Akebono ACT787 + Centric rotors. Both sides of the car are doing this. There is about half an inch at the bottom where the rotors are untouched. What gives? The car brakes great. I looked at the OEM rotors as well as other 2nd gen tsx at the dealer today (was there for another reason) and they all use ~90% of the rotor. They have aprox 200 miles on them and have been on for about 2 weeks. Here are some photos:

 

Did you properly bed the pads in? Were the caliper pins greased with the right type of grease? Were they put back in the correct holes?

 

The pins were greased with the proper lube. Akebono doesnt really have a bed in procedure. They say to simply avoid aggressive braking.

One note on the caliper pins. When they were inserted there was a strong pocket of air they caused them to be very springy. When they were finally mounted with the other half of the caliper, this seal broke and that springy air pocket escaped and they lost a lost of the bounce. However I made sure they are not seized. Ive done so many brake jobs and for some reason this had me wondering if I am doing this right lol.

 

The unuse rotor surface is not necessary an indication of a problem. That's just how the pads are made. They're simply not as long as the pads that it replaced. It could also be that the last pads was made on the longer side of the tolerance scale. Therefore, using more of the rotor's surface.

However, what is an indication of a problem is if the pad's contact surface is not making full contact with the rotor. That would mean something is not square and not using 100% of the braking power.

 

It's how the rotor is made where they machine more area closer to center
why
So it fits more cars.

​​​all aftermarket rotors seem to have this.

​​

 

You're looking at the wrong area. His pads are only rubbing on like half the rotor.

Look at the rotor machining marks. See how they're only worn on half the rotor?

 

Right. That I what I am wondering about. These Akebono pads have a lot of reviews and I'm pretty sure someone would have mentioned it. Centric rotors and Akebono pads are a very common combo. It's apparent that one rotor at the top has light wear as well. What's your take on it?

Id like to think that this is normal but I'm not sure if I'm convinced because I haven't found any other complaints of this.

 

Does the new pads have a taper to them? That could be why half the rotor is unused for now

 

How long have you used them now?

 

Taper? Like an error in manufacturing? I didn't check, but I did visually compare them with the old ones before install and I didn't notice any red flags. If you notice, where the unused space is is pretty much where the meat on the brake pad ends.

~300 miles. Still look the same. Braking performance is great.

 

OP, there is way too much info missing here and we can only draw conclusions based on what we know.

it would help to know what brand of pads you bought, which rotors you bought (brand, and where you got them from also). It would also be helpful, though a bit annoying, if you did a side by side comparison for us. Show the original rotor next to the new ones and snap a bunch of photos. Same with the pads.

its a bit of a stretch, but even checking part numbers to ensure you got the correct parts for the correct vehicle.

The more we know, the more thorough of a reply we can give you. Come back and let us know the details!

 

Centric rotors, Akeboner pads. Pretty good combo in terms of quality.

Things to remember:
The caliper pins have specific locations. The smaller pin goes into the bore on the LEADING edge, usually. Smaller as in .008" or so smaller. Its the one that isn't fully round (usually).

Pads need to be bedded in. Before they are bedded, they work like shit....hence the "avoid abrupt stops" wording. Bed them in.