ok, i painted my calipers and noticed my brake pads were shot. since this is my first time replacing them, i didn't know what pads to get as the car (1966 mustang fastback) already had the disc brake conversion. assuming the previous owner did the granada conversion, i purchased the pads for a 1975 ford granada. perfect match! but... i replaced the pads, and the caliper won't go back onto the rotor. the piston is compressed all the way in, and the inner pad now sits inside of part of the caliper, so no clearance problem there. but, the outer pad is seated flush as it should be, but now there is not enough room to fit it back onto the rotor. help!!!
brake pads too thick???
- Thread starter asiantony
- Start date
krash kendall
Active Member
How much of a clearance issue are you talking about? Are you sure the piston is all the way in? I often use a furniture C-clamp to press it home.
asian tony said:
Measure the pads from outside of backing plate to inside friction surface (total crossection). The outer pad on a new bendix pad is 0.56" thick and the inner is 0.58". I'm guessing they are supposed to be the same +/- a little.
I would guess that you don't have the piston pressed in enough.
asian tony said:
There's an old engineering principle call KISS. It means "Keep It Simple Stupid". In essence, this means the simple solutions are usually the correct solutions.
Have you tried putting a clamp on the piston to compress it some more? Don't be shy about it, the piston will compress nearly flush with the caliper cylinder.
thanks for the KISS, lol. as i've stated before, the piston is COMPLETELY compressed. the inner pad now sits inside of the caliper cylinder. so, the caliper sticks out farther than the inner brake pad. anyone with other ideas? i am about to take the pad to get machined down so it will fit, even though it goes against the whole point of replacing pads.
How did you remove the caliper? Is sounds like you removed the two bolts holding the caliper bracket to the spindle and not the single small (sometimes allen head) bolt the holds the key and wedge in place. If you've removed the bolts then the caliper bracket is still attached to the caliper and the pads will not fit over the top of the rotor no matter what you do. Bolt it back in place and remove the small bolt, use a punch or old screwdriver and push the wedge out, the caliper will lift off the bracket and the pads will fit correctly.
I worked in parts store years ago and had a customer return with pads I had sold him earlier the same day. He told me the pads were too thick, after I tried to convince him the pads were correct, he bet me $50 that I was wrong. I followed him back to his house and installed the pads in a few minutes. I told him to keep the $50, he always asked for me when he returned to the store for more parts after that.
I worked in parts store years ago and had a customer return with pads I had sold him earlier the same day. He told me the pads were too thick, after I tried to convince him the pads were correct, he bet me $50 that I was wrong. I followed him back to his house and installed the pads in a few minutes. I told him to keep the $50, he always asked for me when he returned to the store for more parts after that.
reenmachine
20+ Year Stangneter 
This is very likely the problem. A floating-type caliper not only needs to have the piston pushed back in, but also the sliding outboard half slid back out to the nominal position. The caliper spreads open. Not doing this would make the pads seem too thick.mustangdave said:
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