I have 2004 F150 3v 5.4 and time for brake change. Anyone have experience with Detroit Axle brake sets [seems great value] and I get mixed reviews. I think it has a lot to do with how well the brake were installed and properly set/broken in with rotors properly heat cycled to ward off warpage.

Another question, I dont do heavy driving/hauling or towing, so I'm mixed between using ceramic or semi metallic pads. Also thinking about getting the drilled n slotted rotors from Detroit Axle, or Oreilly's BrakeBest 680178RGS 2yr warranty or 680178PRM 3yr warranty. I notice they have semi metallic for super duty work & towing, also super duty for police vehicles, and as oem. But a friend mechanic said they were swapping out police cars from semi metallic pads to ceramic pads all the time. I just dont understand.

*Also any suggestions on making rotors last longer so only pads need to be changed? My understanding is semi metallic chew up the rotors more and ceramic with wear down before the rotors wear down..

 

So here comes the statement that will bring the haters out: Rotors do NOT warp, like ever.
They DO develop thickness variations that the lay-person & even most pros call "warped".
99.999999% of the cause of shaking wheels under breaking is a complex process of "hot-spotting" the rotor witch will actually get worse over time due to science.
The super heated spots will actually change the properties of the metal in that area that will grow & go deeper.
This is due to the fact that the area that has now become more dense conducts more heat than the surrounding area.

Long story short, most of the time this can be traced back to improper break-in (called "bedding your brakes"), or can be caused by sudden locking of the brakes keeping the pads locked in 1 spot on a hot rotor that heats up spots.

That being said, there will always be imperfections in the metal of any product that could cause you issues so your best bet is a quality product with a descent warranty & closely following the instructions that come with it. I do not have any first hand experience with Detroit Axle products but I have installed more brands than I can remember of similar products.

Your best bet for picking a product is to look for ones that fit the type of application.
I will use a silly example: If I have a daily driven Mustang & order a set of "race pads & race rotors" because they are "super awesome on the track", this is just wasting $$$. On a daily driven vehicle, these are too aggressive & will NEVER be in the heat range they were designed for & therefore do a crappy job on the street.

To answer your semi-metallic vs ceramic question it is just like the example above: It depends on the application. Metallic pads (in general) are a more abrasive material than ceramic, so the pads may last longer but also have a tendency of making metal on metal noises day to day (this is normal for them).

Hope this helps

 

Thx for all of that explanation, all of it. Thank you and that does help some things make more sense to me. I've recently learned of the improper breaking in and heat cycling of rotors as well has having a hard brake and just staying there on the same spot of rotor letting the heat build up in that spot instead of allowing the rotor to turn and move the hot spotting around to dissipate evenly [or something like that]. But I get what you mean. Thank you for that and your time.
However as for the 'warping', I've had rotors turned before and their thickness variations sure seemed warped. Didn't look right being put back on the autos.

Would you bleed the brakes too while at it? And if so, preferred method...?

And seeing that you had a 2005 5.4 3v, and suggestions are parts, or anything in general to be aware of? I just rolled 300K and bought it in great condition at 265K. SO far only 1 coil went bad.

 

Mine is also at 300k.
I have just used replacement Ford pads & rotors as I don't do anything more than the truck was intended for.
It is a "good practice" to flush out the brake fluid about every 2 years as the system can (and does) develop moisture along with all that dirt you see in the reservoir.
I usually recommend sucking the reservoir down & filling with clean fresh fluid then bleed in order: RR, LR, RF, LF.
You always start from the "furthest" point in the system & work forward.
As you are flushing, refill the fluid & pump until you get clean fluid out of each caliper.

You need 2 people if you are doing the standard pedal pump or it is much easier with a compressor & power flush.

 

I've always been sketched by Detroit Axle, but in the same breath I'll say I used Callahan on the front of my '07 F150. Callahan is the budget arm of PowerStop, but in many cases the parts are identical.

However I chose the cheapest stuff because my '07 regular cab is a parts runner and doesn't tow, or even haul heavy. It's my own personal beater and rarely does the wife even sit in it, so I maintain a minimum standard of good enough but inexpensive.

I'd probably step up from Detroit Axle. And I'd probably go ceramic for better initial bite. I'd avoid drilled and slotted as its a gimmick.

And yes, do bed them after initial install. I just do ten hard stops from ~40 to ~5mph. Then drive several miles with no braking so they can cool.

 

Ceramic is a great insulator, to leave heat in the rotor and keep the fluid cooler. Semi metalic pads have a better initial bite, but they will suck heat out of the rotors and they will pass it to the piston and fluid. If you are easy on brakes, SM are fine. SM will dirty the wheels more too. I tried ceramic once, run them a few days, they are on a shelf ever since.

 

These trucks also have some history with front calipers locking/seizing when they get hot...summer in city traffic type stuff. Both my front calipers did that at different times. Lots of fun when it happens in traffic. My rotors sure seemed warped on run out checks after those failures. But I'm no scientist...