accepted method for sanding pads

[azruss]

just got new brake pads and they are too thick to slide into the pad housing. What it the proper way to cut these pads. currently i am sanding them down by hand using a 3x18" 60g sandpaper glued down to the top of my cast iron table saw top and measuring with a mic as i go.

[aj81spider]

Do your pads have a metal plate on the back? Others who have had trouble fitting have had that and removed it to make them fit.

http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic ... it#p121935

[azruss]

my pads have the standard backing plate, but no extra shims. The pads out of the box are .680" and need to be trimmed down to .540". I found a table top belt sander i bought from Harbor freight does the trick. I have a 30g belt that takes that 1/8" plus off in a minute or 2. I then mic the thickness and take it down to even by hand. i can get it flat within a few thou with my 80g on the table saw. once i got the method down, i spend less than 5 min a pad getting it right. Now that i know what thickness to go for, i dont have to keep going back and fitting.

[majicwrench]

???????????? First off, am sure there is asbestos in the pads, I would never sand em. Second, why would they need to be sanded??? Send em back, or correct whatever else is wrong.
Keith

[131]

If the caliper doesn't fit over them you haven't got the piston retracted enough or they're the wrong pads. The correct parts don't require modification to fit.

[RRoller123]

The back pads are much thinner than front, maybe mixed up?

[azruss]

All the responses has got me thinking that I have been installing the pads wrong all these 40+ years. I have alway slid them into the rotor slot, thus the reason they are too fat. It now occurs to me that perhap i should be removing the holder from the caliper, intalling the pads off the caliper and then somehow reinstalling the holder on the caliper without sliding it on. (didnt think this was possible). This also begs the question of the rear pads being thinner because they have to be installed thru the rotor slot.