Changing Only One Side Brake Pads - Nothing Could Go Wrong?

[zakmuh]

Hi Everyone,

My 2005 Pug 407SW rear nearside brake is binding - causing a rapid pad wearing (4mm left and on the other side 8mm left).

I need to sort out the caliper (or the hand brake cable or both?) and then change both sides pads. According to the theory, I should change the pads on both sides for equal braking.....

Now...why there is nothing wrong with current braking, no pulling to a side? So I can only change the worn one and leave the other as it is?

Please share your points

Many thanks

[zakmuh]

Thanks and thats what I will do regardless.

But as the matter of fact, having one side thicker pads to the other, I can't see how the braking would apply an uneven force? The hydraulic pressure pushes the pads till touches the disc- so the distance between the pad face to disc doesn't matter

Cheers

[zakmuh]

The master cylinder transfers the force to all 4 wheels through 4 pipes- equal brake fluid. So the reservoir give more fluid if required. Therefore the braking force applied equally.

This is my understanding but please do correct me, if I'm wrong

[zakmuh]

Hi,

I'm back with an experiment result:

I replaced the particular worn pad with a new one and did a 250-mile drive to London on M1. When it was safe on the straight stretch on the motorway, I applied braking firmly and took my hands off the steering wheel to check if the car gets pulled to one side - nope, it went on straight line without any side pulling.

I did a thorough research + watching brake system videos, I'm certain that regardless of pad thickness, when you depress the brake pedal, it puts equal force on all four discs. The reason being...we rewind the piston , replace pads and then pump brake until the pressure is reached. This takes 3 to 5 pumps.

Thanks for everyone for their advice. I will change all four pads for rear brake to keep them all in same thickness

Cheers

Edited by zakmuh on Tuesday 21st February 11:58

[zakmuh]

Lolz Ta for that Russell

I'm not a mechanical engineer, nor a brake system expert. Lots of people, including me, have been in a situation where one pad is worn and you gotta get to destination B within a limited time frame. In this moment you can't take it to the garage and replace all of them. The quickest one is just to change that single pad and then sort all them out later, professionally.