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Hello Car Enthusiasts:

As you can see from the pics below the rear brake pads are not making full contact with the outer surface of the rotor on both sides of my rear brakes. However, when I crawl underneath the car to see the inner surface of the rotor it is nice and shiny - making full contact with the rotor.

I am wondering if I need new calipers or is there any adjustment that can be made on the caliper so the outer area starts making the contact as well just like the inner.

FYI, the pads are only about a year old and have a lot of life left on them so I don't believe it is the case of worn pads.

It looks as though your caliper slide pins are beginning to seize. The piston in the caliper applies pressure on the rear pad, and the allowable movement of the pins allows even distribution of the brake pressure.

The calipers do not need to be replaced, just serviced. If you do decide to do it yourself, make sure you use either a synthetic brake lubricant, or a silicon based grease/lubricant. Stay away from anti seize compounds or petroleum based grease.

If you're not doing the work yourself, take it to a shop and have them inspected, because that can be caused by one of two scenarios: either the brake slider pins are seized as Alex wrote above, or maybe the caliper piston is seized as well, which will require caliper replacement. Is this a Lexus ES or an IS300? Looks like rust got between the outer pad and disc too, so that disc is permanantly damaged and will need to be replaced. You should also replace the pads (again) because the inner pad will likely be more worn than the front.

I personally like to use a ceramic brake lubricant when I do my brakes, but most shops will have a silicone-based brand called Syl-Glide. If not, you could buy a tube from NAPA and bring it to the mechanic, and then ask for the rest back for your next brake service. Anti-seize compound application is acceptable for the brake pad tabs, but not the slider pins.

For all car owners, you should have your brakes serviced once a year to avoid something like this. Servicing doesn't necessary mean replacing parts, but what the mechanic does in a typical "brake service" is remove everything and grind all moving parts clean, and then apply fresh lubricant to avoid heat seizure, as well as displace heat better for longer caliper, pad and disc life. This is one service I recommend if a dealer is trying to upsell this to you. If your car is older than 3 years old, I recommend a brake fluid flush too.

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What is the difference between ignorance and apathy? I don't know and I don't care.

Thanks guys, going over to Sai Automotive to have a brake service done. Will report back if it was enough.

Good luck. If you plan to keep the car long-term, ask Vijay about a brake fluid change too; a good service to get done.

_________________
What is the difference between ignorance and apathy? I don't know and I don't care.