Gearheads!!! Car question.

[rkjunior303]

So, My Alero is eating OUTSIDE brakepads on the right front. In the past 6 months, I've replaced both front Hub assemblies, both calipers and brakes. Did the alignment, etc. YET, it's still eating right front OUTSIDE pads.

Any suggestions?

[DainBramage]

you checked for warped rotors right?

[BlackVCG]

Have you had the rotors turned?

Have you flushed the brake system? It's possible the proportioning valve has some junk in it and is sending less fluid to the front left than the front right.

[Lohman446]

Normal causes:
Calipers
Calipers not moving freely on the slide pins
Hoses possibly stuck

Id look at the slide pins, sounds like the calipers may not be moving well on them

[rkjunior303]

Have you had the rotors turned?

Have you flushed the brake system? It's possible the proportioning valve has some junk in it and is sending less fluid to the front left than the front right.


ive put in brand new rotors every time ive replaced the brakes.. every other pad is fine. The left side is night/day difference. Even the inside right pad is considerably more meat on it while the outside is grinding metal on metal

[Chris42050]

Yeah sounds like the slide pins on the caliper is not moving freely like Lohman said.

[Destructo6]

Sounds like it's binding to me, too. That assumes it is a floating caliper design.

[Lumberjack]

Check your front end alignment.

[GA Devil]

did you bleed the brakes when you changed them? Sounds like you may have a clogged line holding pressure against the pad there.

[PyRo]

Id look at the slide pins, sounds like the calipers may not be moving well on them

That's my guess.

When did you start having this problem? If it was after you replaced the calipers you just got a bad caliper take it back and get another one.

[rkjunior303]

It's been doing it since I got the car. I thought it might have been the wheel bearing, when the hub assembly went. So I replaced both in the front... I was still eating brakes up, so I went and replaced the calipers on the front thinking maybe the right one was frozen a little. Still no dice.. It's still eating the right front outside pad with the new caliper. I had to bleed the brakes when I replaced the calipers, so that's been done. After I replaced the bearings, I brought it down and got the front end aligned. It's just GM's standard ABS design. Same thing on the Malibus, Grand Am's, alero, etc.

[GA Devil]

still sounds like a line or possibly a master cylinder problem putting too much pressure on that side. Unles your axle shaft isnt sitting right pushing it out against that side of the caliper.

[Big'n slo]

Just searched "Alero brake problems"

You are not alone. Seems the Malibu, Alero and Grand Prix have some issues.

[cphilip]

Its possible that the Caliper assembly is not centering over the Rotor. There may be some spacer/washers missing in the install of the calipers that align them. Something thats always been missing. Perhaps a look see at the entire OEM parts diagram of that area will reveal the missing spacers?

[rkjunior303]

I'm just going to leave it as is for now.... I'm probably trading it in after the winter anyways. I need my WRX :)

[PyRo]

Its possible that the Caliper assembly is not centering over the Rotor. There may be some spacer/washers missing in the install of the calipers that align them. Something thats always been missing. Perhaps a look see at the entire OEM parts diagram of that area will reveal the missing spacers?

Well the other side is fine, and I would hope if their were spacers on one side and not the other it would bring up a "somthing isn't right here" when he was changing the calipers.

[rkjunior303]

yeah both sides are identical the caliper connects by two bolts. that screw into the little metal spacer or whatever with the rubber boot.