I posted this on the SuperDuty form but haven't gotten any feedback - maybe somebody on this forum knows about "Standard Premium" brake pads.

Original Message :

I just took my 2013 F250 CC SWD in to the local dealership to have the brake pads replaced. Before taking the truck in, I did a search of the internet for the correct part number and found all sorts of different numbers and descriptions.

There were part numbers described as "Organic", "Semi-metalic", "Ceramic", and "Standard Premium". I've never heard of "Organic" brake pads but various comments I have read of FTE and elsewhere seem to indicate that they wear pretty quickly. I've also heard that the ceramics are hard on the rotors, causing them to wear and score faster than the "Standard" pads.

I mentioned all this to the service adviser and asked that they just use the "Standard" replacement pads. Well, apparently they plug my VIN number into their computer and use whatever part numbers the database spits out.

What I ended up with were a set of Mexican made BR-1680 (EU2Z-2V001-C) front pads and a set of BRF-1456 (DC3Z-2200-D) "Majority Content Made in USA" rear pads. Online, I have seen at least one description of the front pads as "Integrally molded organic" and the rear pads have at least one description as "Ceramic, severe duty" for dual wheel F350s.

When I brought this up with the service manager he went into a long story about different types of pads and different types of materials and different specifications and etc., etc. - I didn't get anything very definitive.

So, I don't know what I've ended up with; you'd think that no matter what the material, both sets would be of the same type and same part number prefix ("BR", BRF", etc.). Aren't these things supposed to be matched, front & rear?

Does anybody know what the correct "Standard" replacement brake pads are for the 2013 F250 SWD? Is there a Ford technical rep out there who can give me a straight answer?

Thanx.

 

Your truck came off the assembly line with Organic pads. Organic are the industry standard between 67% of new cars. Organic pads offer a great all-around performance/noise at a good value. As a rule of thumb, but Ceramic and Semi Metalic will last longer and perform better. Ceramic, however, aren't as loud. Semi-Metalics generally just have slightly louder noise when applying brakes.

For 99% of people, good old organic pads are far more than adequate. Brake pads are SIMPLE to manufacture. They are a piece of steel with an extremely cheap friction lining. 95% of the work is performed by CNC mills. The friction materials are all tested by the NBS and are assigned a Designated Friction Coefficient.

Unfortunately, parts made in the USA are probably of inferior quality for one reason. Copper. They are able to add more of it in other countries. Ironically pads made overseas ore manufactured with overseas friction materials are superior.

I'm shooting myself in the foot here, but there is almost zero difference between brands. It's not expensive or difficult to manufacture a good pad. There's not much difference in the recipes from organic, semi-metallic, metallic, or ceramic. Pads from Mexico and Overseas are generally the same thing. These days, they all use the same resins, and sources of minerals/metals.

Brake pads fall apart because they are over-stressed. As in someone was towing and road the breaks for half an hour down a steep grade. Ceramics may perform a bit better in that scenario, but so would just driving a bit easier and using gears.

In any case, everyone will buy what they buy. I have been installing cheap pads on all my vehicles for 30 years and have never had a problem. They surprisingly outperform all expectations. Iv had a relatively similar experience with rotors. I find that people who drive easily are far less prone to having problems :P. But in any case, hope this helps. I'd personally just get good ole organics, preferably made in Mexico where they still use decent amounts of copper.

 

I've not dug into the friction material composition of NAPA's Ultra Premium disc brake pads but use them as they came highly recommended by a mobile fleet mechanic who is also a trusted friend.

The work very well, seem to be easy on my rotors and have long life. I drive mostly on freeways, not a lot of stop-n-go city traveling. They're not cheap by any means but work well enough I've not been yet seen a need to look or experiment with other brands or types.

 

Berliner : Thanx for your reply - interesting information about copper content in brake pads.

I just had the truck in at the dealer for an oil change and general overall inspaction. The pads now have about 31,500 miles on them; the shop technician reported that the front pads are now worn down to marginal condition (pad thickness down to ~ 5 mm) and need replacement - he didn't indicate any issue with the rear pads. Front pads always wear faster than rear pads and at 31,500 miles I'm thinking that they have held up as well as could be expected. Within that mileage, about 10,000 of that was towing a travel trailer.

However, they are also saying that the front rotors are worn and need to be replaced - these are the OEM rotors with 69,000 miles. I have never had rotors replaced on any vehicle with mileage that low (actually, I've never had rotors replaced on any vehicle I've owned). Does 69,000 miles sound plausible or should I get a second opinion?

Thanx.

 

Are you experiencing any movements or vibrations that would lead you to believe you have a damaged rotor? I would eyeball it. Check for the usual signs of over stress. Coloration or surface damage. Lots of YouTube videos on rotor inspection and the steps are generally applicable to all disk brake systems.

To go a step further, get out a caliper, and measure the thickness of the rotor on the smallest spot. Make sure it is more than your Worn Rotor Minimum Thickness, which is engraved into the side of the disk. The disk doesn’t move, so you might have to take the tire off to check that.

If thats not not an option, could maybe ask the shop to show you first hand, with pictures or get a second opinion.

It’s not unusual. Rotors can go bad. 5mm is a good time to change them. Trucks are at a higher risk for cracking below that point.

 

I tried them on my 2013 DRW that I use to pull my heavy 5th wheel and after a year and a half I replaced them because of fade and they sounded like I was killing a pig every time I stopped, it was embarrassing. I went back to what worked on my 2000 DRW, Preformace Friction Carbon Metallic.

Denny

 

I don't tow anything, rarely even approach the GVW capacity of my E250's & E350's which might account for my liking the NAPA stuff. Of course I've heard from fleet mechanics who swear the WearEver stuff from Advance Auto is good too. I just can't bring myself to trust any of those chain store low price outfits---something is being compromised at their price points.

 

The BR-1680 is a Motorcraft standard retail (cheep) replacement pad. The BRSD-1680 is an improved Motorcraft HD retail replacment pad. These are the two most common options for the front from Ford. Neither pad is what was installed on the assembly line. Hope this helps, Russ