Hi all. Took my estate out for a run as I had not used it for a while. First 15kms OK but then noticed nasty noise from front offside wheel under breaking and when applying some steering lock. It was a bad time to happen as I had just started on a glorious steep decline with many hairpin bends as road ziz zagged down. Obvious thought was brake pads but one never knows. Drove home slowly on route with minimal tight bends and using minimum braking.
Next day had a look to find that outer brake pad was completely without friction material just the metal backing plate. The inner pad was about a third worn. Pad wear indicator not connected. Fortunately disc has not badly marked. I fitted new pad and road tested OK.
I remember when I last changed the pads that outer ones were much more worn than the inners. Is that common? Calipers are free to move and parking brake is fine. When rain stops I will check nearside and expect to change outer pad aswell.
Don't know if it is related but both front tyres have worn bald on outer inch of tyre.
Luckily I have sourced 2 as new Michelins on French ebay for 50 euros just 10 kms from my house.
Regards and happy if damp Guy Fawkes.
Sean

I feel that there are several faults rearing their heads than would seem to be the first case.
The faults I would look for are as follows, though not necessarily in the order in which they should be tackled.
.
Have the brake pads been fitted correctly? There are two differrent pads at each wheel. One pad has a projection at the rear and one is plain. It is possible to fit the pads incorrectly and produce erratic braking and peculiar pad-wear effects. This must be dealt with asap!
The outer side of the tyres wearing badly can be caused by two main things. Either - or both - the following must be checked.
Is the tracking correct, checked with a laser set-up? I find this worthy of the cost (£40 £60) over and over again.
Another fault can also cause tyre wear similar to that being experienced The XM tracking and tyre wear can be affected by worn lower front suspension arm bushes. These are not the easiest things to replace at home. Much better to let the garage earn his salt and do the job.
When these two essential items have been checked, come back and report what has been found. This will help others to catch the faults before wearing out yet another set of expensive tyres!

Hi, many thanks for that.
Sean

Hi
I have 4 unused pads and they all have the small central protruding stud on the back plate. I know that you have to adjust piston such that the stud can pass through one of the 4 grooves when swinging caliper back in place. I this what you were referring to? The outer pad sits perfectly in caliper.
I have to get exhaust adjusted first as rear box came off its hanger. Then I will have tyres fitted and tracking fixed. Thanks Sean

Hi Sean

The Pips on the back of the pads operate the Parking brake auto adjust.
I have come across a few sets of pads with Pips on all four pads but stopped using them like that some years ago.
They seems to give fouling problems that I could not track down but which went away when plain and pip pairs were used.
To use up the small stock of all pip pads I had I bought the same number of ebay bargin Pug 605 pads of the same make.
Pug 605 ones are identical except none of the 4 pads have pips as the car does not have a front wheel handbrake.

John

Just changed my front pads for a set from Mintex, which correctly contained two with the location projection and two without. None of the old ones (which were on the car when I bought it) had the projections. The outer ones had worn down much more than the inner ones, on both sides. The wires that give warning of pad wear were conspicuous by their absence on both sides, but I have now fitted the ones that came with the kit.