Hi, I've been told by Midas that I need to replace the front calipers *and* front rotors on my 96 F-150 2WD.

As far as parts cost they want to charge me $60 per caliper, $70 per rotor, and $40 for the pads. This includes a 1 year warranty on the rotors, and a lifetime warranty on the calipers.

So I have a few questions for you all:
1.) Should I even have to replace the front brakes on a 1996 truck??? It seems too soon to me. (I have 89,000 miles btw)

2.) If I do have to replace them, should I buy these brakes from Midas? I have found rotors on jcwhitney.com that are slotted and cross drilled for $70 (Same price as the Midas' rotors). Won't the jcwhitney rotors perform better? Should I buy them instead of the Midas rotors?

3.) If I were to buy the jcwhitney rotors, whose calipers should I by? (I was unable to find calipers for my truck on their website) Midas said one of my calipers was "stuck". What does this mean exactly, and how could it have happened to my caliper?

4.) I believe they also said something about my bearings being "bad" or "worn out" or something similar. I'm not familiar with brake system details, what does this mean?

 

Usually someone who knows what they are talking about says that the piston(s) in the caliper are 'seized', not stuck. Thats Midas for ya!

Meaning simply that it ain't doing much braking. Does your truck pull to one side?

I am unsure of how long rotors and calipers should last as well. As far as me and my dad remember, the rotors and calipers on my '78 F250 4x4 were stock. We just replaced the front calipers due to them rattling badly over bumps last spring. We found that one of the pistons on the passenger side was seized.

Does your truck have single piston calipers??
Matt

 

Their are machining specs. on all rotors. They should be able to show you why the rotors need to be replaced instead of reserfaced. They also should be able to show you why the calipers need to be replaced. Usually one side of the pads will be worn a lot more than the other which is a sign of sticking slides and can be cleaned and lubed and not replaced. A bad caliper piston will usually wear both pads evenly but prematurely campared to the other wheel.

 

>Usually someone who knows what they are talking about says
>that the piston(s) in the caliper are 'seized', not stuck.
>Thats Midas for ya!
>
>Meaning simply that it ain't doing much braking. Does your
>truck pull to one side?

Yes, it pulls to the driver's side when I brake.

>I am unsure of how long rotors and calipers should last as
>well. As far as me and my dad remember, the rotors and
>calipers on my '78 F250 4x4 were stock. We just replaced
>the front calipers due to them rattling badly over bumps
>last spring. We found that one of the pistons on the
>passenger side was seized.
>
>Does your truck have single piston calipers??

I'm not sure about this. I'm going to try searching the net for
info.

 

>Their are machining specs. on all rotors. They should be
>able to show you why the rotors need to be replaced instead
>of reserfaced. They also should be able to show you why the
>calipers need to be replaced. Usually one side of the pads
>will be worn a lot more than the other which is a sign of
>sticking slides and can be cleaned and lubed and not
>replaced. A bad caliper piston will usually wear both pads
>evenly but prematurely campared to the other wheel.

They said my passenger-side brake pad was completely worn out,
but my driver-side brake pad was not worn much at all. And the
truck is pulling to the driver's side when I brake. They also
said both of the rotors have "heat spots."

 

1) Forget Midas, they cannot even do mufflers right.

2) Don't waste your money on cross-drilled rotors. They don't increase performance substantially but they do wear out the pads a lot more quickly. Slots are Ok but probably unnecessary. OEM replacement rotors are $35-50 each at the auto parts store

3) Clean up the calipers and inspect the slide areas. See how well they fit the spindles and whether they show any wear. If the calipers are OK, you can rebuild them for about $6 a piece. If you need new pistons add about $10 ea. All it takes is a parts kit, a torque wrench, a c-clamp, a compressor and a can of brake fluid. Get a decent manual to talk you through it and give you the torque value for the banjo fitting.

4) Spend your money on good brake pads. I bought a set of Performance Friction "Z" pads and recommend them highly. They do squeal a bit when they get hot, but they WORK.