Never underestimate the importance of the brake pad clips or brake pad springs. These are tiny things but they play significantly in the disc brake system.
One day when I was driving to my church work going to the Worshiping Congregation which is about 10 kilometers away from the Mother Church. The spindle axle got loose threads and the spindle bearings were crushed. As a result, the tire is no longer on its normal position so the rotor or the disc forced the brake pad to break from the normal position. Because the clip can no longer hold the brake pads it was removed from its proper place and it was gone.
To cut the story short everything was fixed except for the clip which was not replaced because it’s out of stock in the market. The truth of the fact is that anyone is discouraged to drive a vehicle without this little thing, the brake pad clip. Everything is no longer normal when not fixed or replaced as in the original part.
Functions
Brake pad clips or brake pad springs are the ones that clamp the brake pads to the caliper. Clips or springs hold the pads so they will not move if pressed on the spinning rotor.
If it happens that the brake pad clips loosen and disentangled, the brake pad will move as it is pressed to the rotating rotor. If the the brake pads have already worn and has enough space inside the caliper it might be forced to break and may cause the breakage of the caliper.
There are a lot of clips different in forms depending on the car model you have or spindle assembly. The older models may be difficult to find such springs and clips if they are lost. Especially producer company may no longer have the interest to have it after how many decades.
Though these are tiny compared to the whole body of the car you own, however, if you lose these until it has not been replaced your car will stay in your garage or in the shop for a long time. It’s better not to take the risk in driving than to have the courage and be regretful for either yourself or others be the victim of such a consequential accident.