Hi Scotty,
Thanks to you and others on YouTube, I have been able to do many diy projects including working on my cars. I have a 2012 Subaru Tribeca limited which has always had tight brake pads for some reason. Maybe it’s due to the cold winters and salt up here in Ottawa Canada which results in a lot of rust. I just replaced all 4 rotors and all brake pads with high quality power stop parts. However, this time I decided not to use the hardware clips that came with the pad kit because the old pads were super tight and wore unevenly so I thought I would try without the clips and let the pads slide freely and do their job. Is this a bad idea?
Thank you, Robin.
Yes I think it's a bad idea. The clips are there to prevent corrosion from seizing up the brakes.
@mountainmanjoe
Thank you! So, would you recommend grinding the brackets with a dremmel or something so that they aren’t so tight?
they are snug, but they should fit if you have the right parts. Hit it with a wire brush to get rid of any rust and grime.
I would not re use the brackets. Use new ones that came with the brake pads. If there were really tight you need to make sure you are lubricating the edges of the pads so they slide along the brackets easily. I would not break out the dremmel just yet.
