High rolling resistance?

The diagnosis could not be more simple. If it is for sure the front wheels either the calipers are sticking or the hoses are constricting or the master cylinder is not allowing fluid back flow. All very easily determined.
How the pads can slide easily and not be removed I'd have to see to believe.

 

One possibility could be that the shim, 21, has been "attached" to the backing plate of the pad with one of the sticky anti-noise damping sprays -- requires "peeling" 21 off of the backing plate before the pad can be withdrawn:

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That could be. Have never used that stuff and forget some still do. It is a good explanation.

 

Parking brake partially applied? That’d be my first look. See if the parking brake shoes are not stuck.

 

“…high rolling resistance when pushed”

if this assessment methodology is correct, you have the wrong shop.

 

Is the rolling resistance consistent? Does it change if they are rolling it uphill or downhill?

 

This is dumb. Have they taken temps wheel to wheel with a thermometer? It is very easy to isolate a problem caliper/ brake issue.

 

I just got done replacing the rear brake hoses and and removing pistons from the brake calipers, installing new seals etc. This is on a 512BB.

Initially I was able to push the caliper pistons back but when I went for a short test drive one of the pistons was sticking causing a high rolling resistance and heating up the rotor.

In my case two of the hoses, one on each side had closed and the corresponding pistons had sat in the same position for quite a while.

The rear hoses take a lot of heat from the engine and headers as they are very close.

It it is not a shim issue as described above - see if they can bleed all 3 points of the rear caliper on each side. Easy to do and if not time for new hoses and "while you are there have them rework the calipers. Not a big job.

 

The "shim issue" is for having difficulty withdrawing the pads from the caliper -- not the high rolling resistance.

 

OK - Thanks Steve, I misread - fault on me. As you well know those pads have "ears" on them (at least the Boxer pad does). You can generally get the pad to come out by starting to pry it out with a screwdriver but the shim must be maneuvered out seperately from the outer edge..

But I don't think that addresses the high rolling resistance - right?

 

Yes, that's still an unknown (and a bit surprising to me that the shop can't just jack-up the wheels slightly and check each front, and the rears together, to investigate).