brake pad metal holder thing

[Dillinger]

still going through replacing the brakes, a couple of my calipers are a tad rusty so when you put the pads in the twangy metal pad holders, its a -really- tight fit. i'd have thought there should be a bit of free play but when they are in its almost seized solid. once the brakes are used i dont think they'll come back off the discs..
i tried a dab of copper grease on the pad tabs which helped a bit but not a lot.

if i put the pads in without the clip on metal guide, its a lot easier for them to move back and forth. so, is the thin metal holder essential? can i get away without not having it there?

(edit), its the 'pad support plate' according to the TSRM. the other bits (anti squeal plate, wear indicator) had been removed a long time ago)

[black 86 supra]

I dunno mate, tbh the way i look at it, if something is there, it is there for a reason however, on other cars I have left the clip out with no problems

so a:) maybe someone else has something to say and b:) its upto you,


p.s I will not be held responsible for any hopitilisation events :)

[Lofty]

Mine are minus most of the anti-squeel shims and springs. I do intend to get around to replacing them sometime though. Can you post up an EPC link so that we can see which bits you are talking about?

[Dillinger]

these little chaps:

http://www.roger-bacon.co.uk/temp/padthings.jpg

not sure what purpose they are supposed to serve...
makes putting the caliper back on easier i guess as it stops them falling out, but once the caliper is on it holds them in place so i cant really see them point in them.

[Lofty]

I don't think I still have them on my car. Just make sure that there is no way for the pad to come out of it's grooves when moving side to side. Like Ben said, it's there for a reason.

[Bionic]

[QUOTE=Dillinger]these little chaps:

http://www.roger-bacon.co.uk/temp/padthings.jpg

Anti-rattle springs. what happens is the caliper carrier rusts and swells pushing them onto the pad which restricts movement of the pads if you clean up the carrier it will solve the problem I use a file to get back to clean metal and then a smear of copper grease

[Dillinger]

Anti-rattle springs. what happens is the caliper carrier rusts and swells pushing them onto the pad which restricts movement of the pads if you clean up the carrier it will solve the problem I use a file to get back to clean metal and then a smear of copper grease

thats very much what i suspected, the rust expanding and 'pinching' the pad tabs more than it should do. when i took the second rear caliper off the torque plate thing came out as one single unit, pads gripped so tight i had to use the trusty mallet to free them!
now im no scientist, but i'll bet that either my rear pads have been almost permanently on, or doing very very little... they just wouldnt budge.

good idea on filing the caliper back, i'll give that a try. its obviously preferable to have these things on, i just couldnt work out what the point of it was. ;)
failing that, i still might try it without them. rattling shouldnt be too hard to deal with. my front pads will probably be wailing like banshees at every set of lights anyway so a little more noise wont make much of a difference. :)

[Bionic]

, i still might try it without them. rattling shouldnt be too hard to deal with. my front pads will probably be wailing like banshees at every set of lights anyway so a little more noise wont make much of a difference. :)[/QUOTE]

its more of a clicking just as you apply the brakes

[Trevor]

good idea on filing the caliper back, i'll give that a try.
It's due to a build up of pad dust and general rust and crap. No need to file, just scrape with a screwdriver and brush with an old toothbrush.