Questions and Answers

Plymouth Voyager Uneven Pad Wear Q. Dear Mr. Vincent Ciulla, Thank you so much for taking time to diagnose/troubleshoot the problem I am having with my van. I've had it in the shop twice and am still having the same problem. The problem: I am having excessive wear on my brake pads, but only on the driver's side and only on the outside pad of the caliper.

The inside pad is wearing normally, but I can tell by looking that one is wearing faster than the other. I also hear a grinding or rubbing sound at times from that driver's side whenever I apply the brakes as well as a squeaking sound, which I assume is due to lack of lubrication.

I first took it in and the mechanic said a pin was sticking. He repaired that he said. Then it continued after I saw that it was still wearing and took it to another place that was recommended. This mechanic said I needed to replace the calipers, which he did. Again, thank you for your time and I look forward to your advice.

• 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager
• 3.3 liter V-6
• Automatic transmission
• 71,376 miles
• Fuel Injected
• ABS brakes
• P/S, A/C, Cruise control
• Rack and pinion steering

Sincerely,
John

A. The caliper has to be free to "float" or you will get uneven brake pad wear. The Caliper Guide Pin Bushings are probably bad enough where lubricating will not help any more and need to be replaced.

If you still get the uneven wear, the next thing I would recommend is replacing the front brake hoses.