I installed Goodridge SS Lines and Hawk HPS pads on Sunday and when I got home from work today my rear left brake was smoking. I drove home under normal driving conditions with no hard braking. Couldn't really tell exactly what was causing The smoke. The rotor on that side is darker than the other and the pink heat grease that came with the pads to go on the backing looks burnt as well (although the smoke that I could see was not coming from that side of the pad, it was coming out from the middle by the rotor). Not sure why this is happening. Could the brake be stuck down? I couldn't really feel any drag. What else would cause this? I burnished the pads according to Hawks procedures. I don't have a jack to pick up the car and examine more closely. Any help is appreciated.

 

Stuck piston, or there's something dragging on that inside rotor surface, though if you say it's coming from the center (or did you mean the vented part of the rotor?) it could be a bearing that's jacked.
The dustshields make it difficult to look at the inner surface, but probably should look very closely.

If you don't have a jack, how did you replace them yourself? May have to enlist that buddy's garage again.

I'd not drive it til you figure it out, though, may already have a ruined rotor.

 

^^^ What he said. My guess is a stuck piston. A stuck piston could definitely gouge your rotor, or build enough heat to cause smoking or rotor discoloration. And depending on how far the piston was extruded, there might not have been any perceptible signs (pedal feel, sluggishness, bucking, or sound).

 

You have to "clock" the rear calibers when installing new pads. I had to resurface my brand new pads after I drove my car and forgot to do this.

 

I borrowed a jack this morning and took a quick look before work and I "think" I found the problem. Nub on the bottom of the brake pad backing (http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/musta...04-gtv6-10.jpg) wasn't in the slot on the edge of the piston (http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/musta...04-gtv6-14.jpg) [pics from American Muscle]. I think this was adding pressure to that brake and causing it to drag slightly. Turned the piston a little more and slid it back on. Hopefully that takes care of the problem. Checked the other side to make sure it was okay and it was lined up there. Hoping the rotor is okay. I took the car out after and didn't notice a heat difference between either caliper when i got back and under braking didn't notice the pressure difference feel when a rotor is warped (although if it is very slightly warped i guess i probably wouldn't feel that).

Where should I go from here? Do I need to file the pad surface in case the heat glazed it over? I didn't see any gauges or anything noticeable with the rotor besides it having a darker coloration to it. Can I take a carpenters square to it to check that it isn't warped? I checked a couple places by me and no one seems to turn rotors...

EDIT: question, how will having the nub in that slot affect the piston as it rotates when the pads wear?

 

Did you use the original anti-squeal shims when you replaced the pads? They should help line up everything, though the inboard pad is still difficult to see well unless you crane your neck back there.

BUT, I'd suggest you do just that, rotate the disc and look at the inboard/backside. You should be able to see if it was damaged, and if so replacement is the best option (they're cheap, about $30-40) as opposed to turning it. I can't imagine something, anything, being able to overcome the hydraulic force from that piston, though, would likely just push whatever it is against the disc and produce what you've got. The excess heat, though, might have damaged the piston seals/boot -- did you take a good look at it?

 

I didn't use the stock shims when I replaced the rear pads. The rotor looks okay, just a bit darker than the other side. As for the boot it looked okay, didn't notice anywhere that looked as if the heat affected it. Ill keep an eye on the brakes as the week goes on, hopefully everything is alright