Regarding my '94 f250 4x4 manual extended cab:
Driver caliper seized on my way home from picking up a big log so I pulled over and swapped it and drove it home...
But the rotor was totally messed up from one of the two pistons apparently having been sticking for a while at an angle and grinding down the outside side of the rotor.
Apparently I didn't notice until it was actually burning up... Been driving around my place mostly logging on my own land these last few months and hadn't been out on the highway in a while. We've been having so much rain this year, everything under there had more surface rust than normal and with a damaged boot on the piston in question I think it got rusted in.

So I think its time to do a both sides front rotor/caliper swap.

I'm trying to figure whats the best bet, go stock and order a set of Motorcraft all around (not to different in price from aftermarket) or go for an aftermarket, what's best for these trucks on the front end brakes? I just watn to get somthing that'll be a good solid set of solid front brakes I hopefully won't have to fuss with to much for a while. Bought this particular truck a year ago and have been working over her while using her as my work truck... so haven't gotten to everything yet.

I rebuilt the rear end on my old bullnose years ago when I first bought it, but I've never done a front end on a 250... what is the best? I haul a lot, logs and gravel in the bed, well loaded trailers, so I'm rebuilding with that in mind.

Motorcraft? Aftermarket, if so what?

Thanks!

 

New is generally best, while with reman it is important to go with a reputable brand.

Looking at Rockauto: if it were my dime, because I don't always take my own advice, I would have a toss-up between the new Delcos and the reman Motorcraft, with a STRONG temptation for saving $20 and getting new Raybestos. Strike that - I would buy the new raybestos in your use case. Or any use case.

Possibly just as important, when it comes to a stuck caliper - also replace the flex lines. Those could have also been the/a culprit for the caliper sticking (nobody says that problems have a single cause).

 

I would not, will not, do not buy rebuilt calipers. Find a new one thats from a brand youve heard of; delco, raybestos, motorcraft are all sound choices, so get whichever is cheaper. Would go organic pads.

 

Thanks for the thoughts - yea, new makes sense to me. After all... only the best for my girl...

I am definitely replacing both the flexibe lines - have already purchased them in fact! I did one in October when I put a new metal crossover line in, but one never knows whats going on in there.

Really the whole brake system is in order for a rebuild top to bottom as every time I've bled the brakes there's been some nasty grey fluid - have flushed it all out and a few months later it'll be nasty again. I'm intending to put a flat bed on this truck as the body is real banged up, and so have been putting off the full new set of lines and new drums, etc.

Looking over options on rock auto it seems like the new coated ones may be the best bet - Esp. since I'm in the woods in wet areas a lot.

Any thoughts on best rotors? Don't want no warping,

 

I don't know what you mean by the "new coated ones", if its hard lines, get a roll of nickel-copper line and never worry about it again. The nickel-copper stuff is easier to work with than steel and won't rust away in a few years.
If its a caliper thats coated, I doubt that will make any real difference, they are so thick they will never rust out, how the inside of the caliper is treated is more important.

On flushing out the old stuff, since the bleed screw is on the top to get the air out, all the fluid sits down lower in the calipers and wheel cylinders. When you flush, you're only getting the stuff out of the lines. To really clean it out you'd have to remove the calipers/wheel cylinders and drain/flush the old crap out to actually get it all cleaned up. Calipers wouldn't be too bad with the front tires off you could take a clamp to the pads and squish it all back together (with the bleeder open of course, don't want to push all that crap back into the master). Wouldn't get all, but a good amount of the old stuff would come out. You'd have to at least pull the drums in the rear to try and do the same thing there.

 

Its not that, the remans half the time dont replace the pistons, or they do and they are not stainless, either case gets you right back to a stuck caliper. You can go reman, but plan on doing calipers every time you do pads.