Disc brake pad orientation

[LD1]

I have every intention of calling and getting an explination.

Because that retainer/squeaker retainer has the little tab from the hardware (antirattle) stuff that goes through it. Have never been changed on this car and they are on the TOP. So I "assume" that is the technically correct way they go. AND thats they way they are installed.

Been awhile (6 -8 months ago) since I did these pads and have done several since. So I didnt recall just what these were like until I took it apart yesterday.

I am used to their being NO little retainer thing, let alone it being part of the squeaker.

Just used to two tabs. And IF a retainer is present its part of the backing plate and no regard to orientation.

The fact that these pads have the retainer/squeaker that get sandwiched by the pad and caliper on the one side....maybe it makes a difference? But I dont forsee any issues even if wrong.

I am used to pads like these for my saturn That the only dilema is, squeaker on the inside or outside. But given the pads are identical, One will be on the top, one on the bottom if they are both put inside, or both outside. To keep both on top (or both squeakers on bottom) one will have to be on an inside one on an outside


And pads for the wifes truck make it easy. 4 identical pads, all 4 with squeakers

 

[LD1]

Found a good 1 min long video that shows what I am talking about with that retainer and squeaker and the little tab from the hardware clip

Nissan Altima Front Brake Pads and Rotor Replacement - YouTube

Still puzzled though. Because thats exactly how they are installed? So what made the dealer think they were upside down?

 

[The Fred]

What do you do for a living? Stick to it maybe work an extra job or shift to afford an experienced shop fix your brakes.

Once I hooked up my own gas dryer with a plastic vent hose, it worked great for 10 years but one day it quit and I called the service technician to fix it; he caught the plastic vent hose and replaced it with metal. He said it could have burned the house to the ground, wife, dogs, tractors and all. It was a good lesson learned.

I've been in the car fixing family business for 48 years, if you are asking brake questions on a tractor forum that same advice goes to everyone reading this thread.
If you aren't certain about correctly installing something so precious as a properly working brake system just have a professional do the work.

I am trying not to be dick about this.

Also TPMS sensors have about a 6-8 year lifespan, they are powered by a watch battery that is not replaceable. You'll find the price of new sensors has dropped substantially over the years.

Regards, Fred

 

[LD1]

What do you do for a living? Stick to it maybe work an extra job or shift to afford an experienced shop fix your brakes.

Once I hooked up my own gas dryer with a plastic vent hose, it worked great for 10 years but one day it quit and I called the service technician to fix it; he caught the plastic vent hose and replaced it with metal. He said it could have burned the house to the ground, wife, dogs, tractors and all. It was a good lesson learned.

I've been in the car fixing family business for 48 years, if you are asking brake questions on a tractor forum that same advice goes to everyone reading this thread.
If you aren't certain about correctly installing something so precious as a properly working brake system just have a professional do the work.

I am trying not to be dick about this.

Also TPMS sensors have about a 6-8 year lifespan, they are powered by a watch battery that is not replaceable. You'll find the price of new sensors has dropped substantially over the years.

Regards, Fred

I'll just pretend I didnt read any of that. Was worth a good laugh though:laughing:

 

[bspeedy]

What do you do for a living? Stick to it maybe work an extra job or shift to afford an experienced shop fix your brakes.

Once I hooked up my own gas dryer with a plastic vent hose, it worked great for 10 years but one day it quit and I called the service technician to fix it; he caught the plastic vent hose and replaced it with metal. He said it could have burned the house to the ground, wife, dogs, tractors and all. It was a good lesson learned.

I've been in the car fixing family business for 48 years, if you are asking brake questions on a tractor forum that same advice goes to everyone reading this thread.
If you aren't certain about correctly installing something so precious as a properly working brake system just have a professional do the work.

I am trying not to be dick about this.

Also TPMS sensors have about a 6-8 year lifespan, they are powered by a watch battery that is not replaceable. You'll find the price of new sensors has dropped substantially over the years.

Regards, Fred

Try harder! :laughing:

 

[crazyal]

I bet you installed your muffler bearings upside down as well. Since your getting new tires did they try to sell you new beads for the tires? Personally I would ask for clarification from the dealer. If the warning bar on the old pad was on top and you put the new pads back with the bars on top then what the mechanic is saying is Nissan installed the pads wrong from the factory and you just copied their mistake.

What I question is a mechanic who says he can swap the pads around in a half hour. Think about that. You have a rotor that has wear on it and pads that match it. You can't reverse the pad and keep it in the same location so you would be putting worn pads on the opposite side of the of the rotor. Yea, no thank you. Otherwise he would be talking about replacing and possibly turning the rotor on both sides in a half hour. If he's talking about the metal shim behind the pad then they should have been more clear. But most of the pads I have done come with new shims already installed. Every brake pad replacement I have done has had the same shims on both sides but that doesn't mean some don't. The dealership should be able to show you a picture in their service manual as to how it should be and let you investigate further.

 

[LD1]

One of my biggest gripes about this whole thing is that we took the car in simply to get tires. And if it happened to be a SINGLE TPMS bad, to address that issue as well. Nothing more, nothing less.

Appt was at 1:00 and got the car right in. How long does it take to do tires? Wife didnt get out of their til 3:30.

2.5 hrs. Because they did their "umpteen" point inspection to try to find every little thing wrong with the car to up-sell the female (my wife) that was their with the car.

ONLY two things they found wrong. 1. They "claim" the pads were upside down. And 2. Suggested replacement of positive battery terminal. (and yes they asked my wife if I wanted them to do that as well.

Yes, the positive battery terminal is an issue. It isnt a lead cable end, rather one of the all steel ones that simply tightens two bands around the post. One of the bands split. A hefty hose clamp of appropriate size secured the connection three years ago and has been no issue since. So I see no need to spend the time and money to simply clamp a wire on a terminal. Just because it isnt "oem" doesnt mean its a "problem".

But they were their to do TIRES. Do need to even pop the hood.

Knowing that all 4 sensors need replaced, IF I still have this car next time, it will be my local tire shop for $20 less, in and out in 30 min, and no headache wanting to nickle and dime be for every little flaw in the car that isnt 100% oem.

And people wonder why women dont trust dealers.

 

[BleedingOrange]

As I tell all my friends that are not mechanically inclined, have the service adviser write down exactly what is wrong with the part they want to replace. And always tell them you want to get a second opinion. Amazing how they backtrack from needs to be changed immediately, to sometime soon. Kinda sad that so many stealerships put most of their employees on base salary, plus a percentage of parts peddled, per month. Greed seems to override honesty.

 

[The Fred]

One of my biggest gripes about this whole thing is that we took the car in simply to get tires. And if it happened to be a SINGLE TPMS bad, to address that issue as well. Nothing more, nothing less.

Appt was at 1:00 and got the car right in. How long does it take to do tires? Wife didnt get out of their til 3:30.

2.5 hrs. Because they did their "umpteen" point inspection to try to find every little thing wrong with the car to up-sell the female (my wife) that was their with the car.

ONLY two things they found wrong. 1. They "claim" the pads were upside down. And 2. Suggested replacement of positive battery terminal. (and yes they asked my wife if I wanted them to do that as well.

Yes, the positive battery terminal is an issue. It isnt a lead cable end, rather one of the all steel ones that simply tightens two bands around the post. One of the bands split. A hefty hose clamp of appropriate size secured the connection three years ago and has been no issue since. So I see no need to spend the time and money to simply clamp a wire on a terminal. Just because it isnt "oem" doesnt mean its a "problem".

But they were their to do TIRES. Do need to even pop the hood.

Knowing that all 4 sensors need replaced, IF I still have this car next time, it will be my local tire shop for $20 less, in and out in 30 min, and no headache wanting to nickle and dime be for every little flaw in the car that isnt 100% oem.

And people wonder why women dont trust dealers.

You're very frugal, I would not like to have you as a customer. Obviously there's no way anyone could make money on their services to you.

If nothing else have someone in the know check your brake work.

I am a state motor vehicle inspector where I live, have been for 38 years. I've seen so much gin rigged backyard mechanic work over those years, it's not pretty.

I saw one car where the owner, a young man, pinched off both rear brake lines with vise-grips then wrapped them in a sock so they wouldn't leak all over. He only had one working front brake. Picture this right? Then he went out and tailgated a motorcycle, ran the biker down because he couldn't stop.

Biker died, cops had me check the vehicle out for them and there was pieces of his helmet stuck up under the car. Now granted this was a twice in a lifetime case for me but an eye opener.

Safety is no accident.

 

[LD1]

You're very frugal, I would not like to have you as a customer. Obviously there's no way anyone could make money on their services to you.

If nothing else have someone in the know check your brake work.

I am a state motor vehicle inspector where I live, have been for 38 years. I've seen so much gin rigged backyard mechanic work over those years, it's not pretty.

I saw one car where the owner, a young man, pinched off both rear brake lines with vise-grips then wrapped them in a sock so they wouldn't leak all over. He only had one working front brake. Picture this right? Then he went out and tailgated a motorcycle, ran the biker down because he couldn't stop.

Biker died, cops had me check the vehicle out for them and there was pieces of his helmet stuck up under the car. Now granted this was a twice in a lifetime case for me but an eye opener.

Safety is no accident.

Appreciate your concern.

But I got a college education for automotive mechanics. Never went into the trade because I didn't like the fact that being a salesman, and trying to upsell the customer and nickel and dime them was a part of the requirement to fix cars. So have held many titles since then including electrician, multicraft mechanic, machinist, millwright, etc. Have rebuilt dozens of motors from the ground up, including my own machine work, boring blocks, grinding cranks, etc. So no, I am not a "backyard mechanic".

I do many brake jobs a year. Most times its 4 identical pads so orientation don't matter. On these, the only difference is which way the squeaker is oriented and that an anti-rattle clip hooks into it. No safety concerns at all, just convince. The pad would operate just fine even if squeakers weren't there. And the fact that they ARE installed correctly.

All things you would have understood had you bothered to actually read the thread rather than making stupid remarks.

No. This is about a dealer trying to take advantage.of an unsuspecting female. Because their paycheck is based on commission and flat rate rather than actually doing quality work. (The reason I never got into the trade. Because deception is not in my nature).

And don't give me the BS about not being able to make money on me. Dealer cost for these tires are $67 ea landed. So they made about $150 for what should have been a 30 min job.

The fact that they do their "complementary" umpteen point inspection, that they expect to upsell someone on a repair and that didn't happen for them.....their time/money lost not mine. I simply hired them to do tires. Was given a quote. They did tires and we're paid what they quoted me. So you can take your ignorant comments and troll someone else's thread.