Would a cleaning agent make space between a solid pad and a rotor?
Uhhh....

How about taking off the whole hub, calipers, rods, etc. (probable not all necessary if you can spot most of the damage w/just the tire off) and inspecting them all for damage.
Sounds like you're gonna be replacing something.

Is it on the left side? (turning right should put more weight on the left, so just my poor physics guesswork)