Look at these pads...

[Avery4jc]

I developed a squeak on the front of the truck last trip. It stopped when I drug the brakes and nothing was super hot so I just kept rolling.
Pulled it apart and found the top edge of the pads on the driver side are cracking off. Rotor looks great, no unusual wear marks.

When I jacked up the front end the passenger side tire spun a little more freely than the driver but not to the point it raised any concerns.

Any ideas? Pistons not retracting on this caliper? I'm thinking of just cleaning it all up really well and running it on the next trip to see what it does.

 

[Fordum]

Hard to tell from the pics, but is there a ridge right where the material is cracking off?

It looks like the part that is cracking is not hitting the rotor. If the pad is slightly larger than the rotor, then you either have the wrong pads somehow, or else they are made wrong.
If not, then if you do not see any sign of overheating, then I would tend to think defective pads.

 

[Avery4jc]

Yeah, there's a ridge.

 

[Fordum]

In that case, it really looks like part of the pad is hanging off the edge of the rotor. If so, then as the rest of the pad wears away, that strip is going to be unsupported and will tend to crumble.

Not sure why it is happening. Either the pads are not sitting in the frame right, the pad material is too large or is glued to the backing wrong, or else its just the wrong pads.
I'm not sure how much of a problem it is actually. As long as there is still the normal amount of surface area making contact with the rotor, it probably will not cause any trouble.
But I agree its not right.

 

[kgblazerfive]

Pad is bigger then the rotor or other way around.

 

[Avery4jc]

Yeah, I figured that. Just wasn't sure why and only on the driver side. It's a trail truck, I think I'm going to run it.

 

[kgblazerfive]

Yeah I wouldn't worry about it.

The noise is more then likely coming from the pad hitting the end of the rotor.

 

[Avery4jc]

You guys think I could grind a slight taper along the top where it's crumbling? I thought about it today but thought it might just make it worse and all come apart.

 

[kgblazerfive]

yup, you can do that put a bevel in it will help keep them quiet

 

[Avery4jc]

I'll give it a whirl and see how it goes next weekend. Between this and my never ending battle with a squealing power steering belt I'm about to lose it. ☺

 

[blazinzuk]

I have had the same issue. Worn out flap disc and beveled it like you were thinking problem solved.

Are you still on the stock accessories drive Avery? A summit power steering bracket cured my belt screaming woes

 

[Avery4jc]

I have had the same issue. Worn out flap disc and beveled it like you were thinking problem solved.

Are you still on the stock accessories drive Avery? A summit power steering bracket cured my belt screaming woes

Yeah, stock mount with a PSC pump. Swapped the stock pulley over.
I bought a few belts yesterday trying to get two on but ran out of time and ended up just putting a new one on from the crank straight to the pump.
I have an open groove from water pump to power steering pump to crank if I can get the length right.

 

[Big Ray]

yup, you can do that put a bevel in it will help keep them quiet

use care if you do this. try not to breath that crap...says the man with COPD who has never smoked. Period.

 

[Avery4jc]

use care if you do this. try not to breath that crap...says the man with COPD who has never smoked. Period.

Figured but thanks for the warning.

 

[Avery4jc]

Cleaned everything up and ground the top of the pads back and no more excessive dragging or squeaks.
I also figured out the right belt length combination to get an extra belt around the water pump/fan, crank, and power steering pump...no more squeaks.

 

[Blue85]

I have this same situation with my rear brakes because I'm using a variety of stock parts. the rotor is from the front of a 90's 4x4 1/2-ton and the calipers and pads are from the front of an 80's 4x4 1/2-ton. So the pad hangs over the edge of the rotor just a little and builds up that ridge over time. Every couple of years when I have it apart I grind that edge back and it seems to work fine.

The big question here is why you have this situation on one side and not the other. I have seen new rotors that seem to have a tapered outside edge and some that seem flat to the edge. Maybe the other rotor has been re-surfaced?