Brake Pads Fitting - Direction

[simonplatt]

i have just put new discs on my 2004 c3. the pads have a taper/wedge shape to one edge, they will fit either way round so which is correct and what is the taper for.?

[paul.h]

Welcome to the forum.

You have probably finished the job by now but anyway here goes.

What make of pads are they and is there an arrow on the back of them or any instructions that give an indication of direction ?

 

There is no mention in Citroen's procedures or the Haynes manual and the pictures I have found on the internet show the pads to have a taper at each end. So direction of fitting would not matter and this is what I vaguely remember when I replaced them on our C3 a few years ago with pads from our Citroen dealer. The taper is probably to help the pads bed in.

 

In the lack of information and if your pads are thicker at one end, then I would think the thick end goes at the bottom on all 4 pads i.e. furthest from a point on the disc as it turns in forward direction so the pads do not grab and try to twist. In practice, the taper will have worn away after a few hundred miles when the pads  have bedded in so then will not affect normal braking.

[paul.h]

I have cleaned the front brakes on our C3 today so can add to this topic. The pads were from Citroen (also stamped Textar on the back) and are tapered at one end only, possibly as much as half the pad thickness - so it is not just to help the pads bed in. On the back of the pads are painted direction arrows showing (most likely) the wheel rotation direction, so when installed the taper is at the top end of the pads i.e. at the first point as the brake disc rotates through the pads in forward direction. These have now done 16k miles and the taper has not yet worn away and may well last until the pads are worn down and due for renewal again.

[simonplatt]

i have just checked them and they are fitted as you stated there are no arrows or other marks to indicate direction.

[paul.h]

I guess that was purely a lucky choice. At least you now know it is not causing the brakes to be keen.

 

I thought it best to pin your post for others who may purchase pads also without any indication of the correct fitting direction. Interestingly the C3 has been out 11 years and this is the first time it has been noted on this forum. So far there have been 157 views of the post so it is of interest to many people.