Brake Caliper Repair: Improve Performance & Safety

Hi,
Unlike initially assumed https://community.dieselschrauber.org/en/viewtopic.php?t=4475, the front brake pads were already worn down, at least on the inner side, to a thickness of just 2mm. That's not bad for 20,000 km.
I ended up buying new brake pads, rotors (ATE Powerdiscs, we'll see how they perform), and repair kits.
I then noticed that the brake pads had become quite well integrated into the brake caliper over time.
Since the shops close on Saturday evening, I initially filed them down.
The question is how much material can be removed. In principle, this should be allowed, otherwise these replacement supports wouldn't exist.

Hello Christian!

Because of the Saturday evening store closing time, I initially filed them down.
The question is how much material can be removed. In principle, this should be allowed; otherwise, these supports wouldn't exist as a replacement option.

Based on my own experience working in a workshop, things are generally done this way. The fact that parts are sometimes replaced is usually due to damaged threads or seized caliper pistons, depending on the design. There's nothing inherently wrong with filing them down, but there's one thing you absolutely must remember: even though it's technically prohibited now, you need to apply a thick layer of copper paste to the entire surface. This serves as corrosion protection and also ensures that your brake pads sit slightly looser in their carrier, which is logical. And that requires lubrication because, with only light braking, the pads can move very freely, and the resulting vibrations cause those annoying squealing noises when you brake.
Best regards,
Dominique.

Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

"Hi,"
That's quite a statement. I did it that way too. Even with copper grease, it squeaked at first! But now it seems to have settled down again.
I've read elsewhere that ceramic paste is used instead of copper paste in ABS systems. Does it have better friction properties, or is there another reason for this?

Hello!
Regarding copper paste vs. ABS, I don't have any specific information. I only know that workshops now use this ceramic compound because copper paste is prohibited due to the risk of groundwater contamination with heavy metals in the braking area (it's difficult, but somehow understandable). Nevertheless, based on my own experience, ceramic paste offers only a rather poor corrosion protection, which leads back to the problem of corroded brake pads on the rear axle. In that case, aluminum-containing brake sprays combined with a grease paste are a better option.

Thank you for the information.