So, I know theres a million rear brake threads, but now theres a million and one.

My car just hit 50k miles, and to celebrate the occasion the rear brakes went bad again. In the usual fashion, the driver's side inboard pad material was completely gone and the rotor severely scored while the outboard pad was still 8mm. Suprisingly to me the passenger side was also in rough shape this time. The inboard pad was down to only about 2-3mm but had also split in 2 pieces and separated from the backing plate. Meanwhile the passenger side outboard pad was about 7-8mm but had completely separated from the backing plate in one piece!

Before I had even taken anything apart I called GM customer service to let them know about the ongoing situation and see if something could be done although it is a wear item and the bumper to bumper warranty expired. I just don't want to keep throwing pads and rotors at the car and have the same thing keep happening. The dealer had already replaced the rear brakes twice, and I had replaced them once. Each time the dealer replaced them they lasted only 10,000 miles, when I did it they lasted 20k. Also, when I did them I inspected everything, slides/caliper pistons/bracket surface/e-brake cable adjustment...everything was in order. So, after speaking with GM customer service they started a claim and arranged for me to have the car diagnosed at my dealer at no cost.

I dealt directly with the service manager and explained the entire history. After a day of diagnosing he called and basically said it was weird as hell, they have never seen anything like it and it shouldnt be happening....but they couldnt find anything wrong that would cause it. He also spoke with an engineer for the car who informed him it is a common problem with these SS's, as we all know, but they have no fix for it.

So, I got my car back, with no answers yet again. This time I replaced the rears with R1 d/s rotors and Hawk HPS pads. We'll see what happens this time. On an unrelated note my fronts were also up for replacement, so they got R1 d/s rotors and replacement factory pads.

The main reason for making this thread was to show you guys what I found after disassembling the rear....it's was ridiculous! Also note that there was no warning, one day the rear just started grinding like crazy.

Drivers side rear:




Passenger's side rear:

 

i hate that ****, makes me want to sell my car.

our brakes suck picture thread? haha

 

Sounds good to me!

Im in the middle of replacing my fronts as I type this and guess what? Theyre fucked up too! The @5#$#% pad retaining pins are all frozen solid, no way there coming out. At this point Im going to cut them and hopefully punch out the remaining pieces (fingers crossed). Just on the computer to order some new ones...

 

It's the calipers. I haven't looked to see if the Saab rear calipers were different, and would fit. I need to do that. The calipers we have need to be recalled and replaced with a better design, but I'm not going to hold my breath. The piston doesn't retract correctly, for some reason. You basicially end up dragging the inner pad the entire time you're driving.

 

One thing that I tried that so far (8K miles) has seemed to work very well for me is to actually smooth out and grease the inner part of the caliper cage that the pads rest/slide in. I noticed that when I pulled the rear pads out they were pretty well stuck in the cage instead of moving freely in and out like they should be. So I took and slightly ground out the mildly rough surfaces of the cage and where the spring presses against the caliper itself with my die grinder using a 400grit pad followed by a green scotch bright pad to smooth it out, greased the surfaces and found that the pads then were able to slide like butta. So far the pads and rotors look great. Just an idea.

 

So, to add insult to injury it looks like I'm going to need new brembo's up front. The guide pins are so badly fused theyre not going to be coming out. I have the front passenger side caliper off now, cut the pins and still cant punch the head end (inner end) out. I'm trying to drill it but I have a feeling itll be too messed up to salvage.

Other than the motors these cars are shitboxes....

 

Out of fairness, it's not brembo's fault that gm never applied antisieze to the guide pins.

 

I agree, its definitely not. This is the worst Ive ever seen. Theyve literally become part of the caliper. I drilled one right down the center and it still wont budge at all. Ill never get it the right size again if I have to drill it all the way out. Im gonna have to get new calipers....what a joke!

 

Just found brand new calipers on Amazon for $190 each plus free shipping, best deal I could find. I cant believe what this brake job has ended up costing me!

 

Here's what mine looked like @ 11k miles.
I replaced them with HPS and stock rotors. I greased the slides and pad ears that sit in the cage. I'm at 37k now and still no problems. Ill admit I haven't inspected anything since 30k but no grinding or anything ill take a better look at them next week when I bring it out.


Are the stock rear pads fedorro pads? I kinda think the pads might be junk in addition to the slides not being greased.

 

My rear rotors look exactly like that. I noticed it today changing my shocks and struts. Not to mention that the e-brake wouldn't hold on the right rear.

 

ugh im about to change my front pads and rotors.. hope my retaining pins come out easily. wonder what it costs to have the dealership do it

 

r1's r the best man ull love them, but hope these last longer,

 

Pads and rotors wont fix a stuck or improperly adjusted caliper.

I've got over 50k miles on stock rotors and pads. No grooving or uneven wear. E brake works too.

 

my car has 38k miles and not one issue with rear brakes. I greased it once when I bought the car and never any problems

 

Caliper pistons and slide pins are all moving properly, nothing is sticking. E-brake cable is adjusted correctly. I checked all this the first time I replaced them (after the dealer replaced them twice), and I also checked it last week when I replaced them. The week prior when I had it back to the dealer for them to try to diagnose it, the service manager and top mechanic there also agreed everything appeared in working order and nothing was sticking or causing a dragging issue. They concluded that the wear was not normal, but there was no fixable cause they could find....

 

Living in harsh climates I wouldn't hold your breath unfortunately. Between the high heat from braking, and the harsh road conditions (moisture and salt) in New England, the heads of my pins literally fused inside the holes of the calipers and become part of them. Nothing I tried got them out, even drilling them, it was so badly fused you couldn't tell where the pin ended and the caliper began. I wish I had known when I bought the car brand new, I would have pulled the pins and put antiseize on them. Instead I spent $380 on new calipers....they'll be coming in today...

 

I wonder if the 08s dont have this issues cause I dont have any problems with my brakes either. A few of my LNF friends who own 09's+ complain about their breaks all the time.

 

I've had the same issues with my 08 ^^

 

no point i guess in saying again: rust, salt? service the brakes. Its a single piston slider, the inner pad wears more than the outer, as there is too much friction from the rusted pad ends in the slider. SAAB wear the same ANY single piston caliper needs service spring and fall dont use anti seize it kills rubber; try purple ceramic brake lube.

OP, The piston pins on your calipers can be removed with heat I do it all the time. Its less costly to put in new calipers like you are doing as your pistons are screwed prolly.So better off.

Brembo use copper anti seize on the pad bridge; the same product will work on the caliper pins and anti squeal shims.
Use Sonax wheel cleaner and wash the wheels/brakes in the winter regularly. This will wash out the debris and salt and neutralize some of the salt damage that is happening to your car's brakes.

The photos u posted of the rear pad backing plate also suggest not much brake heat and some degree of sitting not being driven. My .02 c.

 

I read one of your similar posts when i first bought my 09 tc about a year ago. And ever sense i have re lubed my rear sliders and tapped out the front brembo pins every oil change. And it has really saved me. Even after this Canadian winter with all the salt we had. My pins tapped out very easily and just two weeks ago i relubed them with fresh anti seize after cleaning them off with brake cleaner. I dont have any rear brake problems either. It was good advice from powell to take the
extra one hour to re lube front and rear to save a huge headache down the road.

 

What do you use to lube the rears? and what part of the caliper do you lube up? You suggest doing pins and lube the rears and that's it for continuous maintenance for these cars brakes?

 

Please read the thread.
PERMATEX ITEM #24125 PURPLE CERAMIC EXTREME BRAKE PARTS LUBE: REAR PINS AND PIN SLIDER RUBBERS.
COPPER OR SILVER ANTI SEIZE: PAD ENDS AND BACK OF BACKING PLATE FRONT AND REAR. FRONT CALIPER BRIDGE. FRONT CALIPER PINS.

WASHING WHEELS AND CALIPERS: SONAX WHEEL CLEANER.


GDS PLEASE

 

Mine is an early production... beginning of '08

 

Thanks for the input! I just want to make sure I'm clear, for the fronts, what are you referring to as the pad bridge? I just want to make sure I lubed everything in the right spot for the brembos because when I took the factory fronts apart after 50k the inner pads in both calipers were fused in place in the caliper... had to chisel and pry it away! I'm thinking maybe you are talking about the ends of the pads that ride along the inner part of the caliper? But Im not sure.

As far as sitting, the car very rarely sits as it is my DD and has been since I bought it new in 08. The Vette on the other hand sits more than it drives thanks to the damn New England weather! lol