so heres the issue.
Ive changed brake pads before w/o any probs. Last time I changed the rear pads was 2 years ago almost and no probs. So today I started the project DS first. Now usually I use a C-clamp to compress the piston, but turning it w/ a screwdriver clockwise seemed to work best(kinda like it was threaded almost). Put everything back together, caliper went on snugger like usual and moved on to the PS.

This time I had to compress it w/ the c-clamp (it was a bitch), the caliper was super fricken tight and eventually I couldnt even get the lower caliper bolt to line up and was pressed for time so I threw the 2 best old pads from both sides (yes I used the best propper inner and outer pad too) back on. Caliper slipped on fine, bolts lined up and I was off to work.

Now work is ony a 5 mile drive down the highway and my car felt kinda sluggish. When I parked the car smelled funny and noticed the brakes were mildly smoking and smelling as if I had driven w/ the e-brake partially engaged. Ebrake hasnt been engaged/used since before I started this project. I dont know what went wrong this time, but maybe someone else has some ideas or experiance w/ this. The only thing I can think of is that I put the shims on the new pads from the old ones like I always have and maybe if I take them off it'll allow that little fraction more of space. Heres a pic ot the new and old. Whatcha think??



The one on the left (inner) has a mini shim but the othe one doesnt. I put theones that have always been w/ the car on both..

 

Well you have to turn the star looking thing on the piston to the right, that way the piston would go in, cause i had that same problem too, you could use something to do it, u need a special tool, but u could use like needle nose pliers for example to turn the threads that i'm telling to the right. I remember i struggled until my teacher told me what i had to do.

 

i wonder if the uneven pressure from having 2 new pads and 2 old pads would have anything do with that...i say get the new pads in asap and then see what happens

 

yeah but the DS is all new, and the PS was just the 2 best used ones.