Is it possible the outer pads were somehow hanging up on the pins and/or the holes were oversize? If they were stuck then the piston would be pushing the pad and it would be hinging on the pins, leading to contact at the lower edge but not at the top.
I didn't check the size of the holes in the pads relative to the pins, but I'll do that when I'm at the shop today. I did notice that the pins were properly lubricated when I took everything apart.
