how important are these little springs?

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

Just about finished installing new front rotors and pads on my '07 Mustang tonight, when a spring clip popped off one of the new pads while I was installing it. (the part circled in red)

Attachment:

418CjjeCKBL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

It's a wire spring and one end is wrapped around a stob on the backing place. I've tried to reattach it, but it won't stay on. I guess my vice grips can't replicate the clamping force used at the factory.. which wasn't enough anyway.

I figure running with just one spring on that pad will cause it drag on the no-spring end. Considering ripping the other spring off and doing without. Anybody ever had to do that?

I hate to admit that I bought these pads (Motorcraft BRF-1405) on Amazon so I can't just return everything to the store tomorrow.

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Mon Feb 13, 2017 9:39 am

I've had that happen several times while swapping out the pads. Not a show stopper, just keeps the noise down while snugging up the pad. Make sure you put the anti-squeal grease on the back of the pads you'll be fine....

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Mon Feb 13, 2017 9:48 am

The design of what keeps those clips on the pad is dumb, and I'm surprised ANY stay on there. I've even tried tack welding mine in place and that didn't work either, so I just removed them all. Their purpose is to retract the pads when the car isn't under braking, but they don't do that all that well IMO.

I haven't suffered any ill effects from mine being gone, but since I only drove my car 9 days in 2016, I might not be the best benchmark.

Matt McGrain · **Posted:** Mon Feb 13, 2017 10:36 am

I wouldn't sweat it. I just put my stock pads on the FR-S and they have these and remember thinking that it can't possibly assist that much in the return motion. FWIW, my Ferodo auto-x pads don't even have these and they worked fine without dragging.

RobLupella · **Posted:** Mon Feb 13, 2017 2:41 pm

Matt McGrain wrote:

I wouldn't sweat it. I just put my stock pads on the FR-S and they have these and remember thinking that it can't possibly assist that much in the return motion. FWIW, my Ferodo auto-x pads don't even have these and they worked fine without dragging.

Fixed. and I agree. I've had multiples forms of those on cars and lost them about as often as I put them on

Andrew Jonell · **Joined:** Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:43 pm **Posts:** 1350

They're anti rattle helpers. If you get your brakes hot enough, they break in two when you go to swap out your pads the next time.

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

Andrew Jonell wrote:

They're anti rattle helpers. If you get your brakes hot enough, they break in two when you go to swap out your pads the next time.

Well... there you go again. I was about to make a quip that removing the little springs would cause an increase in unsprung weight, and you have to call them "anti rattle helpers". Thanks a bunch :lol:

The backs of the backing plates on these pads are covered in an adhesive. The instructions that came in the box said to clean the caliper piston faces and the ears on the other side of the (sliding) caliper so that they will adhere. I'm not sure if this is an anti-squeal measure or intended to help retract the pads. Doubt this stuff is intended to handle much heat, but the most I plan to do with these pads is autocrossing and a couple of VIR charity touring lap (there's one on March3) mornings.

Thanks everybody for the advice/assurances. I'll remove the other spring/clip/anti-rattler on the offending pad and finish the installation. IF YOU TELL THE TECH GUY, NO COOKIES FOR YOU!

Chad Culbertson · **Posted:** Tue Feb 14, 2017 1:28 am

Arthur McDonald wrote:

Andrew Jonell wrote:

They're anti rattle helpers. If you get your brakes hot enough, they break in two when you go to swap out your pads the next time.

Well... there you go again. I was about to make a quip that removing the little springs would cause an increase in unsprung weight, and you have to call them "anti rattle helpers". Thanks a bunch :lol:

The backs of the backing plates on these pads are covered in an adhesive. The instructions that came in the box said to clean the caliper piston faces and the ears on the other side of the (sliding) caliper so that they will adhere. I'm not sure if this is an anti-squeal measure or intended to help retract the pads. Doubt this stuff is intended to handle much heat, but the most I plan to do with these pads is autocrossing and a couple of VIR charity touring lap (there's one on March3) mornings.

Thanks everybody for the advice/assurances. I'll remove the other spring/clip/anti-rattler on the offending pad and finish the installation. IF YOU TELL THE TECH GUY, NO COOKIES FOR YOU!

Too late, busted....

I noticed they're allowing motorcycles at the Charity laps in March, contemplated bringing the bike up there for that since i've never ridden it around VIR before.

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Tue Feb 14, 2017 9:54 am

Arthur McDonald wrote:

Andrew Jonell wrote:

They're anti rattle helpers. If you get your brakes hot enough, they break in two when you go to swap out your pads the next time.

Well... there you go again. I was about to make a quip that removing the little springs would cause an increase in unsprung weight, and you have to call them "anti rattle helpers". Thanks a bunch :lol:

The backs of the backing plates on these pads are covered in an adhesive. The instructions that came in the box said to clean the caliper piston faces and the ears on the other side of the (sliding) caliper so that they will adhere. I'm not sure if this is an anti-squeal measure or intended to help retract the pads. Doubt this stuff is intended to handle much heat, but the most I plan to do with these pads is autocrossing and a couple of VIR charity touring lap (there's one on March3) mornings.

Thanks everybody for the advice/assurances. I'll remove the other spring/clip/anti-rattler on the offending pad and finish the installation. IF YOU TELL THE TECH GUY, NO COOKIES FOR YOU!

Just my 2 cents, but I'd leave the other springs on. Having 1 or 2 fall off is not going to hurt, but as VK mentioned, they back the pad off of the rotor. I vote to leave them be...

Andrew Jonell · **Joined:** Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:43 pm **Posts:** 1350

Arthur McDonald wrote:

Andrew Jonell wrote:

They're anti rattle helpers. If you get your brakes hot enough, they break in two when you go to swap out your pads the next time.

Well... there you go again. I was about to make a quip that removing the little springs would cause an increase in unsprung weight, and you have to call them "anti rattle helpers". Thanks a bunch :lol:

The backs of the backing plates on these pads are covered in an adhesive. The instructions that came in the box said to clean the caliper piston faces and the ears on the other side of the (sliding) caliper so that they will adhere. I'm not sure if this is an anti-squeal measure or intended to help retract the pads. Doubt this stuff is intended to handle much heat, but the most I plan to do with these pads is autocrossing and a couple of VIR charity touring lap (there's one on March3) mornings.

Thanks everybody for the advice/assurances. I'll remove the other spring/clip/anti-rattler on the offending pad and finish the installation. IF YOU TELL THE TECH GUY, NO COOKIES FOR YOU!

Ah, pronoun ambiguity! They = the little springs; the little springs break will break in half with exposure to a lot of heat because they're basically a fancy small paper clip.

In my experience, getting them on takes up the most amount of time when doing a brake job (outside of a fluid change without a Motive bleeder) and then I still can hear the brake pads chatter against the rotor when driving around town. This was on my 94 Miata, but as far as I've seen, newer cars have tapered edges for brake pads which eliminates a lot of the random brake pad strike noise.

It comes down to how much you care and how susceptible to being annoyed by occasional brake chatter you are.

For the clips/shims, I'd keep those on because those seat the backing plate into the caliper.

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

RodneyWright wrote:

Just my 2 cents, but I'd leave the other springs on. Having 1 or 2 fall off is not going to hurt, but as VK mentioned, they back the pad off of the rotor. I vote to leave them be...

Too late.. I DID remove the "anti-rattle clip" from the other end of the pad that had already lost one. Figured it was better than letting the pad be perpetually cocked sideways in the caliper. Remarkably easy to remove .. I just rotated it about 20 degrees and it popped off the stob. As noted before, you can't reattach it. Left them on the other pads.

Since my car is not a convertible, maybe I won't hear it. Of course it is the front left outside pad, so if there's one I would hear, that's it.

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Wed Feb 15, 2017 10:20 am

Arthur McDonald wrote:

Since my car is not a convertible, maybe I won't hear it. Of course it is the front left outside pad, so if there's one I would hear, that's it.

If you have a V8 Mustang (and you should because anything less is just wrong) you shouldn't be able to hear a brake pad rattle over the sound of the exhaust!

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

Vincent Keene wrote:

If you have a V8 Mustang (and you should because anything less is just wrong) you shouldn't be able to hear a brake pad rattle over the sound of the exhaust!

Quite true.

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how important are these little springs?

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