Brake job question

borg
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Long Beach, CA US

Did the front brakes on my daughter's 2013 Silverado and noticed the same thing as last time. The pads on the drivers side were completely gone and passenger side showed about 40% wear. The calipers seem to be fine and the truck does not pull at all when braking. The only thing I can come up with is that the pads on the drivers side are dragging.

Any suggestions?

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VL13
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Eagle Nest, NM US
6/29/2024 11:22am

Proportioning valve? That’d be my guess.

Zycki11
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Edwardsville, IL US
6/29/2024 11:44am Edited Date/Time 6/29/2024 11:44am
borg wrote:
Did the front brakes on my daughter's 2013 Silverado and noticed the same thing as last time. The pads on the drivers side were completely gone...

Did the front brakes on my daughter's 2013 Silverado and noticed the same thing as last time. The pads on the drivers side were completely gone and passenger side showed about 40% wear. The calipers seem to be fine and the truck does not pull at all when braking. The only thing I can come up with is that the pads on the drivers side are dragging.

Any suggestions?

Either dragging or you simply have a stuck caliper. If she ever gets the rotor to start warping from the heat it will be a constant rough ride.  Replace the caliper, make sure the rotors are turned if not replaced, clean the hub off of debris and new pads.  Won't have a further issue

Nairb#70
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Ivoryton, CT US
6/29/2024 12:42pm

The drivers side front is the closest to the master cylinder and power booster, I've found they always wear first. Strange I know but true.Unsure

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Zycki11
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6/29/2024 1:49pm
Nairb#70 wrote:
The drivers side front is the closest to the master cylinder and power booster, I've found they always wear first. Strange I know but true.

The drivers side front is the closest to the master cylinder and power booster, I've found they always wear first. Strange I know but true.Unsure

If a brake booster fails you can hardly push in the pedal. Generally when they give they give all the way and it is an immediate aha moment 

The Shop

Spurdo
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FI
6/29/2024 2:33pm

Differences in wear left to right isnt unheard of. Dry, sticking caliper slide pins are the most common cause. Pull them out of the rubber dust boots, clean and grease them - reinstall, and it'll likely be fine. Any chance she is driving with her left foot resting on the brake pedal? In drivers E.D. they told me to only "gas and brake" with my right foot, but a HUGE part of the population drives with both feet on the pedals at all times. 

borg
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Long Beach, CA US
6/29/2024 3:32pm

I'm going to pull the slide pins and grease em. See what happens. Dragging is all I can figure. Everything else would cause it pull when braking and it doesn't at all.

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Jeremy A.K.
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North Tonawanda, NY US
6/29/2024 3:50pm Edited Date/Time 6/29/2024 3:56pm

Having owned a few chevys ,I can say their brakes have always sucked and my first thought would be sticking caliper pins. I had 2 chevys make it home with smoke coming out of the front wheel from a sticking caliper. I've been using that silicone based caliper pin grease with good results theblast few years now.

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PNWMXer
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Washington, WA US
6/29/2024 4:10pm

Another vote for sticking slide pins and/or caliper. 
 

Just went through this with my daughter’s Accord. It had “new” brakes before we bought it (quickie pads/rotors job apparently). When I switched her studded tires out for her spring-fall set, her right rear pads were almost down to the backing plate while the other three sets were 75% or better. Stuck caliper piston was the culprit. 
 

Im likely to start just replacing calipers as a rule when I do brakes from now on.

vet323
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Lead, SD US
6/29/2024 6:04pm
borg wrote:
I'm going to pull the slide pins and grease em. See what happens. Dragging is all I can figure. Everything else would cause it pull when...

I'm going to pull the slide pins and grease em. See what happens. Dragging is all I can figure. Everything else would cause it pull when braking and it doesn't at all.

Mechanic for a couple decades in my previous life. The pins will take care of it. Brake lubricant after cleaning them, you'll be fine.

Falcon
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Menifee, CA US
6/29/2024 6:06pm

My wife ruins her front left tire before the others are even halfway worn if I don't rotate them often. The same thing happens to her brake pads. Why? Because she drives too fast and comes in hot to every right-hand turn while on the brakes. I watch it, terrified, from the passenger seat all the time. The weight and braking forces are highest on that wheel when she drives like that.

Go for a drive with your daughter and see if she's doing the same thing.

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McG194
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Palm Coast, FL US
7/1/2024 9:58am Edited Date/Time 7/3/2024 5:51am

Going to sound crazy but I have seen this a bunch of times. I'm close to the Atlantic Ocean and we will have a customer with a stuck and dragging caliper and when we probe the customer they live in a condo at the ocean and park the same direction every time. Passenger side to the harsh salt air and next thing you know the pads are sticking and worn excessively on the side to the salt air. 

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FLmxer
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SouthWest, FL US
Fantasy
7/1/2024 11:46am

I just switched out a seized caliper on my daughters chrysler van she purchased recently for her aging pups. The brake pad change on it is the easiest there is. I have done many brakes over the years but I actually did a set one handed talking on the phone to family in just a few minutes and wish they were all like that. 

1934ca
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Wooster, OH US
7/1/2024 1:37pm

Flexible brake hose partially collapsed. Had the same issue on a truck. Replaced everything before I broke down and did the hose. 
 

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plowboy
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Norwich, KS US
7/2/2024 9:17am

Good answers here.  I'd also suggest a thorough bleed.  If there's some air in that driver's side it will expand with heat and cause the pads to drag.

1
Oldschool
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IL US
7/2/2024 9:05pm
1934ca wrote:

Flexible brake hose partially collapsed. Had the same issue on a truck. Replaced everything before I broke down and did the hose. 
 

FTW

Acts like a check valve...

People have brought this stuff into Trans shops on this one...

" Car feels like it wants to go but it can't " !?

( I'm guilty the first time around on this ) lol

tomm55x
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Erie, PA US
7/4/2024 3:22am

Just started making noise lol

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