94 Explorer Front Brake Conversion?
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94 Explorer Front Brake Conversion?
I'm so tired of doing the front brakes on my wifes 94 Explorer. The latest B/J with new calipers went 938 miles before momma is noticing a little scraping noise (She has gotten so good at knowing when the brakes are down).
Is there anyone that has converted to a heavier duty front brake system from another Vehicle? We have a 94 Explorer with 4WD and I am a cheapskate
Is there anyone that has converted to a heavier duty front brake system from another Vehicle? We have a 94 Explorer with 4WD and I am a cheapskate
Cargo Master
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: BC Canada
The trick it to be very carefull with the cleaning and lubricating of the slides.
When my son does his (92) it lasts 1000km, when I get down and dirty and do it for him it lasts 30,000-40,000km.
When my son does his (92) it lasts 1000km, when I get down and dirty and do it for him it lasts 30,000-40,000km.
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Originally Posted by marragtop
What kind of pads are you putting on? Get the ceramic pads. Bit more $$ but last much longer.
It was said that the ceramics are less prone to dust but much harder on the rotors. Rotors are big$$ so i've been avoiding them.
Has anyone gone with ceramic, How did they work for you?
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Wow! since my last post I've replace the front pads three more times.
At least my local autozone see's me coming and pulls out a new set and gives them to me. But it is still a pain, I thing I'm getting repetitve motion disorder
. Seriously, No one has any solid upgrade information?
Thanks for all the Previous advice, unfortunatly none of it has worked.
I'm tempted to convert the rears to disc just to possibly take some of the load off the front. Next Fronts will be another set of rotors also.
What about running better air ducts to the rotors?
Help!
At least my local autozone see's me coming and pulls out a new set and gives them to me. But it is still a pain, I thing I'm getting repetitve motion disorder
. Seriously, No one has any solid upgrade information?Thanks for all the Previous advice, unfortunatly none of it has worked.
I'm tempted to convert the rears to disc just to possibly take some of the load off the front. Next Fronts will be another set of rotors also.
What about running better air ducts to the rotors?
Help!
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From: UT
Seriously, No one has any solid upgrade information?
If I've read correctly, you've replaced the stuff at the wheels a few times. I wonder if the root cause of the problem is somewhere else. Maybe the brake lines are corroded/clogged/other so that the pressure can't fully release from the brakes, causing them to drag. Or maybe something in the master cylinder. Are the rear brakes doing anything? Perhaps the rear brakes are "dead" which means the front brakes are doing all of the work.
In short, I think at this point I would start looking elsewhere in the brake system to see if there is some other problem that is causing the pads to wear prematurely.
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After what I have been through with my Wifes Explorer I'm willing to look at any and all possibilities. I don't think Ford could possibly design such a poor brake system, although I'm not thrilled with the size of the pad.
My Aerostar has the same brakes on it and it get much more life out of them.
So Your response do have merit, I'll be looking.
Thanks...
My Aerostar has the same brakes on it and it get much more life out of them.
So Your response do have merit, I'll be looking.
Thanks...
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From: Webster, NY
if you're getting 1000 miles out of a set of pads then there is something very wrong with your brakes... they have to be dragging. As mentioned here you need to start looking for something else other than the pads. Are both sides doing it? A common issue that looks like bad caliper (i.e. dragging) is actually a collapsed or old flex line. As the rubber gets older it, I am told, clogs up the hole in the line and the fluid can not return properly. Making the caliper drag.
I experienced this first hand on a 73 truck I work on. I replaced both calipers and still had serious dragging on one side. I then replaced the flex lines and things were great. My 97 Mountaineer had a similar issue. Dragging on the right hand side (front). I removed the caliper, lubed everything real good, and it was still bad. In the end the flex line was it.
Even if the rear brakes were not there you should get more than the mileage you are seeing (as they do very little work to start with).
I experienced this first hand on a 73 truck I work on. I replaced both calipers and still had serious dragging on one side. I then replaced the flex lines and things were great. My 97 Mountaineer had a similar issue. Dragging on the right hand side (front). I removed the caliper, lubed everything real good, and it was still bad. In the end the flex line was it.
Even if the rear brakes were not there you should get more than the mileage you are seeing (as they do very little work to start with).
Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: SoCal
One thing that always amazes me is how folks will ride their brakes on long downhill sections of road.
Theres a steep 5 mile hill near my house, i'll be in third gear & barely touching the brakes while the folks in front of me will be in overdrive & riding the brakes all the way to the bottom of the hill.
Any chance that's whats hapening here?
Theres a steep 5 mile hill near my house, i'll be in third gear & barely touching the brakes while the folks in front of me will be in overdrive & riding the brakes all the way to the bottom of the hill.
Any chance that's whats hapening here?
Last edited by 87 XLT; Jul 31, 2007 at 05:18 PM.
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Drilled and slotted rotors are a must for my 96 - makes even the cheap pads last longer, since they don't heat up as much as traditional rotors
I want to use them on all 4 - I used semi metallic pads, and they are fine - it's all about the rotors (assuming you don't have some other brake issue - does it pull to one side when braking?
to all: what do you guys all like for lube on the caliper rails? does cleaning them with brakeclean first work best? and then use a silicone based grease or what? - That is something I need to be sure I do - Thanks
I want to use them on all 4 - I used semi metallic pads, and they are fine - it's all about the rotors (assuming you don't have some other brake issue - does it pull to one side when braking?
to all: what do you guys all like for lube on the caliper rails? does cleaning them with brakeclean first work best? and then use a silicone based grease or what? - That is something I need to be sure I do - Thanks