hi all, has anyone experience the ex's brake vibrating when going down hill? i went to Snow Shoe west va for some mt biking and when i came back going down the mt my brakes vibrates so bad that the whole truck shook so bad that it is nerve wrecking. but once i got down the ex brakes normal. i have about 4 passenger with gear and 4bikes on hitch. i am having second thought about driving it back up there. The ex is a 2002 v10 with 142k. this is off topic but has anyone saw hancock, our ex took a good beating.

 

Some Ex's (mine included) appear to be prone to this issue.

Many call it rotor 'warpage' but the prevailing 'theory' in this forum I believe is more of the brake pad 'shedding' and 'embedding' in the rotors causing a 'bumpy' or 'rough' rotor surface...hence the pulsing you feel under braking...

With 142K on the clock...do you happen to know what brake pads were installed at the last service?

As I type this...my Ex is up on jack stands in the garage for the SAME issue. I was decending a grade in Utah while rolling down the road at 17,000#'s combined (i.e. towing my home on wheels)...I thought I was in a different gear but was one higher and was really gaining speed...to slow things down and down shift I grabbed some brake...the wheel shook so violently...I got scared for a second...I suspect the brakes were hotter than I thought and I just pushed things past their point of heating...

So I pulled the rotors and tried to have them turned...no luck too thin since I had them turned once already 14,000 miles ago!!!...so I got TWO new rotors for $80 whereas turning the old ones would have cost me $24...not a bad delta for new meat. I've also got Hawk LTS pads coming tomorrow...

What did I just say in that long winded answer? LOL...

Well I'm telling you that you need new brakes or at least your rotors turned. Skip the OEM pads too. My rotors had visible high spots on them from pad material but the shop didn't believe they could even skim them to simply clean that off...but for less than $60 more I got brand new thicker rotors.

Hope my long winded answer helps.

Joe.

 

the brake pad had less than 8k on it. I got it from autozone but i forgot the brand. My daily driving, the ex brakes fine and smooth. Are you changing all four rotor or just the front. I ran my finger through the rotor and is feels smooth and no ridges(not sure if that is how you check it). So if i put better rotor, that should fix my problem?

 

I'm just changing the fronts first as I have a high suspicion that will fix this immediate issue for me...now whether it completely stops it from returning...well that will be seen. Many go to the cryo treated rotors...but they are $150 each...so I'll experiment with the Bendix rotors.

Mine feel smooth when I run my finger over them too believe it or not...but you can see a visible pad imprint on the backs...I didn't see that until I pulled the rotors due to the heat shields on the rear you can't inspect that side...

As I said...the dealer turned my rotors 14,000 miles ago...the brakes were very smooth for a few thousand and then the pulse came back...at that time I did not know enough about the Ex or its brake issues...or I would have swapped pads at that time.

You can try turning the rotors...but if in city driving the issue is gone...I suspect you had like I did...on the grades everything got very hot and it started then...but when it cooled down 'most' of the pulsing goes away...still very annoying and unsafe for me with how heavy I roll around.

joe.

 

has anyone try these rotors? looks like i will be needing them before i going back up to the mountains.
eBay Motors: Ford Excursion 4WD 2002 Front Drill Slot Brake Rotors (item 160258198772 end time Aug-04-08 15:31:13 PDT)

 

[quote=suvlover1;6322791]has anyone try these rotors? looks like i will be needing them before i going back up to the mountains...... 4WD Front Drill Slot Brake Rotors . . . .

= = = = = = = = = = =

Yes - replaced only the front, and the dreaded "rumble" is gone. Now, the question is - what do I do with my "stock" rotors (which have about 20,000 mi. on them).

Should I have them "turned" and kept as a spare ? Will the above "drilled and slotted" rotors eventually "get the rumble", and if so, what then - have THEM turned - use the "turned stock rotors till they "get the rumble" again ?

 

Your best bet is to purchase the Power Slot Cryo rotors for your Excursion. Do not install slotted and drilled because they are more proned to warpage due to having less material. Just turning you stock rotors also removes material and your stock rotors will be more proned to warpage during longer durations of heavy braking. I have been running the Power slotted cryo rotors for 35k miles and I tow 11k quite often, in the mountains mostly. I have had no problems and I have stood on the brakes pretty hard several times while towing down 6-7% grades! I bought mine at the link below....

Power Slot Cryo Rotors by Frozen Rotors®

 

[quote=scottman70;6324654] . . . . Do not install slotted and drilled because they are more proned to warpage due to having less material.....quote]

Too late for me - already installed the "slotted and drilled". Can not demonstrate any difference in thickness of material between these new ones and the "stock". I am not clear why you think we who bought the drilled and slotted ones would be in WORSE shape than you fellows who bought "solid" ones that LOOK like factory production. The "slots", if the advertising is to be believed, help avoid the "build up" that MAY be a PARTIAL cause of the rumble. The drilled process is almost universally a practice in ANY severe brake application, for the MUCH greater cooling it provides.

So I disagree with you on part of your post As for "turning" rotors, there are industry-standard "specs" that establish how much metal can be removed without causing problems. I am hoping you are wrong about this too, so I will have a local shop "turn" my "stock" rotors for spares - as it seems that SOME of these guys are getting the "rumble" back, even with after-market rotors after some hard driving.

In my own case, we have approx. 10,000 lb trailers to move - my boat trailer has VERY effective surge brakes on all three axles - my "toy" or "box" trailer, with the Packard V-12 aboard, weighs about the same - give or take 10,000 or so . I have electric brakes on ALL THREE AXLES on that too, and a good controller, so I dont need to "stand" on the brakes on even pretty severe down-grades - in both cases, the trailer brakes take up much of the demand.

 

Well I always also seem to go against conventional wisdom...kind of the way I'm cut I guess...

I'm going with new OEM style flat rotors for $80 for BOTH but I'm going with Hawk LTS pads...in fact I just got done with the job and I'll be heading out to bed them in here in a bit...

I tow 9000#'s pretty regularly with the Ex...the 'pulse' wasn't too bad...well except for that one grade I F-'d up on in Utah and was in OD when I thought I was in 3rd...got way too fast on a 6% downside...the wheel shook so violently that time cause things were pretty darn hot...so I slammed 3rd gear and then 2nd to get her whoa'd down to a reasonable speed...as soon as the brakes cooled down all was well...

The shop that measured mine didn't find any 'wobble' in them...so I'm still suspecting the prevailing theory on here about pad material transfer and embedding is still a good possibility...and for $80 for the set...it was worth a shot in my mind. If not...then I'll drop the scratch for some upgraded ones...

I'll let you know what I find I guess...but I'm never one to not admit when I messed up...so far I'm $220 ahead over the cryo's...but if I'm wrong I'll know in a few thousand miles...even then...the dealer turned the factory ones for me and I got another 14,000 out of them...with some mother of grades out west last month to boot...

I know a bunch of folks swear by the cryo's so they can't be bad...I just suspect the OEM type pads as the bigger culprit and this experiment of mine may bear some fruit...don't know...

Being an engineer...I love a good experiment! LOL

joe.

 

I put an OEM replacement set of rotors and pads on the front of my 4x4 Excursion and started detecting some warpage after only 6k miles and I wasn't even doing any towing or hard stops. The sliders on the calipers appeared to be okay when I replaced them so I don't believe that I had any sticky calipers.

I then replaced all my flexible hoses and calipers. I ordered the pads and drilled, slotted and plated rotors from BrakePlanet.com and installed them on all 4 wheels. I towed my 9500# trailer recently and have put about 8,000 miles on them and the performance has been great.