Brake pad wear sensor which way is it?

[Mr. Z]

CorvettePartsBob, Can you please clear up this confusion once and for all. There seems to be a discrepancy between the TSM and '04 C5s as to the orientation of the brake pad wear sensors. The TSM states that the wear sensor is installed on the inside brake pad in the trailing position during forward rotation of the rotor (or top of the caliper on the front brakes) but I have checked an 04 Z06 and an 04 coupe and both have the wear sensor mounted in the leading position (bottom of the caliper on the front brakes). I'm sure that the factory did not get this wrong on that many cars and I suspect it has more to do with the design of the wear sensor itself. The reason I suspect the design is I checked an 01 coupe and it was in the trailing position however the wear sensor was of a different design. In the picture link below the pad on the left is the new design off of a 04 Z06 and the pad on the right has a design similar to an 01 coupe. Of course if you check your brakes often and never get down to the wear sensor then the position of it is somewhat of a moot point but I was just curious since I have seen some posts on this forum and others questioning this very thing. Thanks

[CorvettePartsBob]

I have checked on directions with both OE and the Ceramic brakes, talked to our lead tech and compared to two C5's. The brake instructions with the OE and Ceramic pads, whose designs happen to match the RH pad in the picture, just say to put the pad with the wear sensor on the inside position only, no reference to top or bottom of the pad. My technician says the reason no mention of the sensor other than on the inside position is it actually makes no difference. The sensor is strictly a wear sensor and will work in either position. He said he always puts them on in the same direction as the pads being replaced. We checked two C5's with the original factory pads still on them and the front brakes had the sensor at the top inside and the rear pads had the sensor on the lower inside of both cars. So if you want it the way the factory does it there you go.

I hope this answers your questions.

Bob

[GOLD72]

That would put the wear sensor in the trailing edge position for both front and rear wheels which makes sense to me. If the pad tries to wear in a tapered fashion, then the trailing edge normally will be the thinnest.

GOLD72

[Mr. Z]

Thanks for the answers Bob.