I have a vibration when braking at speeds over 50 mph with my F-250 Crew Cab 7.3. At slower speeds it's hardly noticeable at all.

I checked the rotors for warping by doing a lateral run out test. All 4 rotors are within specs. .001 to .0012 (Ford Tolerance is .0015)

I replaced all 4 rotors and pads a month ago with a set of NAPAs. I was having the same shutter and all 4 rotors were warped anywhere from .018 to .020 in. I thought I'd fixed the problem.

The NAPA pads are the cheap ones, around $40 per set.

The front end is tight with no signs of wear from the ball joints or tie rods.

Question is, could the cheap NAPA pads cause a shutter?

Could the tires be causing this?

Doesn't seem like it but could the ABS just be doing it's job?

Do any of you have any vibration when coming from highway speeds to a stop?

Thanks for any help you can give, Mark

 

...Welcome to Ford Truck Enthusiasts! Please read the Guidelines, it will help you to navigate through and understand this site.
Stick around someone will be by shortly to answer your question.
We are happy you have chosen the best source for Fords!

Enjoy FTE....and
JOIN CLUB FTE -SUPPORT THE FORUMS!
…..See you on the boards.

 

There have been several here that have found that the pads, if not "matched", can cause the problem you're having. Sometimes it's as simple as swapping the pads around, but most times it requires taking them back and getting new. You get what you pay for - especially when it comes to making them fair well with these cheap rotars.

A lot of this could be from neglecting to tighten the rotars properly into place and/or the sequence by which you applied torque to the wheels.

 

Thanks for the reply,
I'm leaning to the pads being the problem. Is it just best to buy the pads from Ford or is there a better pad. I think the $40 Napa pads were a bad choice. The Napa rotors are true so I'm not thinking that's the problem. I hate that they are made in China. When I torque the wheels, I take them up slowly. 90 ft lbs, then to 120 and I stop at 140. When the vibration came back I was sure the rotors had warped but the dial indicator doesn't lie. They are dead on. Thanks for the help, Mark

 

I don't know of a better source than Ford for the pads. But, the Ford brand is just another vendor, really.

Did you run the indicator over the face of the rotars while still on the hub or did you remove them?

 

Its pads more than likely,but chk to make sure your calipers are not loose and have lube on the slide pins.
are your wheel bearings nice and smooth when rotating by hand ? (without the caliper )
Ford has different levels of pads also,I allways use the premium pads.
Rich

 

I checked the lateral runout with the rotors on the truck and lugs tight. When I did the brake job I lubed up all the pins with caliper grease. The wheel bearings rotate smooth.

Your right about the pads from Ford just being from another vendor, I guess Ford doesn't actually make pads but rather buys them from companies that make pads for a living.

I think I'll go to Ford tomorrow and buy a set of pads for all corners. I'll let you know if this fixes the problem. Mark

 

It probally is a caliper. That is the main indication of a caliper starting to hang up is a shake when braking at a speed above 40-50 mph. I personally do not like ford pads and will not pay the price they want for inferior pads. Fords pads like to lock the wheel up at 10-15mph when cold and wet. I use brake pads from a quality auto parts store and don't buy the best ones either. Good Luck

 

99.99% of the time, when the rotars TIR (runout) is within tolerance, and there's no bearing failure, it's the pads.


riceman,
10-4, I got ya.

 

Big Orn,

That is a VERY narrow minded to say a brake problem with a shake is 99.99% the pads. It shows that either a) you use Ford pads and see nearly 100% failure or B) the problem was fixed while changing the pads and you have no idea what was really wrong. It has been mine and also many other peoples experience that when a caliper starts to hang and usually on the pins (I know he already said he greased the pins with caliper grease but that does not mean the piston is not starting to hang) it has NOT warped the rotor yet or bearing failure has not had time to happen. It very well could be the pads but to make a statement of 99.99% of a problem especially on brakes is just narrow minded and plain dumb. Would you explain to me "MATCHED" brake pads as I have not run accross this expression before. Are you meaning like matched bearings or matched gears because I don't know of anyone that measures brake pads to match them, and if a vehicle needs the brake pads matched there is a serious problem with the design of that vehicle. I base most of my experience on other vehicles than a Super Duty but really can't see the Super Duty being that much different. Thanks and Have A Great Day

 

It wouldn't hurt to check the rear drums, I had one that was out of round once and it drove me nuts, it felt like the front end doing it.

 

I can't say, moore, since I'm so narrow minded and dumb ...but re-read his post and this time notice where he said he replaced the rotors and pads. I know you've not had much experience with Super Duty brakes, but these rotors are not the best - they can become sensitive to faulty pads. If the pads are not "almost perfect" then a pulsing can result. Most of the time, on new installation - if the rotors run true and are not worn - it's the pads. If the right front in bucking, you can switch them and find that those same pads make the left side pulse. Strange, but true.
Before you judge me or what I say, I suggest you do a little research on the subject.
"Matched Pads" are the expensive variety these days. They are manufactured under strict guidelines where the wear surface on both pads are equal. You do get what you pay for in that respect.

Many Super Duty owners just forget about buying the OEM rotors and end up getting those of better quality. They seem to take the cheaper pads much better also.

 

Big Orn,

I did not call you dumb and am sorry for calling you narrow minded, afer all I don't know you. But when a statement is directed at me saying 99.99% of the time that leaves .01% (pretty small) chance for a other failure bothers me, especially when I am just giving the guy something else to check that no one else mentioned. If I told him something blatently wrong or unsafe I would expect a statement directed to me. Also I did read his post about changing the rotors and that is one reason for thinking something else. After all you said in your own post most buy other than OEM rotors, which if he replaced the pads from NAPA I would not expect him to run down to the dealer and get a set of rotors I figure he replaced them with a non OEM rotor. Also at the end of your post you state that 10-4 I am right. That is not 99.99%. Also if what you say is correct most Super Duties that have more than 5-10,000 miles on the brakes would have problems because I doubt if the pads wear that evenly. I assumed a shake and after re-reding his post he states vibration but uses shutter later on and I think a shake is different than a pulse when talking about brakes. But anyways only leaving .01% failure is kind of extreme, don't you think? Thanks and still Have A Great Day

 

No problem.

I said what I thought was appropriate at the time. Now it's riceman's turn to let us know what he did to correct it. We're all here to help each other.

And, I would have said 100% instead of 99.99% but I always leave myself enough margin to wiggle...

 

I went to Ford today and bought a set of Motorcraft OEM Superduty pads for all corners and the problem seems to be fixed. Thanks for all the help, mark