Abstract: A plunger for a wellbore plunger lift system includes a piston having a top end and a bottom end, and a pad having an inner surface that is positioned adjacent to the piston. In some embodiments the pad is moveable from a retracted position to an extended position where a bottom end of the pad is positioned a greater distance than a top end from a central axis of the piston. The piston may include a communication passage extending through the piston from a position above the pad to a position between the piston and the inner surface of the pad. The pad plunger may be a bypass or non-bypass plunger.