# Why are my brakes wearing unevenly?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-brakes-wearing-unevenly/226180>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 26, 2004, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-brakes-wearing-unevenly/226180 "2004-01-26T17:14:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-brakes-wearing-unevenly/226180/1 "2004-01-26T17:14:00Z")

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That’s pretty much the whole question. I’ve got an '88 Ford Bronco, and the front brakes on the right side are wearing out far too quickly, while the left side still has plenty of life left on the pads. What would cause this, and how can I stop it? Is it just a matter of bleeding the lines, or is something more sinister going on here?

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**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-brakes-wearing-unevenly/226180/2 "2004-01-26T17:39:15Z")

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Bleeding is not likely to help at all.

Either the right side is applying when it shouldn’t…:  
Likely causes are sticking caliper, sticking caliper slide, or restricted brake hose. I would expect pulling to that side when not braking, due to the faulty component keeping the brake applied.

…or the left side is not applying when it should:  
Likely causes are seized caliper or seized caliper slide. I would expect it to pull to the right when braking, due to not having braking effect at the left front.

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**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-brakes-wearing-unevenly/226180/3 "2004-01-26T18:11:54Z")

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Thanks Gary - I’ll check those out. It does pull to the right side a little when I brake, so I suspect the left caliper may be stuck.

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**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2004, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-brakes-wearing-unevenly/226180/4 "2004-01-27T02:07:58Z")

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How much of a crown is there to the roads where you drive? The crown of a road tends to make brakes wear more quickly on the curb side of a car, and a Bronco’s high center of gravity would likely make them wear even more quickly.

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**Author:** ![tadc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f07891/32.png) [@tadc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tadc)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2004, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-brakes-wearing-unevenly/226180/5 "2004-01-27T06:02:43Z")

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> [@Enginerd](#):
>
> Thanks Gary - I’ll check those out. It does pull to the right side a little when I brake, so I suspect the left caliper may be stuck.

…or the right.