Akebono pads fit TIGHT! Will they drag?

[JoshWagen]

Hey all - just replaced front pads and rotors on my 2015 GSW. Went with Zimmerman rotors and Akebono EURO ceramic pads. The pads fit extremely tight in the hanger - as in I had to wedge them into place and then mount on the rotor vs sliding them into place as I've done in the past. Using a ton of muscle, I could barely get them to slide back and forth on the hanger. I confirmed they are the correct part on ID Parts - EUR 1760. I cleaned the hanger properly with a wire brush. Pads were lubricated in all contact areas.

I compared them to the stock pads when I was having trouble even sliding them into place. I noticed the Akenbonos have a larger clip clearance compared to the OEM VW pads. It was obviously the problem with the tight fit. Has anyone had this specific issue?! Moreover, should I be concerned in general if I can't slide the pads back and forth on the hanger somewhat easy? Really don't want dragging brakes, and I'd like to replace ASAP if this will be an isse. Thanks for the tips!

 

[DivineChaos]

File them down just a bit. The paint on them does it quite often.

 

[JoshWagen]

File them down just a bit. The paint on them does it quite often.

Makes sense. It’s weird though, there’s a gap in clearance on the clip. It’ll be an awkward file, but maybe doable. Check the difference in the clearance on the new clip vs the old…

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• JoshWagen
• Mar 28, 2022

 

[JoshWagen]

And now I’ve got a good 1cm of pad not coming in contact with the disk after 20 miles or so. Never had this happen. Am I crazy? 99.9% sure the pads are installed correctly.

FB9A8B67-9A1E-4BD7-AD8A-94409308EFD5.jpeg

• JoshWagen
• Mar 28, 2022

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• JoshWagen
• Mar 28, 2022

 

[Tdijarhead]

I have a bench grinder, almost every brake job I do I have to grind some paint/metal off the ears to get any brand brake pad to fit properly.

To answer your guestion yes the pads will stick. If you forced them in then they are already stuck. Now would be a great time for that new bench grinder.

 

[oilhammer]

I would never use that brand of pads on a Volkswagen. They are OEM on some cars, but not these.


You may be surprised just how reasonably priced new pads are from the dealer. And they will fit perfectly, no matter who supplied them (Ate, Textar, Pagid, TRW, etc.).

You should never need to grind on brake pads to make them fit. If you do, they are pretty piss-poor quality.

 

[JoshWagen]

I would never use that brand of pads on a Volkswagen. They are OEM on some cars, but not these.


You may be surprised just how reasonably priced new pads are from the dealer. And they will fit perfectly, no matter who supplied them (Ate, Textar, Pagid, TRW, etc.).

You should never need to grind on brake pads to make them fit. If you do, they are pretty piss-poor quality.

Ok, I’m not crazy. Replacing with TRW ASAP.

 

[Windex]

Eh... Ive had TRW pad sets where (with a perfectly clean caliper bridge) they still needed some "dressing" in order to slide properly in the bracket.

Key is to make sure the pads slide freely, but are not flopping around.

 

[The Tortoise]

I would never use that brand of pads on a Volkswagen. They are OEM on some cars, but not these.

Well, now you tell me!!

FWIW, I put those Akenobo pads on my car, had a shop install them, and haven't had any issues.

 

[smittyatl]

That's good to hear. Always liked the low dust Akebono pads.

I'm at 62k on original brakes all round. When are people usually changing?

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Brake wear is more dependent on the driver and conditions than the vehicle. I'm easy on brakes, and tend to get more life out of them than a lot of people. VW brakes usually last a long time, but rear brakes tend to wear faster than fronts on these cars. I'd pull a wheel (or look through if the wheel allows it) and check pad wear.

 

[Nutty 5.0]

I just changed mine front and rear 125k. Zimmerman coated rotors with Textar pads. I'm also gentle on brakes and 75% highway driving.

 

[The Tortoise]

Mine were changed out at 85k km. Lots of city driving and cold climate with lots of salt use lead to an early demise.

 

[JoshWagen]

Thanks for the replies, all. I ended up swapping out the ill-fitting Akebono for OEM VW. Surprisingly made in China. Fit perfect as expected though.

This change was at 50K due to brake shuddering, esp at highway braking speeds. Seemed early. Lot of pad left, but the rotors were scored AF. Carfax showed dealer replaced brakes after it sat on the lot two years, but who knows. Cleaned the hub off well, hopefully no run out. We’ll find out soon!