D30 Warn Hub kit & front brake pads?

[FAM]

You guys here seem to have the most collective experience with the Dana 30 Warn hub kits, so maybe you can tell me what's going on.

I was helping a friend repack the front wheel bearings in his Warn front hubs (5 on 5.5" kit, on a 2000 TJ Dana 30). When we tried to pull off the front calipers they wouldn't come off. The problem turned out to be that the inner brake pads are wider than the braking surface of the rotor and there was a significant ridge worn in the pad preventing easy removal of the caliper.

Prying the caliper off broke the ridge but also destroyed the edge of the pads. We replaced the pads but I'm wondering if this is normal and something he should expect every time the calipers have to come off.

FYI, we did install the machined CJ rotors as documented in Warn's instructions when we installed the kit and are using the factory TJ calipers.

Thank you for any information,
Fred

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by FAM
You guys here seem to have the most collective experience with the Dana 30 Warn hub kits, so maybe you can tell me what's going on.

I was helping a friend repack the front wheel bearings in his Warn front hubs (5 on 5.5" kit, on a 2000 TJ Dana 30). When we tried to pull off the front calipers they wouldn't come off. The problem turned out to be that the inner brake pads are wider than the braking surface of the rotor and there was a significant ridge worn in the pad preventing easy removal of the caliper.

Prying the caliper off broke the ridge but also destroyed the edge of the pads. We replaced the pads but I'm wondering if this is normal and something he should expect every time the calipers have to come off.

FYI, we did install the machined CJ rotors as documented in Warn's instructions when we installed the kit and are using the factory TJ calipers.

Thank you for any information,
Fred

Next time, put a c-clamp on the pad and back of the caliper, push the piston back and that will give you enough slack to get the caliper off.

Yes, this can be a problem depending on who cast the rotors. Some have a smaller face than others and you just have to watch what you get.

[FAM]

Thanks for the info. That's kind of what I was expecting, but wanted to make sure we weren't overlooking a bigger problem.

Fred