I have to replace the front rotors and pads on my 02 350. I have the usual pulsating rotors. So my question is this, in your opinions should I go with the OEM rotors and pads or upgrade to the powerslot and hawk pads? I have read a few post about powerslots warping also. Seems I can replace the powerslots with OEM's a few times for the cost difference. Also how long do you guys get out of the powerslots compared to the OEM's? I tow a 12k toy hauler about 5 times a year and also want the best pads for this application. thanks Jeff M.

 

Jeff, I changed my rotors and pads about a month ago. I looked at all the different rotors and pads. That was my first time to do a brake job on my truck. It had 117,000 miles and the rear rotors were no sign of any wear.
I went with OEM because if they can go that long and still have lots of pad left, then that is good enough for me.

Don't forget to do the slide pins while you have it down.

Is yours a dually?

 

Rick, No mine is not a dually. This is also the first time in replacing the rotors on it. I dod remove and relube the pins last fall before the winter. I aslo bought the newer pins and have them to install when i do the rotors etc. I was wasnt sure if i needed to spend the $ on the powerslots or not since its a daily driver and tow only about 5 times per year. thanks Jeff M.

 

I have thought about changing to different rotors, but the originals have held up nicely. Warpage doesn't seem to be that much of a problem. I am thinking of going to a more aggressive brake pad to increase stopping ability. Then, I don't know if warpage may become a problem due the increased friction.

 

I haul very heavy loads all the time and I have not had one issue with the OEM brakes. I let my trailer do its share of braking.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

 

Good point there! It's not just the brakes on you PSD that need attention and maintenance. I'm actually thinking that I'll be upgrading my calipers this summer, but with OEM rotors. Don't forget to flush out your fluid. And while you're at it, replace the crap rubber OEM brake lines with some braided SS lines. Jeremy (JTHarvey) is a (motorcyle) racer and he'll probably confirm that one of the best & cheapest brake upgrades is good lines.

Good lines + good fluid = mandatory baseline in my book.

 

Another vote for OEM hardware and stainless steel braided flex lines.
I have 80,000 miles on my truck and the pads are about 50% worn out.

 

I was very surprised to see so little wear on the back brakes. I do look at them time to time but once you have them off, you get a better look. My front had about 1/4 pad left and the rotors had small groves in it. Very happy with the wear, so went back OEM.

 

Depends on what you do with your truck. My wife and I are into camping with our horses and we have a heavy load when we travel (about 12-13k). I went with Powerslots(cryo)/Hawk on my last truck and this one (the F350) I am going with ART rotors. We tend to do a lot of mountainous driving in our area and I found that the OEM rotors overheat very quickly and then, of course, warp. The Powerslots increased the braking feel, shorter braking distance and very good resistance to heat buildup.

I am super impressed with the Powerslots and I think the ARTs will be similar. The one modification you should never scrimp on is your brakes. All the go in the world is no good if you can't stop the beast.

I am totally in line with the changing of the brake fluid (very cheap) as well as upgrading to the stainless steel brake lines.

This particular post is actually the most I have heard from owners that the OEM rotors and pads are working well for them. Everything else I have read indicates that these factory rotors/pads are essentially worthless. As I said, depends on what you do with your truck.

 

When I go to pick up supplies for my store, I usually tell whomever I order from that I want 16 to 18.000 lbs of whatever on my trailer. One place I get my fence post from put 21,000 lbs on my trailer by accident. And these loads I go in the mountains of Arkansas. I have been as far as TN. to pick stuff up.

The powerslot and hawk pads might be better but I am happy with the OEMs. Just my thoughts on this.

 

so I called ford to get a price on rotors... 119 bucks each. So i figured i may as well get the powerslots cryo's and hawk LTS pads. So I did it. should be here in a week or so. Hope it cures the pulsating i have had for the last few months. i'm sure the fronts are warped and all. I do tow a 12k pound camper a few times a year and a 20 ft enclosed sled trailer in the winter (5k) but thats all the towing i do so i hope this will fit the bill. thanks for all the help and suggestions once again. Jeff

 

I have the Power Slot Cryo rotors and Hawk LTS pads on my 2001, love the combo, much better braking over stock.

 

When I had my truck at BTS for the tranny, they replaced the OEM rotors with some that were cryoed. They also put the HD pads on. I havent had one problem with them yet and I also tow alot. I vote for whichever ones you can afford, brakes are a necessidy.

 

Indeed. I concour.

I think this hits on a point that may be getting skipped over. When talking about brakes, it's a good thing to consider better performance and not just look at life. The OEM's may have worked ok and lasted a while, but if there's something that can stop the truck better and shorter I would prefer that. In an emergency stopping situation, a few feet could make the difference between no wreck or a damaged truck. The extra cost of better brakes is probably less than an insurance deductable. It just makes sense to me that they would be upgraded if possible.

I had planned to put braided lines, Powerslots, and Hawk pads all around sometime this year, but with my recent investment in the windows in my block, I don't think it's gonna happen though. My stock brakes actually have life left in them, but I just wanted the better performance.

 

Another vote for power slot rotors and hawk pads