BMW X1 pad replacement backwards?

[tommytaylor]

I helped a mate change the pads on his car a while ago and all has been fine since, however he recently took it for a service at the BMW dealers and they said the front pads were fitted backwards. Obviously he didn't mean with the metal side towards the disk as we would know by now so it must mean that the inner and outer pads are the wrong way round.

How can this be, I've changed countless pads over the years without any issues whatsoever and never come across pads that could be fitted wrong, I cant remember this specific job but doesn't one front pad have a spring clip that goes inside then piston like nearly all cars so its impossible to get them wrong.

[Higgs boson]

Odd.

As you say, how could the bit that fits in the caliper go anywhere else?!

[Smint]

Could the wear sensor (not sure what type this car would have) have been on technically the wrong side of the disc or at the top of the pad when it should have been at the bottom? if any of that makes sense.

[TwinKam]

They may mean 'on the wrong side of the car', so that the direction of rotation of the disc past the pad is incorrect. This matters if the shim on the rear of a pad has cutouts that allow an end to end bias of contact with the piston in order to reduce squeal.