I have a 2001 E150 cargo van (50k miles) that has grinding and heavy pulsing when the front brakes are applied. I have replaced the pads (3x), rotors (2x), calipers (1x) and the problem comes back after only a couple of weeks. When I hit the brakes at about 45 mph the steering wheel vibrates and pulses rapidly making it hard to handle. It is almost like the brakes are not releasing. The van is lightly loaded. Someone told me it could be the booster. I took it to the dealership to be analyzed with no luck.

Any ideas?

Thanks

 

Welcome to FTE!
Only idea I can come up with is maybe the antilock brake system is acting up.
You may want to post this in the brake/suspension forum, this van forum doesn't get all that many viewers. Click here for that forum: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/f...splay.php?f=64
Good luck!

 

It depends on what kind of ABS you have. Some brakes requires to have the ABS with continuously powered by electrical signal to work all the brakes. Some brakes functions fine without the ABS continuously supplied by electrical signal.

You can try disconnecting the ABS fuse and try testing your braking system to see if the vibration stops. If your ABS requires to be powered all the time to work the braking system then put back the ABS fuse because if you continue driving with the ABS fuse removed then you will loose complete braking system.

If your ABS does not require to be powered all the time to function the braking system, then you can leave the ABS fuse disconnected.

Either ABS system you have, I would put back the ABS fuse after testing it and try to fix what is causing it. If disconnecting the ABS fuse will make the vibration go away, then you know the ABS is the problem.


Another problem that could be causing this is that each wheel has a wheel speed sensors (different from VSS-Vehicle Speed Sensor). The ABS monitors the wheel speed sensors on each wheels. If the wheel speed sensors are worn, broken or wire cracked/broken, the ABS thinks that the wheel is locked up because there is no wheel speed data indicator coming from the wheel speed sensor and so the ABS automatically tries to apply the ABS system to try to compensate forever for the "locked up" situation but it really never happen.

The ABS will function only when the brake pedal is applied. If the brake pedal is not applied, the ABS will not monitor each wheel speed sensors.

 

Thanks for the info. Will give it a try in the morning!

 

Do the back brakes work? Take it to a dirt lot and lock'em up. Then look at skid marks in the dirt.

 

grmjr, the brakes on our vans suck! i have also gone through my share of brakes and rotors on my '99 E150. my mistake was using cheap brakes and rotors. spend the extra $$ and use only american/canadian brake parts. (my rabestos were made in canada) my last brake job was a few weeks ago and i was sure to get american parts and this time, i'm trying CERAMIC pads. i will post an update on how everything goes as time goes on. good luck.

 

Just to let you know that ceramics is hard and so it wears out your rotor quicker.

Semi-metallic pads is not as hard and so they wear gradually and the rotor last longer. I'd rather replace pads than replacing the rotor all the time.

Then again everyone has their own choice.

 

i was told to try ceramic because they run cooler and are less likely to warp the rotors. i didn't know they can wear out my rotors quicker. oh well, i had my brakes done at les schwab and i have a 25000 mile warranty(they replaced the rotors too). i will hold them to the warranty until it's up. it's been a few thousand miles and all is well so far. (knock on wood)

 

For my 99 E150 I used NAPA's ceramic Ceramix pads on new rotors and they warped at about 10k miles. It is now about 15k miles and they are very badly warped though the pads still look like they will be good for at least another 15k. I need to replace resurface the rotors (if still good but I doubt it) ASAP as stopping from highway speeds causes the steering wheel to shake a lot. I don't think that the rotors were of North American origin, is Raybestos the best? These rotors are a pain to replace and are very expensive but I will pay what it takes to get something that lasts. The brakes have certainly been the weak link, I kind of wished I got the E350 just for the HD brakes.

 

everyone has their own opinion on brands. My EX- Big O dealer says rabestos is crap, wihile others swear by them. i'm pushing 2K on these new brakes and rotors and so far so good. my wife admitted to a very hard stop during the first 1000 miles of the brake job; you know, when they tell you not to do that. well, they still work fine.(knock on wood). i've decided that since my children are the precious cargo in my van, that i can spend the extra few bucks for high quality parts.

 

These vans are famous for back wheel cylinders freezing up. Then the front brakes have to work much harder creating more heat, warped rotors? maybe. Did you check to see if the back brakes work?

 

My E150 conversion van wear out the right side pads three times faster then the left side, so I asked a guy I knew at Auto Zone who was a real parts man and not just a counter man like you get now, and he told me that for some reason these vans are notorious for brake line collapse which will hang a brake for too long.

 

Thats about the only thing we haven't checked out. Thanks for the info. Will look into it ASAP.

 

You were right! It appears as though it was the brake line that was causing the brakes to drag on one side. Thanks again for your input.


GM

 

I'm glad my input was helpful to you. Sometimes it can be the simplest things that can drive you crazy on these vans. I wish that guy was still working at Auto Zone, he really knew his stuff. I remember years ago, you could walk into a auto parts store and tell the guy what your car or truck was doing or not doing, and he would go to the back, get a part, put it on the counter and say "cash or charge" No more that I can find. Now you have to tell them what part you need. I'm sure thats why forums like this had to come about.