So Im going to do my front brakes on my 2000 Expedition 4x4 and need new rotors and pads. Should I get my rotors at Napa? They have them for about $43.00 each Napa Brand with 12 moth warranty.
What pads should I get Semi-Metallic or Ceramic? What are OEM pads?
Napa have the Semi-Metallic pads for $90.
Also I was checking out Auto Zone and O'Reillys what are your thoughts on their brands?
Thanks ~Gage~

 

I like (and only use) Centrix rotors. They are premium rotors. You'll prolly need to know your build date when you go to order up rotors as it was during the 2000 MY that Ford switched from 12mm studs to 14mm.

I'm not a stickler on the pads, (I don't drive fast, or use the brakes much. Heck - the original pads on my ol' '79 lasted 92k miles! ) especially on the front. They don't leave black powder on the wheels, but they do leave a very light gray powder that blends in with the color of the wheels.

 

Thanks for the reply...I really dont want to order rotors online so I just want to go to the parts store and pick up what I need.
Thanks ~Gage~

 

I get Centrix rotors locally. Most parts stores carry two, and sometimes three grades of rotors. Just call your favorite parts house and ask what brands they carry. Or if your not fussy, just tell then you want the 'cheap' ones, or the 'premium' ones.

 

I got Wagner Thermo Quiet ceramic pads from O'reilly's for about $60 and they work great and don't leave any brake dust on the rim.

Plus, they're made in the USA!

 

I'm doing mine right now. Good luck getting the rotors off! Heres a link to a neat trick that I found to help get the stuck rotors off. Also, I got the ceramic pads because they don't leave any brake dust on your wheels. They also hold up well under heat stress.Its kinda a boring video but you get the picture.

YouTube - ‪Remove Rusted Brake Rotors ( Easy for any car or truck )‬‏

 

In my experience, Napa brand/Autozone Duralast or the cheap ones at Advance or wherever are crap. I was doing a big brake upgrade to my Contour SVT and I got the fronts online which were Wagners. They fit perfectly and had no runout issues or anything. The backs I got locally from Napa and they had crazy runout issues. Returned them and got some Duralast units, same thing.

You get what you pay for. I got a set of Raybestos front rotors for my Cobra on Rockauto and those are 13" units so I'd for sure notice any runout issues or anything. Those things are straight as hell.

As far as pads, if you are ordering the rotors online you might as well just get the pads online too as a whole package. It only takes a few days to come in although with it being Friday you probably wouldn't see it till at least Tuesday.

 

PBR rotors and Wagner Thermo quiet SM's...stops on a dime now. (02 Expy 4x4)

 

Thanks for the help guys, I just have to wait till next week to do this.
Also I noticed that the caliper mounting bolts are allen bolts is this right? I have the Haynes Manual and it shows hex bolts there?
Thanks ~Gage~

 

I'll 2nd the Centric discs, very high quality pieces and I've never had any issues with the 1/2 dozen pair I've used. Their premium discs are nice with painted vanes/bells to combat rust, but their standard discs are identical just w/o the painted sections (120=premium, 121=standard).

Also, if you can live with a little wheel dust and actually want your truck to stop well, check out the Hawk LTS pads. I've been using and recommending them a lot lately to family/friends with SUVs/Trucks. They are the best all around LT/SUV pad I've ever used.

Lastly, if you haven't flushed the brake fluid in the last 2 years, its due.

 

Hawk stuff is very good. IMO, it is good practice to bleed the brakes every time you change them. A good power flush/bleed is always a good idea if its been awhile though.

 

Ok so I bought Wanger pads and Advanced Auto brand rotors. I would like to buy an power bleeder/flush I looked at Motive dont know what type will fit. What other brands would work for my trucks.
Thanks ~Gage~

 

Any universal should work ok, plenty of sites will have units with application info though. Um, be really careful of those Advanced Auto rotors for runout issues. The Napa ones I got were only 278mm units for my Contour and I could literally see the warpage when I had them installed on the hub and spinning by hand sans caliper. Returned them immediately and Autozone's Duralast brand and they were the same story. Yeah the rotors I used were Napa/Autozone but they are all the same cheap Chinese junk and I would bet they are all from the same manufacturer as well. Ordered Wagner rotors from an online Contour SVT performance site.

Like I said, I used Raybestos units I got from Rockauto for the price of the Advanced Auto crap and they are great. I do use Advanced/Autozone often for little stuff like valves/filters/belts/sensors but you really have to watch it with larger items. Don't even get me started on their remanufactured Cardone caliper units. Last time I got a caliper from them I went through 3 before I got one that wasn't goobered up.

Even if you can't see any warpage in the rotor it is always good to get a gauge to check the runout which nobody ever seems to do.

 

I am looking at redoing my front rotors and pads as well. I have been doing a lot of research and I think I will be going with some off Ebay by Brakemotive. $122 for slotted/drill rotors and ceramic pads with free shipping. I know what you are all saying... dont go with junk stuff off ebay but I have done a lot of searches and many who are using them say they are really decent for the price. They are made in Canada and not China or some other foreign country known for cheap stuff. Do your own research and see what you find out. Just another option to throw out there.

If not interested in that, look on Amazon. I have found they have good name brand pads for the best prices. I would go with ceramic pads no matter what for good stopping power with no brake dust compared to semi-metallic pads and they last longer.

 

ive only seen one thread with the mention of it, but has anyone switched to steel braided brake lines? if so, is it just as good on the expo as it is in a car?