Questions and Answers

Honda Civic Uneven Brake Pad Wear Q. I have a 1999 Honda Civic with 139,000 miles. When I go through a curve I can hear the brakes rubbing on the disk. Recently my car started to wear brake pads unevenly. One side more than the other on each wheel. The inside close to the caliper piston. The auto shop said my calipers were bad and needed to be replaced. So we changed them.

Now it is happening again and they say I need to change the brake lines. They say that the master cylinder is working fine. There is plenty of pressure but the lines must be collapsing and preventing the caliper from returning to its un-applied state. Does this sound right???

A. It is possible and there is a way to test this theory. Jack up the front and take the front wheels off. Step on and hold the brakes for a minute or two. Release the brake pedal and try to turn the rotor. It should be fairly easy to turn. If not, crack the bleeder screw open, look for a spurt of fluid and close it. Now if the rotor is easy to turn, you know it is either the hoses or master cylinder holding pressure.

To determine which, repeat the brake application and release. Crack the line at the master cylinder, again looking for a spurt of fluid, then close it. If the rotor turns easy, it is the master cylinder. If it is still hard, it's the brake lines.

You also need to make sure the calipers move freely on their guides. If not, it will cause the same condition as the brake hoses and master cylinder.