DFlintstone

OK....Guess your first photo clarifies that. You do know there shouldn't be slots there, the pad should be free to slide.

DFlintstone

Looking again at your photo #1, somebody has already been there, maybe with gas torch? Maybe not. looks like lava or something icky. I'm almost always pretty reluctant to suggest a poster should go buy something. That said, there is a chance your steering knuckles themselves are toast. A number of outfits will do a free brake inspection, Less Schwhab..AAmco? ect.

I suppose, myself we have a real pro welder here. I'd trust (Don) to fill and machine before Id go through the hassle of swapping in JY steering knuckles.

EEVEE

Huh? What has been there with a torch?

DFlintstone

Look at pic #1. Something was doing something to that there. A gas cutting torch can make grooves in metal.

EEVEE

Honestly there has never been a torch anywhere near my brakes. Only time was when a stud was stuck on the passenger side but not on the drivers side at all. Maybe its the slathered brake grease on it?

DFlintstone

Sorry of me the long delay. Yes, now I see it's grease. The brake pads need to be free to to move on that rail they ride on. As the pad and rotor wear all that (caliper and all), need to be able to self center on the rotor disk. If there are slots where the end of any brake pad fits, that's a problem. Really, building it up with a wire welder (or?) then grinding might be a thought before the major hassle of changing steering knuckles.

I was wrong about the torch marks. A cutting torch can make little grooves cuz of the oxygen "jet". Again I'm dead wrong there, but I AM sure the pads should be free to slide laterally, not stuck in a groove. Btw, putting grease there would make it pick up dust and turn into a sort of grinding compound. The lube is for inside, under dust covers. On the caliper mounting bolts for example, to help it be free to slide laterally. I'm not suggesting any would go above the ring and under the dust cover on a piston.......

Maybe I saw it wrong again, but sure looks like you have your pads stuck in slots on the steering knuckle.

Side story....I had a zip-tie cut into metal tube because my road is really dusty and bumpy and it was wet with power steering fluid. The dust in the oil made a grinding compound. In time it cut right in!

EEVEE

Yikes and yes i am currently looking for someone to weld it for me and by currently im procrastinating the hell out of it lol. Im taking the slower route to work currently and not on the interstate where traffic goes 80 mph thats why the pulling bugged me..... May be causing the vibrating at 60 too because my old caliper dragged too but once it released smooth sailing after. Also just to clarify yes theyre dragging currently but not as bad as in the stop and go traffic i was in constantly to where the passenger front eventually had to much pressure on the brake and basically made me pull over to let them cool and release. Once i bled the brake in the passenger side after it happened something was wrong as when i cracked the bleeder valve it shot brake fluid. I dont know if it was a bad brake caliper or brake hose thats why i changed them both now they dont drag from stop and go anymore. Just enough to throw my front end off from the slippery spot on my rotor.

DFlintstone

OK, just wanted to share what I saw on mine. My slots were not deep at all, just worn there. Just rounding the edge with an angle grinder so the pad could move, not be caught, got me by for awhile. That one is a "yard truck" now. Only 288K but it was rear-ended.