hey all,

2 weeks ago i noticed my brake warning light going on and off. last coupla days it stays on all the time. i haven't worried about it till i saw my brake pads yesterday, while getting 2 new tires on the front. hmmmm, not much pad on either wheel. looks like new pad time.

ok, i've had my 98 explorer XLT 2.5 years and never done any brakes on it. a 2 wheel drive, is there a SPECIAL tool i need to change out pads on this thing? also,does my truck have 4 wheel disk brakes? how do i check this without pulling the back tires off first?

thx yall,jw

 

I think all 98's are 4 wheel disc. No special tools needed.

Your light probably came on because as the pads wear, the fluid level goes down in the master cylinder, leading to the light. I used to just push the pistons back in and put new pads on, but I think the smart money is to bleed the old fluid out of the calipers when you replace the pads. I did that on some rear brakes a while back and was surprised how cruddy the fluid was down at the wheel.


Also, your parking brake is "drum in hat" on the rear discs. The rear parking shoes are delicate little flowers that crumble in old age and are quite pricey.

 

thanks 85e150six4mtod,

so this is about the same as when i replaced the pads on my 91 Isuzu trooper. (except i needed a special tool for the rears on that one). oh man,gotta get to work on it.......thx again,jw

 

Brakes on second generation Explorers are about as easy as any vehicle out there. If you are not changing rotors (also not difficult, especially on the front), it will take you as long to jack up the truck and remove the wheel as it does to replace the pads. You remove two bolts and push in the piston. Remove and replace the pads, replace the bolts and you are done. A Haynes manual is helpful.

 

thx mason, trying to do it without the manual.....maybe take tomorrow off and do them....anything else i need to know? thanks a lot!

 

Bleeding the brakes, as 85e150 stated, is always a good idea but not absolutely necessary. One thing I like to do is to put some thread lock on the caliper bolts. You don't want them coming loose. Also, be sure to torque the caliper bolts and the wheel lug nuts to their proper specs.

Mason