So the story begins in June 2016 just after purchasing my X. Towing my popup home to prep before leaving town on vacation. Everything is fine then out of the blue during an attempt to stop at a traffic light, the steering wheel tips or of my hand and the truck jumps lanes, to the left.
So i determine from this that my right front brakes aren't working. Remove the right front caliper to find frozen guide pins and mostly seized pistons. Left had at least one frozen pin, can't remember the condition of the pistons.
I replace both calipers with carriers and pins, pads, and hoses, all from napa. The calipers were reman obviously.
Fast forward 10k miles to Monday December 26. Driving home from family and hear metal to metal while braking. Today I remove left front wheel to find the inside brake pad material gone and backing plate on my rotor. The outer pad had similar wear as the right front pads which was normal for 10k miles. I removed the caliper fully expecting to have seized guide pins but no they're fine. Ok so frozen piston, not exactly. I can't push the pistons back together with my 15" channel locks so I decide to push them individually. They're stiff but they go back but with what I feel is still excessive force.
So i spend 5 hours today messing with this. I placed a stack of 4 other used pads in the caliper and had my son pressing on the pedal and releasing while I watch the pistons. After he presses the brakes and releases them, i find it rather hard to remove any of the pads in my stack. I can see the pistons retract but there is so much pressure i have to pry excessively hard to remove one or two of the pads in my stack. If I open the bleeder it doesn't make it any easier.
I tested the right side caliper the same way and it seemed to be about the same. When spinning the hubs with the calipers on, there is noticeable drag from both sides compared to with the calipers removed. Obviously I expect there to be some drag and if it were more than usual i would have the same problem on the right side as i did the left and I don't.
At this point I'm uncertain if I had a partially stuck caliper pistons and since I moved them so much and exercised them today theyve loosened up, or if I have an issue with my abs or hydraulic control unit. I'm pretty certain it's not an issue with the master since the front brakes are on a shared port and I don't have an issue on the right front. Either way napa is replacing the left caliper and carrier and pads. They're also giving me a huge break on new rotors since I believe their caliper ruined my slotted rotor. At this point I'm gonna install the new parts but keep my eye on the wear. I should have mentioned already that the X developed a slight left pull at all times and hard pull during panic braking sometime after the initial parts replacement.
I'm open to all ideas on this so if you have something to add please feel free.

 

Interesting, because mine pulled to one side hard and I replaced both front calipers and once in a while mine will still pull gently to one side and I pulled all four corners and the only anomaly I found was that the passenger inside pad up front was worn appreciably more than the other pads.

Caliper appeared to be operating fine. It's only a year old....

 

Well I'm guessing a pressure test on both front hoses is in order for both of us.

 

Have you converted to Russell Stainless Steel Lines? You need to if you haven't.
Have you flushed and replaced ALL of your fluid since buying your truck? You need to if you haven't.
I strongly, strongly recommend replacing all four calipers if they are original, but since you just bought it 6 months ago you might not know this or be able to tell. IMO, no caliper was ever designed to last 13 years on a big, heavy truck like the Excursion. Especially if brake fluid is not changed YEARLY (at minimum) and slide pins are not kept up with.

 

The rear calipers and hoses were replaced before I bought the X and it has new front calipers and hoses. The fluid has been flushed now twice since I bought the X.
Stainless lines won't fix the problem I'm having.
Got the front brakes put back together today. Had some trouble bleeding the front and resolved myself to needing a bleed with the ford IDS tool. Went to drive around the block anyway and notice a trail of fluid on driveway after I pulled out. Now the hard line running to the rear axle along drivers side frame rail has a pin hole and is squirting fluid. Now i get to deal with that.

 

Thinking about using the new copper-nickel line to hand bend a replacement.

 

Also found this place online, sstubes.com that sell pre bent stainless lines for the X. The middle section consisting of 2 pieces is $115 and the rear axle 2 pieces are $40. I may just go this route since that's pretty affordable.

 

I feel for you guys.


I have a 2000 Excursion. The farthest I go on a set of brakes is about 6500 miles. I have replaced every single part of the braking system lines included more than once. When I say lines I mean soft and hard from master to calipers. I have a stack waist high outside of junk rotors. We just took the X to Yellowstone in August. Before we left I replaced Rotors, calipers, pads, and soft lines and all new fluid. Hard lines were new August of 2015. I also installed a Dynatrac Free Spin up front. Now with 6045 miles on the brakes I have a right rear with no material left on the pads and another junk rotor. The other 3 show very little wear. I can push the caliper back by hand and the pins float free. The caliper doesn't even have rust on yet. Here in WI everything has rust!


Today it was the right rear that let go. Last time the left rear. The time before that it was the left front and the left rear before that. They all have taken their turn but its only ever 1 that craps out.


This is not an isolated issue. I had a 2000 F350. SAME THING! My daughter has a 99 F250. SAME THING! My brother in law has a 2001 F250 and my cousin has a 2004 F250. Neither of them do their own work and bring the trucks in to their own mechanics. All are having the same problem so if it's something I'm doing wrong...so are the pros.


I have bought pads, rotors, and calipers from every source all with the same end result.


When I run new lines, I get a 25 foot roll of line and bend my own. The roll is about $30 plus new fittings but way cheaper than pre bent. Pull the old one out and use it as a template. A $6 Harbor freight bender works perfect.

 

Denny, have you replaced the master cylinder or abs unit or hydraulic control unit? Any of the hydraboost? Your issue is indeed strange. I don't understand how it keeps moving around on you. That's definitely weird.
Still contemplating just making my own line. Have you used the copper nickel on yours?

 

Yes. Every part has been replaced on the x my 350 and my daughters 250. The issue still floats around from corner to corner. Pads calipers and rotors are changed more often than the oil! Not sure on how far the brother in law or my cousin has dug in but they both called me to see what their mechanic did wrong.


I just buy the steel line. I use a double flare kit and fittings from the parts store. and with the bender I can match the bends close enough that they fit in all the factory clips in the frame.


For what its worth I've had a 2011 F350 for a year now and had a back brake hang up twice in 20000 miles. They each took a turn.

 

This is not normal. I'm not convinced mine was a hung up caliper. I just can't bring myself to condemn the caliper. I know it wasn't the slide pins and I'm just not sure it was 2 hung pistons on the same caliper. I'm not saying it's impossible but I couldn't prove it with real certainty yesterday.
For your issue to keep moving around like it is, I'm convinced your issue has to be centered around the abs system controller or hydraulic control unit or just failing individual calipers and lines. It seems like there is residual pressure being applied to a random caliper and it's moving around. The front axle is fed by 1 port from the master and the same for the rear axle. So any issue from the master would cause symptoms on both left and right front calipers. And in fact the rear axle is fed by one line so again if it were a master cylinder issue it would effect both.
I've ruled out my master cylinder because of way the system is plumbed from the master. If my issue returns I feel like I can condemn some aspect of the abs unit.
Hopefully that all makes sense to you and maybe helps you with your issues.

 

So i replaced the hard line today that runs inside the drivers side frame rail. Used the copper nickel and it was a breeze. No more leaks. Brakes bled out easily. Bed in pads. Let them cool. Never had a pedal this form before in the X. No more pull to the left under hard braking, just squats and stops. I'll be tracking the pad wear.