You'll be fine. You know enough to re-lube them once-in-a-while.

The problems arise when they are neglected for a decade or so (or maybe just a couple of years if in the Rust Belt).

Your problems will begin only when the rubber rots.

Pop

 

I doubt mine have ever been lubed.

 

There! Sumptin' for you to do when you're low on funds.

Pop

 

I found a full set for $30. I'm just gonna replace them. $30 is easy to justify lol

 

Where'd you find them for that price?

Are they the upgraded ones?

Pop

 

Tousley Ford Parts Depot

They usually beat PGE by a few bucks, but I try to go with PGE since hes a member when I can. But since he is recovering right now I use tousley.

 

I did my front brakes a few months ago at about 96k miles. After reading of the slide pin issues, I went ahead and bought slide pins from NAPA. I also bought the boots for the slide pins. When I tore into it, the slide pins were in excellent shape, still lubed, and no corrosion. I ended up reusing them but I still replaced the boots, which were also in good shape, out of concern for their longevity. Being that you're in CA, you might have similar results.

 

[quote=raidscsi;10653973]I just did the front brakes on the 30th, and I was not impressed with what the local parts stores had.

I bought new rotors from AutoZone ($62 each, in stock), and new pads ($20 pair, in stock). During the disassembly process the passenger side caliper bracket was securely attached to the truck, had to use a 3/4" breaker bar with a 4' pipe to get those bolts lose.

The bottom slide on the passenger bracket was completely seized and we could not get it out. On the drivers side the top slide fell out on its own, completely dry, no grease no rust. AutoZone does not stock the caliper bracket, nor does the local NAPA. Advance had one bracket per store. We were going to replace them both until we saw that they didn't include the slides, or boots.

I bought a new bracket from Advance for $38, but its a refurb, no slides or boots. Since I lost a slide in the old bracket I had to buy the slide kit for another $18. It had 4 slides, two with a spot for little rubber seals and two like the old ones. The old 3 slides I could remove were all the same. Also the kit had the caliper bolts, did NOT have the stupid little rubber boots or the stainless steel rattle clips. Had to reuse these from the old stuff.

Used a lot of brake cleaner to clean the old boots, greased up the new slides and put 2 in a new bracket and 2 in the old bracket. Hopefully they don't seize and ruin the new pads and rotors.

Genuine U.S.A. parts from TAIWAN.


Thanks for the excelent description. The slides on my caliper brackets were seized exactly the same, and advance was the only parts store to stock 1 per store. No more pull to one side. Stops great!

 

I guess I can add my rant here about Ford rotors and slide pins. Ford in their infinite wisdom replaced my rear rotors at 35,000 or thereabout miles trying to correct that "normal" 48-52 mph rear end bounce that so many SD seem to have, but that's another story. I now have about 76,000 on the truck and a seized pin has proceeded to "maybe" have created a problem. I guess my b@#$h is the fact I'm not sure it was a chicken/egg scenario. Yeah, the guide pin seized, but was that soft Ford rotor gone anyhow? I have new Hawk LTS brakes ordered anyhow to match the fronts that I replaced a couple months ago, as we will be taking an extended springtime RV trip, hauling a 12,000 5er. Now I have a pair of $$ Centric rotors on order from Rock.

Ahhhhhh the fun of Ford brakes.

 

Ford's rotors are within the normal Rockwell hardness of all rotors and cast of the same materials.

 

Yep - been told that little gem before. Unfortunately they don't last as well as whatever I use as replacement, i.e. Brembo which were on my last vehicles, an F150, an F250, an Escape and a T-bird. I have daily driver Centrics currently on the front of the F350 and when I replaced the brakes at 72K miles, had virtually no outer circumference ridge. The Escape at 22,000 miles and 2 years old the rotors were totally "gone" to the point of being dangerous. At ~80K miles, the replacement Brembos were still serviceable, but were starting to show wear. So, if you are convinced that they are all the same - I really don't have a problem. My engineering background as well as my experience is giving me other indicators. I fully expect to replace at least the front rotors and brakes on the Escape's replacement, a '12 Fusion at 2--25,000 miles

 

We had to do the Rockwell as well as other tests on all the rotors we used, Ford, Chrysler, GM, Honda, Toyota, etc. So yeah, the test results convinced me.

There's are more then just one factor in relating to the wear life of a rotor.