my 79 f250 4x4 has the front disc brakes. befoei start this project i'm wondering how to do this. i think theres 2 parts one that has the studs on it and the other is conected to the disc, am i completely wrong or what? i just need to know somer steps on how to change the pads and disc or rotor w/e you wanna call it
thanks ahead of time for the replys

 

You need a big screwdriver or prybar to seperate the pads from the rotor. A 9/16 socket to take out the bolt. A hammer and punch to drive out the slider. To take off the rotor you have to remove the whole hub. To do that I suggest you get a manual.

One other thing. Please type the full word so I can understand what you want. I'm not that smart and I don't understand half words and incomplete questions.

 

yea sorry about that, i can drive out the slider so far but then the pad thats farthest in hits the rotor. so i'm thinking i need to take the hole thing off at once to get the pads and everything off. just wondering kinda how to get that hub off?
thanks

 

I'm with Willd; get a manual. YOu can spend $25 for one of the Haynes after market books or search eBay for a complete set of original shop manuals. Also, there is a pretty good CD shop manual available here at this site. Even if you don't take the time to read the disassembly procedure, the exploded photos are worth the price. Good luck.
jor

 

thanks

 

The slider comes out toward the outside of the truck, then you pry the caliper piston toward the inside of the truck so it releases the pads. Then you pull the caliper straight back and up so it comes off the rotor. The inside pad will probably stay on the rotor. Push it straight toward the truck out of it's groove and it will come right out. Don't lose the little spring thingy on the pad or it will rattle like mad.

The hubs come off with the bolts around the outside, then a snap ring or two inside. Then you have to have a special socket to remove the bearing nuts and the spacer washer. Look out for the little post that sticks up on the washer, don't mash it flat if it hasn't been done already. Then the hub slides off the spindle. To get the rotor off you have to drive the studs out of the hub. Then the rotor comes off of the hub.

If you've never done this before and you aren't a pretty good backyard mechanic, you really need pictures and specifications to do it the right way.

Good luck and have fun.

 

yea, i took off the bolts that hold the caliper on. then i removed the hub. surprisingly i didn't need that special tool to remove the bearing nuts on the drivers side. the passenger side i will have to go get one though. yea i'm a weekend machanic trying to go to school and rebuild my 79 ford. i figured it out after just looking at it though. thanks for the reply saying how to do it to reassure me that i was doing it right

 

Best way to learn is to jump in with both feet and try it. I was lucky, I had good teachers and lots of time/space to learn. Others aren't always as lucky.

Don't forget to do the spindle bearings while you are in there. They are pretty simple to do once you figure out how to get it apart. You don't have to replace them, just clean them up and repack with grease. If you have open knuckles now is the time to replace all the seals to keep out water and crud. If you have closed knuckles you are on your own since I have never worked on ford versions.

 

yea, what do you mean knuckles and stuff and spindle bearings? by the bearings do you mean the bearings i had to take out before i took off the rotor? and i'm lost about the knuckles and seals.. i'm a true beginer

 

The spindle is the thing that supports the hub. It is bolted to the axle with 5 or 6 bolts and has the bearing areas as well as the threads for the axle bearing nuts that you removed to get the hub off. Down inside that spindle is a roller bearing that supports the outer axle stub shaft that drives the hub. There are supposed to be rubber seals that keep the elements out of that roller bearing. To clean it use solvent or whatever you are using to cut the grease. Then re-pack it with axle bearing grease. The bolts for the spindle need to be pretty tight you should use a torque wrench if you have one. They are the only thing that supports the whole weight of your vehicles front-end. While you have it apart check the u-joint in the axles. Just turn them side to side and twist them back and forth. They should work good and smooth. If they are frozen or really stiff, now is the time to replace them if you can afford to. When they go out it sucks. Especially if they fall apart and ruin an axle.
Open knuckle means that you can see the u-joint and axle without taking anything apart. Closed knuckle looks like a big ball and socket joint, that you cannot see into from the outside. The open knuckle needs a small rubber seal on the axle shaft where it goes into the back of the spindle to keep dirt/water out. The closed knuckle uses either a big rubber seal or a felt seal to accomplish the same thing. Once you get it torn apart you will understand much better what I'm talking about.

When you put the hubs back on, make sure that they work before you get stuck and need them. If they are factory hubs, some of them aren't very good and have to be just perfect to work. Others are very good and never break unless abused. Dont forget to either put new o-rings on the hubs or use some silicone around the outer perimeter where it joins the hub. If you live where there is water or rain/snow the o-ring isn't really up to the task of keeping water out of the hub. Especially if you submerge them a lot. To do the silicone thing I usually put the hub in and bolt it down. Then I clean the mating surface seam with carb cleaner or something like that. Then I run a small bead onto the seam and smooth it out with my finger. Clear silicone is best since it doesn't show up unless you are looking for it. The red/blue stuff sticks out like a sore thumb.

Good luck, you are on your way to knowing more about your truck than most people will ever know. This could save you lots of grief/money later on. It's also a good way to make friends when you know how to fix their stuff and help them out.

 

ok heres where i stand as of now. i had the rotors turned and got all new pads. i started to put it all back together and packed the bearings and put new seals in. i started putting the brake pads in and the one thats not supposed to move went on fine and had a lil play in it. but the one where the caliper pushes on it i had a tuff time getting it in there and it has no play. seems backwards to me. but yea then i went to put my caliper on and it wouldn't even get close enough to where the bolts could start catching the threads. what do you think is the problem?
thanks

 

The pad in the back by the axle is supposed to be tight, otherwise it will rattle. Sometimes there is a little spring clip on the end of it to keep it from rattling. You have to push the caliper piston back into the caliper to get the caliper on with new pads. A c-clamp works great for this. Just use light pressure and screw it in till it bottoms out. Then you should be able to get the caliper back on with no problems.

 

ok thanks man