Help! Brakes rubbing!

1985 Toyota Celica. I refreshed the front Mac suspension, wheel bearings, and topped it off with centric rotors and pads. Keep in mind my EBC pads were in before but with old rotors (everything was still in good shape.

When I reassembled everything I know noticed the caliper wouldn't go on at all. I clamped the piston and made room. But still had to use a hammer to tap it on. Even the, the rotors was locked in place. It wasn't until I turned on the car and the calipers released (I guess) because the rotors will spin.

But now I have the sound of brakes dragging rotor, and the brake pedal feels like it has more travel than before. Nothing was smoking after a hard fifteen minute drive. (I went to a business park that's abandoned so it was safe) the car stop fine. It just the drag, and the noise continues even after brakes are applied. I've read it will go away...

And, yes, I lubed the slider pins.

Are they really dragging or just touching? Have you jacked up the wheels and spun them?

If the pads and the rotors are too thick, you will obviously have issues.

As I have learned, you should rarely have to force things. If you had to use a hammer, you should figure out why.

That's what was so weird, if you jack it up and spin the wheel is rotates fine, just noisey. The rotors weren't hot to the touch when I came back from the drive. And when I installed my EBC pads they went right on. I chalked it up to new pads AND rotors and figured they would chill once some miles ground them down and got proper clearance.

Only reason I used a hammer was that I figured the Pistons would reset after start up. And they did. The passenger side went on a lot easier. I also had to remove the stupid backing plates from the pads as they added to the overall thickness.

I had Porterfield make me some pads for the Chevette calipers on my Locost. There was too much friction material, and I had to machine the pads down to fit.

Machining the caliper down would have saved the friction material thus making my Scottish heritage happy, but weakening the caliper would make my German heritage unhappy. Being a true Canadian, I apologized.

Every set of pads that I have bought in the last 5 years have had the pads "ears" that are slightly too big.

I take a file to them and make them just slightly loose.

Check yours and see if they are hanging up. It could be that the new rotors have moved them into an area of the caliper mount that they normally aren’t in.

What are the "ears" of the pad? I keep hearing this.

If it's referring to the ears that hold the pad In place, inside the brake caliper bracket, well then I don't have any pad material there and would be shocked if something is rubbing (there is nothing there.)

Trackmouse wrote: If it's referring to the ears that hold the pad In place, inside the brake caliper bracket, well then I don't have any pad material there and would be shocked if something is rubbing (there is nothing there.)

Yes, it is the extensions to the backing plate that hold them in the caliper bracket. There is no pad material there but they will hang up and keep the bad against the disc, if they get stuck either from them being too big or from corrosion.