2003 Explorer Limited Front Brakes Performance Upgrade

Note: this same procedure will likely be similar to other model years (especially 1998-2004).  I can't promise that you will be stopping faster than your girlfriend did on prom night, but you should see a noticeable difference in stopping distance.

Time: about 2-3 hours for the advanced shade tree mechanic.  5-6 hours for those not familiar with the term caliper.

Level of difficulty: aside from the lug nuts, this job is 4 bolts on each side, a little muscle, a little patience, but with a lot of reward.  Pick a morning or afternoon when you have a few hours.

Parts used: Powerslot cyro brake rotors and Hawk LTS brake pads, CRC Disc Brake Quiet, Permalex Ultra Disc Brake Caliper Lube (or similar).

Tools needed: Jack, jack stands, sockets (12mm, 18mm, 19mm), and socket wrench, impact air wrench (optional), woodworking bar clamp or other type of padded clamp, six pack of your favorite barley pop.

Unless you have several football player sized buddies willing to hold the vehicle off the ground for your while you work under it, I suggest raising the vehicle and securing it on jack stands.  Remove the lug nuts with the 19mm socket or vehicle supplied lug wrench, then remove the wheels.  Optional procedure: loosen all lug nuts only one turn prior to raising vehicle and drive around the block turning abruptly and using the brakes.  Doing this may help loosen the rotors by breaking them free from the rust on the hubs.  Drive slowly but make quick stops and turns while braking.  Stay close to the garage and don't drive fast.  Also, since you are likely to draw the attention of your neighbors to yourself, please don't do this while wearing your old high school wrestling uniform.  No one wants to see that.

Using the 12mm socket, remove the two upper and lower caliper bolts.

Pull the caliper off the pads by moving it towards the rear.  That's what she said.

Hang the caliper on the lower wishbone suspension.  Be careful not of kink any of the connections and don't let the caliper hang from the brake line.

Making sure that no one is watching you, pull the old pads out of the bracket.

Using the 18mm socket remove the two bracket bolts.

Carefully remove the two retention washers on the lug threads with a screwdriver.  Take your time and don't bend the washers too much, they will come off and you can reuse them.  Now, remove the old rotor.  Lower your cost of this brake job by $20 and sell the old rotors on Ebay or Craiglslist, or use them as a paper weight during the next hurricane.  If the rotor is difficult to remove try penetrating oil or a big hammer and a piece of wood to protect the rotor.  Hit away.  If you don't care about the rotor, then by all means forgo the wood and whack the heck out of it.

You are half way done.  Better have the beer on ice.  Carefully pull out the two caliper pins on the bracket, clean them, and smear them with the Permalex caliper lube.  The pins are just slightly different, so to avoid mixing them up, do one at a time and reinstall.

I put a little of the left over lube on the hub that contacts the rotor.  Hopefully, this will help prevent rust and should make removal of the rotor easier in the future.  If not, you, like me, just wasted 2 minutes doing something that makes no difference at all. If you do this, be careful not to get any lube on the lug threads.

Use a Quick Grip brand wood clamp with pads and slowly squeeze and finesse each caliper piston closed.  That hammer you used to remove the rusted on rotors will work too.  However, if you do it this way make sure you have another vehicle handy as you will need to run to the auto parts store for a new caliper.  Watch the level in the master cylinder and make sure that you do not back fill too much brake fluid and overfill the reservoir.  You may also want to consider replacing and flushing the fluid (not covered in this article).

Slide on the new shiny fangled rotor and the two retainer washers.  Can you feel the excitement?  Fantastic, now get back to work and reinstall the caliper bracket.

Put the CRC Disc Brake Quiet on the back of the pads.  I hope it is obvious why you want to be careful not to get any on the business side of the pads.  Let the CRC set for 10 minutes or so.  Good time to check the score of the game.  What?  No old TV in the garage!  Good grief, do I have to spell out everything?  Go inside and check the score.  I'll wait here.

Place the new pads in the bracket.  Yes, the sides with the CRC goop on it go on the outside.  The pads will work much better installed this way.  In all seriousness, make sure you install the pads correctly and double check everything.

Reinstall the caliper on the bracket.  Always replace rotors and pads in pairs, so now would be a good time to do the other side.  Just about brings tears to your eyes just looking at it doesn't it?  If not, then something is seriously wrong.  Seek psychological help immediately.

I probably shouldn't need to mention this but just in case you snuck a few sips of the adult beverages while you were waiting for the CRC to get tacky, be sure and replace the wheels and lower the vehicle prior to attempting to brake in the new rotors and pads.  It is a whole lot easier if you do.  For maximum safety and performance, it is very important to brake in the new rotors and pads according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Congrats, you just saved yourself several hundred dollars in labor charges.  Of course, I charged everything to my neighbor's American Express.  Want the number?