After 60K on my 03 F250 I just put on brakes and rotors for the third time. the set I just removed are Ford OEM and are pitted severely on the inside. I did find one slide frozen but the truck was stopping fine but began pulsating as if the rotors were warped. Anyone else in the rusty northeast area having a problem with rusted rotors?

 

Many of us have had to replace brakes that were worn out due to rusted sliding pins, rusted pads or sticking calipers.

The rotors get a little rust on them but that does not cause brake wear. leaning and lubricating the sliding pins annually and making sure the brake pads are not rusted in place seems to add life to our brakes.

There are updated sliding pins available now. Installing these may help on an older truck.

Lou Braun

 

Low annual mileage probably isn't helping if it is a result of sitting for lengths of time. That being said, I'll toss in a plug for Fords pre-paid maintenance plans. While they are normally for heavier used vehicles, they do include all brake repairs during the period of the plan. For most folks, they can save a good amount of money for ownership and mean you pretty much just buy fuel and tires.

 

My two SuperDuty trucks gave me brake issues and still do from time to time. It's a machine and machines wear parts out. Heavier the use, the quicker parts fail.

Owning a SuperDuty I think requires you to have an annual budget of $500-$1000 for repairs, maintenance, and upcoming things. You may not spend it every year but if you budget it then tires won't be such a suprise expense or when brakes go bad. These trucks get expensive and more so in the rust belt. But having that reserve cash on hand can lessen the pain. It stinks parts don't last longer but brakes have always seemed to be an issue with these trucks.

 

I use to have a '95' 250 that would require to lube the sliders every other oil change or so it was cheaper to take the time to take the wheels off and lube than replace worn parts.

MDSuperDuty well said, I believe some buy these trucks for that big rugged look but don't realize they cost time and money to keep running in a safe and productive manner.

 

Fore sure. These trucks cost far more than the monthy payment (or cash price for those wealthy folks) as does any vehicle that is outside the bumper to bumper or powertrain warranty.

It's hard to budget that money and keep it there but it makes it much easier when you need to have a repair done.

I have a list already for my truck and have zero time to do anything right now.

Also for a vehicle that is 12 years old I don't see 3 brake changes as that much, regardless of miles. My truck sits in the winter and the rotors get full of surface rust which I'm sure will shorten their life.

I only put on about 5k mi/yr and do 2-3 oil changes per year. Overkill? Likely. But my truck is almost constantly attached to a dump trailer with tons of shorter trips. To me an oil change is cheap so I don't care if I do it that many times. Makes me feel better.

The point is these trucks require a lot of regular maintenance. I'm sure there is someone who will chime in saying they have 250,000 miles with the same pads and rotors and have never had as much as a bushing need replacement. Or so they say.

When I purchased this truck it had 24k miles and needed

Exhaust manifold replacement (cracked) - warranty repair

New GEM as one had failed - warranty repair

Full brake job (was about 35k/mi) - my dime. And dually brake jobs are a royal pain compared to a SRW truck.

Things go wrong.

 

Some of us are more **** about PM but when it comes time to push the limits of the truck I don't think twice to do it knowing everything is up to snuff.

 

Sitting out in the moisture will rust the rotors (obviously). Once the corrosion worms start their thing its too late. You will get pitting even though you knock the rust off it when you do drive it. Park it inside is the only option in damp climates. Or take it around the block every few weeks verses letting it sit. Be sure certain parts get either anti-seize or the silicone grease.
Wonder if the aftermarket makes a high nickle content rotor. SS would be your ticket. But the cost might scare all of us! But do them once and forget about for a long time.
Bleed your brakes every other year. Cheap insurance. A sluggish caliper or frozen caliper wont help your cause. Look for uneven wear. That's an indication of frozen sliders or caliper pistons.