Anyone cut their rear disc brakes pad wear indicator off. I for one, do not wish to hear the screeching sound that will "continuously "make or have my rotor damaged from it digging into it, so, I am going to cut it off. I know where my pads are and will be keeping an eye on them. But even if I didnt have any idea where my pads were, what is the worst that could happen, I would hear a similar screeching noises when the pads got low. So, at least by cutting it off, I delay having to hear that annoying sound, and I might just get to replacing the pads before the awful sound its rotor damage. If I dont cut it off that sound and rotor damage is gonna happen sooner. Now having said that, I'm not suggesting that someone with a new Honda or new pads remove the wear indicator. I'm just sayin in my circumstances that thing is comin off.

Btw, whoever did the last brake job on this car, switched the passenger's inner pad with the driver's, because the wear indicators are at the top. And since I'm putting the same used pads back in place, I think it is best to leave them where they are, since they are mated to the rotor and have their own wear pattern. Not sure why Honda wants them in the downward position [Honda parts guys do not have any clue why] ... anyone know why downward is more important.

 

why not just get new pads?

 

i agree with bowser. go to advance auto parts or the like and pick up some good pads. they should be about $80 for all 4 and put those in. just be concious of how hard you brake when you are driving it around. if the car is 5 speed, down shift more and ease onto the brakes. if it is auto just try not to stomp on them. the good pads will last longer and will be worth your while in the long run

 

I would imagine it would have something to do with the direction of rotation, one way would be more likely to get something caught in it than the other......
Also why not just bend the wear indicator out to a more suitable wear warning depth??
Usually they start screaching when theres about 3-4mm of pad left but I'm sure you could bend the tab away a little more so it doesnt warm you till about the 1-2mm mark??

 

Gee, a reply where someone actually used their mind. Great idea to bend it back. Its not just the noise I dont want to hear. For me I would bend or cut off that tab even on brand new pads. I simply dont want that thing diggin into my rotor. If its off, I wont have to worry about that, and [a shadetree, like me] is surely gonna know where those pads are and put on new ones, BEFORE the rotor can get gouged up. The majority of vehicles dont use that kind of system and I've lived all these years without them, gee how did I ever get by without them before.

But also, in this case, since the wear indicator is in the wrong position, I'm gonna cut it off.

Well, I decided to grind them down a bit, rather than bending them, which might cause a clearance problem, and I switched the left with the right back to where they were supposed to be; no problems whatsoever.

 

B E C A U S E it doesnt need new pads ... But, I think you missed the point, which was, new pads, used pads, pink pads, ceramic pads, funky pads, skunky pads, pretty pads or sexy pads -- pads period! THAT G____n wear indicator is comin off. I see it as a nuisance. I mean seriously, I dont need Mommy [Honda Motor Co] to still hold my hand. I think I can use a car without wear indicators.

 

Wear indicators are there for a purpose, and it's not because they want to aggravate you.
Yes, one of the reasons is to save your precious rotors from damage but it also has to do with brake performance. As the pads wear, they can't dissipate heat as fast as they did when new. Find yourself on a long downhill with worn pads and you could sadly become a statistic.
And what happens after you yank the wear sensors, continue to drive .... and then forget. That last 3/32" can wear pretty quick, and then you're looking at rotors (and we ALL know what that means)

Yeh, I get it. You're on a budget (We're ALL on a budget), but do the right think ok?

P

 

It's funny that you say that you will watch the wear of your pads. I should have taken pictures of this guys brakes that I took a look at recently. He had removed the wear indicator from an older set of pads when he put on his new slotted rotors. Didn't want to ruin the rotors he said. These pads hadn't been changed for over 3 years he told me.

I looked at one side and they looked fine. 4-5mm of pad left on them. Then I go over to check the other side and the pad on the wear indicator side was completely gone. It was obvious before I even took the wheel off. There was heavy brake dust everywhere. He said that he hadn't had any poor braking symptoms up until the day he got me to look at them.

The 3 rivets that were used on the metal backing plate had worn 2, 1-2mm gouges into his fancy, now useless, slotted and drilled rotors. I thought it was also funny that he didn't replace the pads when he did the rotors. Dumb act No.1 was not replacing old pads with the new rotors. Dumb act no.2 was bending /cutting the wear indicator off the old pads.

I realize you say that you will keep an eye on them, well if that's the case why not just leave the indicators on and change the pads before they come to the wear indicator? That is the reason they are as long as they are. That is an indication that you are not to run the pad any lower than that.

Personally I would not suggest anyone reading this post bend or remove there wear bars for the sake of thinking it will save your fancy rotors. the tab is made of a lower carbon steel than the rotor. It will wear down long before it does anythign to your rotor.

 

yes we know ur pads don't need to be replaced ... but the only time your going to hear screeching is when they need to be replaced ... so what's the big deal? i mean unless you plan to cheap out and use them beyond the suggested replacement point ... which the last thing anyone should ever do is cheap out on their braking system...

 

bending the tab back is what "they" do in the ghetto

 

bending the tab back is backyard mechanics at its worst...and if you do it your foolish

 

Youre a moron. Dont breed

 

Please show some respect for these engineers: they've designed a foolproof, yet simple warning system for worn brake pads.
The entire brake system is designed around friction, and where there's friction there is also wear (and heat). So each time you hit that brake pedal both your brake pads AND rotors wear out. The system is designed to have the brake pads take almost all the wear, not the rotors. When the pads are worn out the wear indicators just rub against the rotor, no big deal: it's still the brake pads doing the dirty work in silence.
Good thing that you don't recommend removal of the wear indicators but I cannot see how your situation may be different from others. There's plenty of people who check their brake pads and have them replaced even before the wear indicators kick in.

 

The point of the wear indicator is a form of "preventive maintenance." What the wear indicator is preventing is the the pad from being worn to the metal, the point where it can damage your rotors. You wouldn't wait until your timing belt snaps to replace it, would you? So why wait til the pad is completely worn to change them?

 

This. Unless you plan on running you're pads to the backing plates or the pads don't fit with the indicator on, it's not doing you any harm being on there so might as well leave it alone.

 

This coming from a website that is primarily about M O D D I N G! Did you ever see my old signature? It said something to this effect: "And the hell with modding, it only takes one idiot to think he/she can redesign something it took 25 honda engineers to design."

Personally, if you dont mind your rotors getting messed up, I dont think it matters one way or the other. Letting your brake pads get too low is a problem with or without a wear indicator. I just think the indicator is set to soon. SO, I grind it down to give me a bit more pad wear, but still leave room for the indicator to alert me.

 

Dear MR. Adams: YOUR ADVICE, I will consider and most likely listen to, because I have never seen you answer anyone with an attitude, regardless of board politics. Thanks for the heads up on the other purpose of those wear indicators. I didnt bend them I ground them a little to give some more room, about what is allowed as a min under state law, and I am in a strict state.

 

Ok, good to know, and something that a friend of mine who is a Audi/Honda independent mechainic also told me.

 

I have a general response to especially that person with the OWL icon and the person or two above them. Why is that it is ok to alter a fast idle thermo valve and "disrespect the Honda engineers" but not the wear indicator. Why the bigotry, why the double standard? ... Why this attitude from a site that espouses mods ?

 

OP go ahead and remove them....you'll know it's time to change your brakes when you hear the metal on metal scraping noises....they are set to 2-3 mm because of you go much lower than that you run the risk of grinding the rivit heads into your rotors and over extending your caliper pistons. most brakes squeak due to improper installation (ie no shims or anti squeak.....)

 

Now that's interesting. I re-set them to 2-3mm. They were at about 5mm. I thought that was a waste of pad material, in addition to the sound. So, now you see how my issues about this become more than what meets the eye. Obviously someone before me had altered those indicators. I did not know where they were set [from Honda] and probably now have them where they are supposed to be, unless they were aftermarket pads and set differently from Honda, which seems to be the most likely scenario.

 

—Yes, downshift more so you wear your clutch and tranny more or replace pads for 80 bucks every 20k miles? I don’t know