Front brake pad issues

So i have a 2002 pt cruiser with 75000 miles. I did a front brake job about 2 years ago so maybe 16000 miles ago. At that time i installed new rotors and pads. Lubricated the caliper pins and put new shims between pads and bracket. About a month ago the brakes started pulsating a bit when putting a little pressure on the pedal but through the stop they felt okay and quiet. Fast forward to this morning i got in and by god they sounded terrible worst grinding i have ever heard. Son took the car last night and it was grinding a bit but not to bad. Anyways took it apart tonight and this is what i found. I have done a lot of front brakes and have never seen this. Passenger side the outer pad was still about 3/8" thick. The inner pad the pad material was completly gone and the metal backing plate was contacting the rotor totally. First question, why would it wear like this. The driver side pads are thick however the are angled lengthwise. Top of pad was about 3/8" but the bottom was like 1/4" . I did notice on the caliper the bottom pin was not moving freely like the top one that pushes in and pops back out. This one was stuck. I pulled it out and greased it good so it moves freely now. So would this cause the uneveness issue. I installed new pads and rotors and all seem fine and the brakes feel great agian. Also i notice on each caliper there is a zerk grease fitting. I have had the car for 15 years and have never greased then nor knew you had to. I am wondering if the caliper could be sticking and i need to grease them. If so what type of grease to use. Thx

 

Yep. That little pin has to move freely. That will cause the issues you described. If all those pins move freely now, I'll bet your problem is solved.

 

Worn out inner pad is direct indication of sticky caliper.
I bet, rotor is also blue in color.
I spoke.

 

If it is sticking caliper would applying grease to the zerks help. I am assuming if they have grease fittings they should be greased regularily

 

I've never seen a grease fitting on a caliper but then I've never worked on a Chrysler product.

Your condition sure indicates that the caliper was frozen, thus the brake pressure was being applied to only one side thus the uneven pad wear!

 

That is not a zerk fitting that is a bleed screw. Piston in caliper or brake hose is sticking or bad. Hose will collapse in side and hold piston in. Or piston will stick in caliper and wear inner pad.
Way to check is jack up wheel try to turn by hand. If hard to turn crack bleed screw and see if wheel will loosen up. If wheel loosens than hose is bad but if stays stuck than caliper piston is sticking.

 

I didn't realize there was a way to check for collapsed brake hose, I always just guessed thanks

 

40 years of wrench turning showed me how to.

 

Could it be that the "Zerk" Grease Fitting on the Caliper that he's speaking of is actually the Bleeder Valve ?

The pins don't really move; the caliper body is what moves, sliding in and out on those pins. At any rate, the Caliper Pins get lubricated with tiny amounts a special silicone grease (not via a grease gun) intended for automotive brakes; like this:


What did you lubricate those Caliper Slider Pins with last time you rebuilt the brakes?

 

stuck or frozen pins also cause the brake pad on the piston side to wear out also just do to the the caliper not being able to float so more than likely your problem is fixed if you didn't find a frozen pin then you would likely be looking at a caliper or hose issue as a couple mentioned.
might also add might want to check the pins more often, and lubricate them if needed if it has rubber boots around them if there damaged they may be more prone to freezing up due to losing grease and being more open to the elements.

 

Even though I have a smattering of engineering education in automotive and aeronautical sciences, most of what I know is only conceptual and from limited hands on experience.

I recently (5 or 10 years ago) began taking more of an interest in preventative maintenance on my own car and discovered that my trust in others had been misplaced when I discovered that the "caps" on those rubber boots had not been replaced by others who had been paid good money (my money) to perform these functions. Left in that condition, all the boots did was serve to gather up grit to grind away at the pins, and cause the calipers to get stuck in one position. I have to temper my anger when I can't direct it at the single individual(s) who are this careless (who couldn't care less) !

In Viet Nam, I drove a 1937 Willys Jeep (with the amphibious intake and exhaust snorkels) that had the benefit of routine preventative maintenance for nearly 30 prior years, and still ran like a top . . . . people don't expect equipment to last that long now, or to remember who was responsible for the caretaking.

 

"That is not a zerk fitting that is a bleed screw."

THIS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Your slider(s) bound up due to lack of lubrication.
Each time I rotate the tires I remove & lube the pins with Sil-Glyde.