Lots of good advise here but let me add something to explain what actually happens during caliper application that explains why you get dissimilar wear.

When you apply the brakes, what causes them to unapply???? Its not the spring clips. They are there to keep the pads from rattling and to dampen vibrations...........

The answer is the resilience of the square cut piston rubber seal. When the brakes are pushed the seal FLEXES to allow the pad to come in contact. Overall the piston eventually slips through the seal(with pad wear) but not with each braking. During normal operation the seal flexes out with the pad and something like a rubber band it springs back pulling the piston back also, after the event. Over the years the seals get hard and the piston moves through the seal (eventually leaking) and in this case they aren't pulled back properly. This causes the pad to stay partially engaged with the disc and accelerates wear. Any dirt or corrosion that holds the piston of course causes the brake pads to stick also, but this is usually much worse than just differences in pad wear.

We charge an hour labor to rebuild a caliper. With rebuild kit this is much cheaper than rebuilts and I am sure of the quality.

PS: My father was an administrator for United Air Lines for 40 years before his retirement. He lets me (my shop) do all his work now, but during my childhood he did almost all his own car repairs. Some of my most memerable moments as a child were hanging around the one gas station that he would go to when things were beyond his capabilities.

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Steve Brotherton
Owner 24 bay BSC
Bosch Master, ASE master L1
26 years MB technician



[This message has been edited by stevebfl (edited 08-06-2000).]