Brake pad question

[hdis2002]

First time jeep owner, so I'm not familiar with the nuances of working on jeeps. 1995 Cherokee that sat under a tree for a year. Obviously, I'm replacing a lot of stuff. Currently working on the front brakes. I've replaced the wheel hubs, rotors, got new calipers, pads, etc. I have installed the brake pads with the abutment clips and they fit really tight. As in, had to tap them in with a hammer, can't make them slide with my fingers. Is this how they are supposed to fit? I'm sure they will loosen up with time, but I'm concerned they will make contact with the rotor and not back off. Hate to burn up a new set of pads and mess up the rotor.

 

[ILLXJ]

Most of the time the tabs on the pads have paint on them. Either file it off or run them as is. They will be fine.

JIM.

 

[Unclewolverine]

The end clips are usually different thicknesses to let you adjust the amount of play. Ideally it will slide freely with no play. The clips are also only supposed to be placed on the bottom side of the pad.

 

[lawsoncl]

I don't think I've had a vehicle with clips only on one side. When I did my 2014 KL, besides wire wheeling the rust off the caliper, I had to lightly file the tabs on the pads so they'd go in smoothly. The old pads were really tight coming out too as they build up rust under the clips, and it was obvious the pads wore unevenly due to that.

 

[Unclewolverine]

I don't think I've had a vehicle with clips only on one side. When I did my 2014 KL, besides wire wheeling the rust off the caliper, I had to lightly file the tabs on the pads so they'd go in smoothly. The old pads were really tight coming out too as they build up rust under the clips, and it was obvious the pads wore unevenly due to that.

That's because you are working on modern vehicles with anti rattle clips. Xj pads originally didn't have any sort of clips, slap them on and go. Over time the hangers start to spread slightly and the pads working back and forth starts to wear a groove on the slider. The last few sets of pads I've bought started coming with those little clip style shims. Only one of them came with instructions as what I was to do with them. Like I said, the instructions told me bottom side only, take up the slack but make sure there is no binding.

 

[lawsoncl]

Ah, so the clips are really meant as shims versus fixing or preventing the grooves. Useful too I suppose, if you file down the bracket to clean up the grooves.

Some of the vehicles I've worked on had those clips, but they didn't have the springs to be anti-rattle, but rather meant to act as a harder wear surface than the soft cast metal of the bracket.

 

[Unclewolverine]

Ah, so the clips are really meant as shims versus fixing or preventing the grooves. Useful too I suppose, if you file down the bracket to clean up the grooves.

Some of the vehicles I've worked on had those clips, but they didn't have the springs to be anti-rattle, but rather meant to act as a harder wear surface than the soft cast metal of the bracket.

After 300k of postal miles my mounting surface had such a bad groove that the outside pad wouldn't even move any more. I'm seeing more and more threads of people having to weld them up and file them back down like I had too. It would be nice if someone came out with a kit that had slightly smaller pads and a hardened metal cover for the sliding surface.

 

[lawsoncl]

Pretty common since the caliber mount isn't the greatest steel. Rust and dirt act like a grinding compound over the years. I've certainly welded up my fair share over the years. The weld material is generally much stronger and wears better so it's a permanent fix.

 

[jeep ride]

I had a 99 Chrysler 300 with the same wear problem with the groove worn into the caliper mount slide just a bad design by Mopar.