Front brake pads uneven wear

[Flamewinger]

Anyone else getting uneven wear on front pads? They should provide the same brake energy right? The 2018 RT has just over 14k miles. Thanks

Left
180256

Right
180257

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Anyone else getting uneven wear on front pads? They should provide the same brake energy right? The 2018 RT has just over 14k miles. Thanks

Left
180256

Right
180257

I've changed the pads on lots of veh's including Spyders over the past few decades and all of them had at least some un-even wear. The calipers are prone to accumulate dirt / debris etc., plus it's almost impossible for them to apply equal pressure on both sides. I have seen some that were really un-even ..... Good luck ..... Mike :thumbup:

[PinkRosePetal]

You'll need to service the calipers when you replace the brake pads. After cleaning the pistons, pump them outward using the brake pedal and press them home, do this a number of times to exercise them. Don't accidentally pump them right out! They get a little bit of stiction which prevents them returning to release the pad pressure. Also, your brakes look very dry, be sure to lube the sliding surfaces of the pads in the caliper and also lube the pad retaining pins.

It is normal to have slightly more wear on the caliper bolt mounting side because the other side is largely unsupported so is just a little more flexed in operation.

[Freddy]

It is normal to have slightly more wear on the caliper bolt mounting side because the other side is largely unsupported so is just a little more flexed in operation.

True - but not THAT much.


FW, is that pads on the one wheel, or left and right - just to be clear?

[BajaRon]

You'll need to service the calipers when you replace the brake pads. After cleaning the pistons, pump them outward using the brake pedal and press them home, do this a number of times to exercise them. Don't accidentally pump them right out! They get a little bit of stiction which prevents them returning to release the pad pressure. Also, your brakes look very dry, be sure to lube the sliding surfaces of the pads in the caliper and also lube the pad retaining pins.

It is normal to have slightly more wear on the caliper bolt mounting side because the other side is largely unsupported so is just a little more flexed in operation.

Good advise!:thumbup:

[Flamewinger]

True - but not THAT much.


FW, is that pads on the one wheel, or left and right - just to be clear?

The one image is the left caliper, the other is the right. Neither shows the backside. If this was on one caliper then it would need cleaning, but its uneven wear on both front's.

[Freddy]

The one image is the left caliper, the other is the right. Neither shows the backside. If this was on one caliper then it would need cleaning, but its uneven wear on both front's.

WOW!!! With that much uneven wear wasn't it pulling to one side when braking? Yes, it certainly was/is!!! That's is far from normal and should be examined by a dealer as a warranty issue. They may try the 'brake wear isn't warranty' line on you but don't take No for an answer as it's a SAFETY issue.

[bushrat]

FWIW... there have been several reported instances of caliper failure on one front wheel or the other, causing sudden and dangerous, extremely sharp pulling to the stronger side. I know; I was one of them. My left front failed; the strong right side pull nearly twice put me in a ditch. It was NOT a matter of pad wear, or rotor issues (as some suggested), but actual caliper weakness or failure. The solution eventually chosen by BRP was to replace the weak caliper with new, and also install new pads all the way around (both sides), so as to maintain even wear and equal performance. Fortunately, my case happened just a month or so before my full warranty expired, so cost to me was nil. There was no argument or hesitation on the part of BRP, and my dealer (service manager) was on top of it all the way. He insisted the bike would not leave the shop until absolutely safe, and he personally did the test rides to make sure. Been fine since. All too often, many techs will simply look at pads and rotors when doing a service, but not look closely enough at calipers. There is good advice above about making sure your calipers are functioning smoothly and completely; without them, the pads and rotors can't do much by themselves. Hope you get your problem resolved. Perhaps it's a warranty matter???

[carbonation]

I thought the brakes on the 19 I purchased would be better than the 12 I traded in.
I'm finding out quickly it simply isn't true. They should be. Brembo is a regarded name.
I have 1700 miles on mine. The brakes squeak on application. The pads are not wearing evenly, even at this early stage.
I've removed the pads, cleaned, filed the leading edge into a bevel, coated the backs with bubblegum colored goo.
I did notice that the pads are not genuine Brembo, there is no Brembo logo on them.
My next attempt will be genuine Brembo pads.
I'd like to see slotted rather than drilled rotors for more surface area while still allowing gas to escape.
Hey CanAm, are you listening? There is a consistent theme of disappointment here.

[campermac]

you will get uneven wear especially if you tend to brake in turns and the side that is wearing more is typically the side on the inside of the turn. At least that is what my dealer told me when I burned up a set on the tail of the dragon 2 years ago.

[Freddy]

That's so very odd as the inside wheel has least weight on it in a turn, therefore more susceptable to lockup were it not for ABS/VSS backing off the pressure. :riding: :pray:

[Flamewinger]

I checked the rear pads and they are maybe half worn. I thought the rears wear out twice as fast as the fronts. The front left and rear pads are about the same compared to the right pads. I’ll be taking it to dealer to see what they think.

This is a pic of the rear caliper showing the pads. 180598

Front right 180599
Front left. 180600

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I checked the rear pads and they are maybe half worn. I thought the rears wear out twice as fast as the fronts. The front left and rear pads are about the same compared to the right pads. I’ll be taking it to dealer to see what they think.

This is a pic of the rear caliper showing the pads. 180598

Front right 180599
Front left. 180600

I'm betting they tell you " it needs to be re-placed ...... on the whole " brake pad wear thing " what it looks like is not very good way of judging .... I'm pretty sure Ron has said the Pads are 4mm when new ..... my 14 RT pads went a little over 30,000 mi. before I changed them, AND they were nearly worn to the metal on one side .... my fronts went 44,000 + and weren't as worn but I had new pads and they were already dis-assembled .... could have got at least another 4,000 mi. but time is money so they got changed ...... The new EBC pads don't have the WEAR lines in them .... so I added some with a very small diameter router bit ( in my router ) which will make a cut to an EXACT / uniform depth. I set the depth to 3.5mm .... I also added a short cut in the rear edge of the pad so I can see it without taking the brakes apart ...... Mike :thumbup:

[KX5062]

It looks to me that one of the calipers is sticking a little bit. Not enough to be obvious from the pilot's seat, but enough to cause excessive wear. Like was said above by Pink, a good clean up and lubrication of key points should solve the problem. Not guaranteed to solve it, but it should, which should also mean not a warranty item.

[carbonation]

Diving into the brake pad thing a bit deeper, I've found out that the Brembo caliper is an off the shelf item, and is used on a few other motorcycles. BMW, Ducati, others. There are a bunch of options for pads and materials. Yes I know, BajaRon, EBC, Fully Sintered.... For those of you that can, those are great.
Others looking to get a wider option of organic, semi-met, full on race pads, look for pads for a 16 BMW R1200R. The BMW pads are Brembo's.
DBX, Niche, AHL, a bunch of manufacturers offering pads. I see organics as low as 10 a side, full on Brembo race pads about 120 a side.
Maybe you want to ride, aren't in a position to shell out a Benjamin. There are options.
Organics life is shortest, but kind to rotors. Semi-Met is organic with metals added for longer life, a little more bite. Full Sintered will last longest,at the expense of the rotor, but will stop better, with less fade when hot.
You choose. Again, I'm not saying you should cheap out on everything or anything. You need to decide what fits you, your wallet, and your riding.
Niche... https://www.amazon.com/R1200GS-R1200RS-XDiavel-Hypermotard-Semi-Metallic/dp/B07Z1QGRJH/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=34118548028&qid=1587572225&s=automotive&sr=1-4