johnson]

Did you pull the caliper sliders and clean/grease them when you did the pads?  Sounds like you have a brake caliper not floating properly.

Also, sanded the rotors?  They shouldn't have needed sanding.  At all.  Ever.  If the finish was that bad you should have taken them back.  What they do require is a good dose of brake cleaner (or denatured alcohol) and some elbow grease to remove the factory-applied protectant.  Not doing so can cause real problems with break-in - glazed rotors, reduced brake effectiveness, grabbiness, etc.

Brad

[Nick1911]

Also, sanded the rotors?  They shouldn't have needed sanding.  At all.  Ever.  If the finish was that bad you should have taken them back.  What they do require is a good dose of brake cleaner (or denatured alcohol) and some elbow grease to remove the factory-applied protectant.  Not doing so can cause real problems with break-in - glazed rotors, reduced brake effectiveness, grabbiness, etc.

Yea, this.  I usually go through a can of brake parts cleaner per two new rotors.

[never_retreat]

Did you pull the caliper sliders and clean/grease them when you did the pads?  Sounds like you have a brake caliper not floating properly.

Also, sanded the rotors?  They shouldn't have needed sanding.  At all.  Ever.  If the finish was that bad you should have taken them back.  What they do require is a good dose of brake cleaner (or denatured alcohol) and some elbow grease to remove the factory-applied protectant.  Not doing so can cause real problems with break-in - glazed rotors, reduced brake effectiveness, grabbiness, etc.

Brad

Sliders are working fine. The brake job is not that old to start with.
I sanded the pads down before reassembly.
I did not clean the new rotor, it seemed clean to start with.

[charby]

Sliders are working fine. The brake job is not that old to start with.
I sanded the pads down before reassembly.
I did not clean the new rotor, it seemed clean to start with.

Why did you sand the pads? This is something I have never heard of doing before.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

i had a sticking caliper that lunched 3 sets of pads. i finally got it completely extended  cleaned it real good including a lil emory cloth on the exposed part  lubed it with that high temp grease before i pushed it back in for install.

[birdman]

You should never, and I mean NEVER "sand" rotors or pads (at least not with sandpaper or other non-sintered abrasive bearing material). It WILL embed particles into both, which will prematurely wear both.  Use an abrasive stone like a grinding block/wheel or better yet, a sharpening stone to remove deposits that can't be removed with solvents.

[zxcvbob]

Just clean the new pads and put 'em on.  The rough old rotors will surface them for you.  If the rotors are *really* bad, ceramic pads might be in order, so more of the wear will be on the rotors when they are wearing in.

Replace the rotors when they are warped.  Otherwise just leave them alone and replace the pads.
(says the guy who's brakes went totally out on one vehicle 6 months ago and still haven't been fixed.  But that was both front hoses or wheel cylinders that blew out, not bad pads or rotors)

[dogmush]

So I had a noise in the front drivers side of the truck.
I pulled the tires off on Saturday to find the rotor all chewed up.
Went out and got 2 new ones. I only put the one on the drivers side because there was almost no wear on either of them.
I did new pads and rotors only a few months ago.
I sanded the brake pad down to smooth it out and reassembled. Drove the truck to day and it is grabby and sounds like crap. Any ideas?
Do I need it to break in a bit?

You did what?!? 

Yeah I have an idea.  As birdman alluded to you contaminated the pads with crap from the abrasive, and probably lubricant from the rotors. (They are shipped with a protective film that needs to be removed before install)

You need at least one new rotor, and one side's worth of pads.  I really, really like to do brakes symmetrically but if the right side is only a month old and is still OK you might be able to let it ride.

as to the original problem, was the rotor chewed up on both sides or just one?  Does chewed up mean worn excessively the width of the pad or was it just grooved in a couple of places?

[never_retreat]

Yes I sanded the pad to clean them up, being that they are almost new. I did not want to fup the new rotor with a pad that had a slight groove.
I've done that in the past and not had a problem.

Since it rained all day here, I will drive it to work tomorrow and see how it does if not I will be doing breaks in the dark tomorrow night.

[Jamie B]

Yes I sanded the pad to clean them up, being that they are almost new. I did not want to fup the new rotor with a pad that had a slight groove.
I've done that in the past and not had a problem.

Since it rained all day here, I will drive it to work tomorrow and see how it does if not I will be doing breaks in the dark tomorrow night.

How would 'almost new' pads have a slight groove that needed to be sanded?

[never_retreat]

This is so dumb to even mention, but to save someone else I will say it.
Upon reassembly I Put one of the break pads in backwards.
Yes I said that right I put the steel side against the dam rotor.
I know how I did it also. I put the pad down at one point when one of the clips fell of and I had to put it back on.
Dumbass move 1,534,657,234

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

you are not the first person to do that

[Nick1911]

You know, I would laugh if I hadn't done stupider things myself.

*Shrugs*  stuff happens. 

[Tallpine]

This is so dumb to even mention, but to save someone else I will say it.
Upon reassembly I Put one of the break pads in backwards.
Yes I said that right I put the steel side against the dam rotor.
I know how I did it also. I put the pad down at one point when one of the clips fell of and I had to put it back on.
Dumbass move 1,534,657,234

Makes you want to brake down and cry