Brake pads aren't fitting into the caliper slots of my civic?

Question

I brought a pair of rotors and pads, the pads were wagers. This is for a 2003 Honda civic. I "believe" that these are the right pads. When I went to put the outward facing pad on it slid in there quite snug, no problems. But when I tried putting in the inner pad, it wouldn't go in. The shape and contours of it were right, just like the outer pad but It seemed to be just a little too big for the slot.

Has anyone dealt with this type of problem before? When I pulled out the bracket that holds in the caliper I sanded down the areas where the metal brackets are/shims were. I also lubed them.

Should I file down the top and bottom of the outer pad?

I've heard that if the pads aren't going in right and is forced this can lead to the caliper/brakes seizing up and then start smoking.

Thanks for any and all advice

Answer 1

This happens a lot. You are probably cocking the pads just a bit, or perhaps there are some burrs on the caliper slots.

A very few swipes with a bastard cut file on the pad tipsis acceptable, as well as tapping the pad into place with a small deadblow hammer.

Usually, once the pad is square against the rotor, the problem lessens considerably and is no longer an issue.

The slots should be clean and rust-free before you even start, as you mentioned you did the proper thing - I use a wire "toothbrush" rather than sandpaper, but clean is clean.

Best of luck!