Front brake pad install with wear sensor - Position?

[jeff in co]

Getting rid of the "yellow stuff" pads that were constantly blowing brake dust everywhere! Front wheels constantly needed cleaning...and now are squeaking at every stop!

I got some Wagner pads, turned the rotors and installed. The Wagners have a wear indicator on them and I'm not positive in it's direction for install.

They are mounted on the inside of each caliper, but should the indicator be installed "down"? So the rotor would hit the wear indicator before hitting the pad. Did I do it correctly?

 

[jeff in co]

Passenger side, front axle.

Wear indicator mounted down, leading.

 

[jeff in co]

Or wear indicator up, trailing.......as I'm driving forward.

Pads fit in either direction.....

 

[Justin V]

Wear indicator needs to hit first.

 

[Justin V]

Passenger side, front axle.

Wear indicator mounted down, leading.

View attachment 256392

This one is correct

 

[jeff in co]

Cool, thanks guys! Appreciate it.

 

[imiceman44]

Wear indicator needs to hit first.

I never thought it mattered.

 

[Justin V]

I never thought it mattered.

Trying to think of exactly how it was explained to me...

Something about how the squeaker it shaped, with it expanding the squeaker (squeaker behind the pad) the effectiveness is greatly reduced compared to trying to compress the squeaker (squeaker in front of pad).

Sound is just vibrations of air molecules, and when the metal is pulled open at the curved portion of the squeaker, it doesn't try to fight back near as hard as when the metal is trying to be forced closed, resulting in far less vibration of the metal, and therefore less vibration of the air surrounding the metal, and therefore far less sound.

 

[4X4HIGH]

It doesn't matter which direction they face, when the pads wear down to the wear indicator THEY WILL squeal.