The pins are out finally but you mentioned the slider/ thrust plates which I could do with some advice on. If we are talking about the same parts, elongated U shaped bits of metal that act as shims for the top & bottom of the pads to slide over. Mine are partly damaged on one caliper and though I can see the plates should be removable I had no joy trying to remove them in situ, the allen key bolts are just too tight.
The drivers side was fine but on the passenger side I couldnt work out why the back of the pads wouldnt sit comfortably against the back of the caliper once the pistons were fully recessed. I then noticed the metal slide plates were higher towards the outside than the inside, forcing the pads in towards the disc. This probably explains why the pad wear was so uneven. I carefully sprayed plus gas then brake cleaner under the plates as far as I could to wash out the build up of dirt to make them sit flatter and also ground a marginal amount off the edge of the pads. All ok there but then I noticed 2 suspicious bits of metal on the ground and realised whilst I had been concentrating on the front sections of the U on these plates, the back parts must have snapped at some point and had come away when the original, worn, pads were lifted out.
Now Ive worked on calipers on a lot of cars over the years but these slide plates are new to me and just seem a confounded nuisance. Will it make any difference if I now fit the new pads and pins ignoring the rear section of these slide plates ?. It wouldnt seem to make any difference to braking and the pads fit snugly but are sufficiently free to move as they should, just as they would be in any other caliper. Is this ok or am i looking at a full caliper rebuild for this, which Im guessing would mean the expense of getting both sides done to ensure fully even braking is maintained ?