02 1.6 Focus front pads weird?

No, they are very standard, their pads would only wear oddly if the discs are us

mrcheerful

No. It's a standard single piston sliding caliper design.

My guess is either someone hasn't fitted the caliper pins (unlikley) or the retaining clip has fallen off (likley). This will cant the caliper and cause a wedge shaped wear.

Funnily enough I've just going out to service mine. Email me the picture and I'll email you back a correctly setup one if you like.

Hmm., well I'm not sure how many miles it's done (I don't think a lot).

When she spoke to her local for dealer on the phone they said "they are made like that?"

The plot thickens (at one end anyway .)

All the best ..

T i m

In message , T i m writes

This was posted on the FFOC forum today:-

"Just been looking at the pads that Ford fitted yesterday, the pad only touches the disc at the inner part of it. The pad is also thicker in this area than the rest of it. Is that normal???"

That just means that the pads are tapered/chamfered off at each end when new, as they wear in the whole pad touches.

mrcheerful

Thanks for posting that Paul.

Mrcheerful, don't they do that to help precent 'squeel' etc? Mind you Paul said the pad was 'thicker' on one side (something the Ford dealer fold the owner of the Focus) ..?

All the best ..

T i m

Not the case though - it seems that the pad has been fitted incorrectly and is touching on the inner circumference of the swept area and not at the outer circumference.

The Focus pads are chamfered heavily top and bottom and both sides for about half their thickness and look very weird when you view them through the wheel spokes. The week after I fitted new Motorcraft ones from the Ford dealer I looked at them through the spokes and was convinced they were already knackered even though that clearly wasn't possible.

As they wear the surface area increases until they eventually reach full size. The only way to be sure what condition they are in is take the wheel off and have a proper look directly from the side or remove them from the caliper. It's a very quick job on the Focus. Just two allen bolts to remove the caliper and a screwdriver to flick the pad holding spring off.

-- Dave Baker - Puma Race Engines

Maybe they were second hand worn out pads? Tims pad though has been worn away at the outer edge (looking at the picture)

The pic of the one I have here suggests that the pad may not have had a chamfer (because there is what what looks like loads of 'meat' left on the pad and the side of which *looks* square (like a traditional pad).

Understood.

The only way to be sure what condition they are in is take the wheel

I've sent the pic to Chris n mrcheerful and both think something is wrong (anyone else want's a look drop me a line and or if anyone can put it on the web somewhere if you have the space / facility etc)?

I've Texted the owner of the Focus asking for some further pictures and I'll take another look. She also might drop by my mates garage next week for a second opinion.

All the best and thanks again to all ..

T i m

Why?

My Volvo got replacement pads / discs last week, the Ferodo pads were chamfered. I remember the previous EBC ones were not.

What's the reasoning? (other than saving material in the pad mould....)

Could it be if the pads are full thickness and non chamfered they might break away slightly on the trailing edge (till the pad wears down a bit and now the pads are made from cardboard rather than asbesdos)? Similar logic (if not function) as (on road) racing treaded tyres having only a little tread?

Also I assume a chamfer might aid assembly and have less chance of fouling any 'lips' worn on the disk?

Just guessing ..

All the best ..

T i m

Stops them grabbing and snatching at low speed. I've had Focus pads that have done this an a light chamfer on the leading edge sorts the problem out. The pads bed in before the chamfer is worn away and all's well after that.

The message from Chris Street contains these words:

It always amazes me that manufacturers will design a whole new braking system then they must have one that is known to work in the parts bin from previous similar models.

It's suprisingly non trivial, you want to keep the heat away from the hub bearings, yet still have a stiff disc that doesn't distort during a 300K rapid temperature change & minimise the weight & the cost.

It was somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Guy King saying something like:

Cheapness in many instances. Make the calipers, discs, pads of lighter, cheaper materials and shave a few pence of the cost of each item. Sure adds up when you're buying in a million components.

The message from DuncanWood contains these words:

Quite. So why do they keep reinventing the wheel?

FWIW you can register a free 30MB 'My Photos' site at Yahoo. Simple and easy to use, with access to all if you choose. Mike.

Cos every time you change the hub design or anything else in the vicinity then it all affects things. They keep reinventing the wheel cos driving something the size of a mondeo on 165/13s would be frightening.