Ok, I have a 2003 F250 6.0 crewcab. It is my baby. I took it into Ford 3 weeks ago for a yearly PM. Drag Link, Oil, and brakes. They said my breaks were fine and that they did not need to be changed. I told them 98k on truck, 8 years old. Please change them. So I get my truck back and there is a vibration in the right front. I finally got it back into the shop yesterday, they turned the rotors, not fixed. They changed the pads, not fixed. NOW they are telling me I need new rotors and they would cover labor if I cover parts.. What the!! No way. There was nothing wrong with my truck when I brought it in.. What are my rights? Can they actually do this? This is crazy.. Who can I contact that is above the shop manager? Please, what can I do? The shop is Munday ford Bastrop Texas.

 

Observation:

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

I am a firm believer that if you want a brake job, it means tossing in brand new rotors, and a reman or new caliper.

That is the only way to ensure components are up to spec.

 

Gearloose, you must work at a dealership. You know what a PM is? I do agree with your quote "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" but it was time for brakes. And, I have changed many brakes in my life and never had an issue with rotors. When I spend my hard earned money on something to be fixed correctly, I expect it to be within spec limits. If rotors and or new calipers are required for a brake change then it should be quoted at the time I make the appointment for my truck to be serviced.

 

There is no way to tell you that new rotors and calipers are needed "at the time I make the appointment", as at that time, the parts have not even been seen, let alone inspected.

You say you have changed brakes with no problems with rotors? Does that mean you just insert new pads?


The standard brake job (that nearly all shops do) is to turn the rotors (required) if they are thick enough to be turned.

Calipers are "pushed back", lubed and reused, and new pads fitted.


They will tell you you need new rotors if it is not thick enough to be turned.

There is no fool proof way to know if a caliper will work after its piston is pushed back.

Just as there is no fool proof way to know if a turned rotor will warp right after it is installed --- even if it left the bench fine.


If you want a quality brake job, replacement of all the components are a must, as it is a must to completely flush the brake lines and change the fluid.

I know of no shop that will do that for you "standard" unless you specified it, and am willing to pay for it up front.


I am afraid, based on your description, your expectations of the dealer --- to know the condition of the parts before he even sees them --- is unrealistic.

 

Your rotors are probably not warped but the lugs nuts are not properly torqued. This can simulate a warped rotor condition. Retorque your front wheel lug nuts. Most dealers do not use torque wrenches to torque lug nuts. The standard impact tool torque is applied and usually not opposite nuts but continuous circle. That is the wrong way to torque lug nuts on anything. Also, many dealers and shops do not realize that the correct torque for the F-250+ and Excursion is 165 lbs-ft per the Ford maintenance manual and needs to be done in two steps: 100 lbs-ft the first pass and 65 lbs-ft the next pass.

DSMMH

 

Now, that is a masterful analysis.

I once had to take a vehicle back to the dealer because the lug nut was cross threaded...lol

 

When I do a brake job and have done many, I install new pads, flush the fluid, clean and lube the slide pins and if there was any vibration I have the rotors turned if in spec. If not then I replace them. If the fluid is flushed at every brake job the odds of a frozen caliper is greatly diminished. If your in the east where salt is used or in the rust belt area that can be a diff. story. Todays new car rotors don't have the meat on them that they used too. If you get a turn on them you are usually doing good. I also usually do a run out check on the rotors. Easy to do and doesn't take much time.

 

The DBA cryo rotors I currently have are the thickest rotors of any X rotor I have used. I got the DBAs from The Tire Rack and they are pricey but IMO well worth it. I had Powerslot Cryos on the front before the DBAs but had, what I thought, a warp issue with them. However, I had new tires put on and failed to re-torque the lug nuts like I described above after I returned home. Brain Fart!!!! I did not realize what I had done until after I installed the DBA rotors and when I started to torque the nuts the light went on. Probably spent a lot of $ on the DBAs when applying the proper torque to the Powerslots would have cured the warp problem. However, I will say that I have locked the binders up hard both towing and not towing and have not come close to any rotor warp with the DBAs. One of these days when I have absolutely nothing else to do I'll reinstall the Powerslots and torque them properly to see if that would have cured my problem.

DSMMH

 

Gearloose, I think that gear may have finnaly just fell off!!
To recomend changing Rotors, and calipers on every brake job is CRAZY!! Yes I don't beleave in "pad slapping" a brake job. You should always have your rotors turned regardless if you think they need it or not. If they are not within specs (witch most aren't even right from the factory) to be turned, then you should do so. If they aren't then you should install new rotors. I will agree to that, but calipers on every brake job is not only unnessary it is flat out CRAZY!!
To the OP. If the shop did a correct brake job, from the start, the rotors should have already been turned once. Chances are if they turned them a secound time then they are way out of specs, and will need to be repalced. If you brought the truck in and told them to do a brake job, and they called and said the rotors need to be replaced would be one thing. But to bring it back for a vibration that wasn't there to start with is another, and you shouldn't have to pay anything out of pocket to fix there mess up. Sounds more like to me that you got a crap brake job, and the guy doing it dosen't know how to fix it so he is trying to get you to buy the parts that he messed up. If the rotors were fine when you brought it in they should have at least refaced them at that time. If the messed that up then you would have this vibration. Now they are trying to fix the screw up on the "turnning job" by re-turning them to get them smooth again. Sounds like they can't fix that, and still be in specs so they want you to pay for new rotors.

 

actually OEM is now recommending against the TURN the rotor every pad change routine

I used to think it was ludicrous not to ,, but then I read the service bulletin
from GM and did some research and saw it was becoming common place to skip that step ,, so I tried it last time and had no issues

but if it was warped I wouldn't turn it I would replace it ,, if it has grooves etc that need turned out then I would turn them

as far as the gear finally falling off

 

Texans.

I do so recommend and I stand by it.

And not just in salt land here, but everywhere.

I have seen too many issues to not spend $100 extra for a rotor (a lot less for lower grade ones), and $60 for a reman caliper.

Incremental cost doing it my way: extra $350 or so per axle for 350 truck grade rotors.

At those prices, it is not worth doing diagnostics.


I will however state, if you got a real well matched pair of pads and rotors, you can get them to just about wear out each other (pad wear out at same time as rotor thinness hits reject).

Have to match it with individual pad / rotor combos.. and if there is not abnormal pad wear from a binding caliper, it last the life of each other.

Then I never have to cut a rotor --- oh... there is no way to cut a rotor without losing a lot of metal --- read braking / heat absorption capacity.

So that is the way I am... some people buy APRs they don't need, I buy brake work I probably don't absolutely need...

Like bi-annual changes of brake fluid.. because I think 4% moisture is too much in my system.


I would sooner put $350 in brakes my way than to buy many other bling bling.

 

Texans, you took the words right out of my mouth, now give them back. lol I completely agree with you. It sounds like a shady deal. I have never had any dealership offer the labor for free if I buy the parts for something they tried to fix, that is unheard of.

 

Read it very carefully --- the bulletin is intended to deal with controlling warranty costs, not what is best for your vehicle.

You may notice that quietly, lots of components, (e.g. on the 6.7) have been pared back to less beefy parts. What use to go on a 350 is now on a 450.. and so on.

They are cutting the margins closer, and as they do so, the margin to do things like cut a bit of metal off and still have reasonable brake capacity is diminished over stuff we saw 10 years ago.


Go ahead and do it their way.

I will sooner do without putting Power Service, Rev X, Cetane boost, ARP, "Hot FICM", or for that matter... even a coolant filter than I would do without great brakes.

When was the last time you purged / flushed your brake system?

 

Last month I had the brakes flushed at sinister diesel . i also flushed the hydro boost
I am not buying new rotors for no good reason


Ford clearly states do not resurface rotors if no pulsation is present

good enough for me I would rather see people change their pads and evaluate the rotors than skip the whole process because they don't have the $ to replace everything

since were asking questions did u change your flexible brake hoses ? seems like they could dry rot

 

I'm glad I got my boots on cause it's getting deep now. lol. Oh and my truck just hit 4 years young and 40K miles (it's just a baby yet), but I will be flushing the fluid this summer.