Finding random bits of vehicle in the road...

[Zad]

Over the years, I have found many many washers, nuts, bolts and general "stuff" in the road. But until yesterday, never one of these.




Yes, yes it is an almost-new brake pad. I found it at the bottom of a half mile long (and quite steep) hill through a residential estate. Just before the end of the road. No sign of any fresh collision, so I'm going to assume that the other brakes worked ok. Odd wear on the left hand side, which indicates it has been "not exactly working correctly" for some time. But other than that, it looks pretty new. My Google-fu tells me it might be off a Suzuki (car) but I guess it could be used in other vehicles. How did it break free from the caliper mounting? Maybe it was unused and the chamfer is part of the design?

How did they not know their brakes weren't working? I suppose it may be from the rears, which generally don't do much braking. So many questions, so many WTFs. That must really have caused some clenching...

These are the details on the back anyway. No massive amount of rubbing or deterioration from use.

[Decky_Q]

Those pads have a spring pin across the top to hold them into the caliper, common enough on japanese cars. Without the 2 tangs to hold them in that are usual I guess the spring failed or wasnt seated properly and out it pops. Probably wouldnt feel 1 pad missing but you will hear it!

[unsprung]

And... the Google Garage says it's Japanese:
https://www.avaruosad.ee/en/varuosad/product/Aisin...

[bimsb6]

Seen a load of brake pads on the motorway whilst waiting in queues , no idea why but i was near luton , (the home of driving like a day )

[Mr E]

I was in lane 3 of the m5 at a decent clip. Flashed past some debris near the central reservation. Thought “that looked like a relatively new Audi TT rear light cluster”

About 2 miles down the road was a parked Audi TT on the hard shoulder with a bloke looking at the gap where his light cluster should have been.

[BertBert]

Zad said:

That's not been used, It doesn't have any piston marks on it.

[Zad]

BertBert said:

That's not been used, It doesn't have any piston marks on it.

I thought it may be a possibility, but they do often have intermediate... things... (spreaders? shims?) between the pad and piston. The chamfer on one end kinda threw me too. I guess they are directional pairs. Maybe to stop squeal or aid in cooling / hot gas venting.

[Rough101]

I once retrieved an exhaust bracket from the road after it became clear that I hadn’t driven over something, and actually something had fell off. This was 3 days later.

It’s still reattached.

[brillomaster]

i've had a rear brake pad pop out whilst on a trackday a few years back. no idea how it happened, but it did.

mildly amusing limping into bedford with only 3 working brakes.

[legless]

My commute takes me up and down the M1, so it's not unusual to see bits of tyre carcass and even the occasional wheel that's made a bid for freedom.

Last week was a new one on me though. Nestled next to the central reservation was a wheel with hub and driveshaft still attached. I can only imagine that somebody had a really bad day.

[RazerSauber]

BertBert said:

Zad said:

That's not been used, It doesn't have any piston marks on it.

Definitely has a sort of A shape pointing to the topmost hole on the anti squeal surface above the text that's been left by some manner of retaining clip or spring rusting away. That has been fitted at some point. Probably fallen out early in life due to a crap job of fitting it.

Pad seems to be for a few generations of Civic among other cars.

[Jimjimhim]

It's more likely to have been dropped than to have fallen out. This doesn't make as good a story though.

[pills]

A few years ago came across an entire rear bumper in the third lane of the M1 near Wakefield.

[Otispunkmeyer]

Seen a whole headlight unit this morning, of a Fiesta I think. Just on the central reservation bit.