Hi all, we have a 2001 F150 Supercrew (5.4, V8, 2WD, Automatic) and the bolt that holds the front left side caliper mounting bracket has come out twice. The 1st time it came out, the caliper lifted up and shaved the inside of the wheel rim a bit. We replaced the bolt, as well as changing out the rotor & pads. The rim had a nice little scrape, but it wasn't too bad. The wheel bearings looked OK so we put some more wheel grease on them and reassembled everything. A few months later, my wife (uses truck for her daily drive) tells me she "thinks" she hears a sound. Sure enough, the front left brakes has one pad that is 'metal-to-metal', and the others very worn, but both caliper mounting bracket bolts are there. (Stop and go traffic on the freeways in southern California eats a lot of brakes).Anyway, we also notice that the lug-bolt hols on the same wheel rim (the front left, the same wheel that lost the caliper mounting bracket bolt earlier )are 'wallowed out/oval-ed out in shape?? My son and I check everything out and can't find a reason for the wheel/rim lug bolt holes to be wallowed out like that. At this point we replaced the rotor again, grease up the bearings, and put on new pads. A couple of weeks go by and then the truck makes a terrible sound from the same front left tire/wheel. My son gets the wheel off and discovers the caliper mounting bracket is missing one of the bolts again. Not sure if is the same exact bolt from before because our memories are not so good. My son figures that maybe we just didn't tighten the caliper mounting bracket bolt enough when we replaced the rotor a few weeks earlier. So, he thinks all we should need is a new caliper mounting bracket bolt again and that should be it. I am not so sure. I am wondering if there is something wrong with the front left brake caliper, or even the inner/outer wheel bearings, that is causing these symptoms, and that they should be replaced. I'm not in a hurry to spend more money then I need to, but I want the truck to be safe to drive (and stop). I don't think it is just a co-incidence that we have lost the caliper mounting bracket bolt twice, and that the wheel rim lug bolt holes are wallowed out. Does anyone know what this could be or sounds like?

 

Since this has happened two or more times, you have to do something different or you get the same results each time.
Replace the Rim because the holes are worn, loctite the caliper bolts and torque them to 23-29 Ft Lbs.
Torque the wheel 85 to 125 Ft Lbs.
Good luck.