i have a 97 f150 4.2 liter 4x2 my brakes used to lock up after a rain and heavy moisture in the air. they would quit after a couple stops. now they do it all the time rain or shine. replaced shoes had drums turned all the small parts. still does it pretty scary does anyone know how to check the proportioning valve that is the only thing i havent screwed with yet (201000 miles 2nd motor)

 

hello, i've got the same truck with the same engine---- it's done it since it was new--- just have to ease down on the pedal or sometimes i'll ride the brakes for a hundred feet or so, works good after that. 252,000 miles, 2nd engine and transmission---

 

Every Ford truck I have ever owned did this, from the 1990 to the 97 I have now, even the 93 I drove for a while.

The last time I had my brakes worked on, I asked the mechanic, my neighbor, about it and he turned the brake drums and it stopped. This was over a year ago and it's started back again and I am assuming the finish he put on the drums have worn in. I asked him about the finish he put on the drums and he said it was just a standard finish.

I have locked the rear wheels on mine in the past if I didn't take the time to apply the brakes several times to "fix" the problem. Very dangerous on a damp roadway!

I don't know why Ford has not issued a recall on the brakes of these trucks as my son's 2000 model truck does the same thing. Seems odd that I would have the same thing happen on different year trucks and not be the only one that has this problem.

 

ford 150 have always had issue with brakes for years, dont know why they dont change something. my 99 will throw you thru the windsheild after sitting overnight. now all the rangers i have owned the brakes are great.

 

Im in the same boat. i got new drums and bendix shoes, and is was fixed for about 6 months then back. asked the mechanic at ford that fixed my recall, and he said theres no solution. his does it too and hes been workin there 25 years.

 

This problem started when the use of asbestos ceased. I've heard the use of some of the high $$$ brake pads & shoes will fix it, but don't know personally. My 94 ranger did it too.
38"tires or larger will stop it also.

 

I have tried it all to solve this also. It will go away after you re-do the back brakes ( drums and shoes) but then creeps back. My left rear wheel locks NOW on a damp morning... just once then OK. If you look at how the shoes sit in relation to the drum, the dust settles in that pocket where there is still shoe to drum contact. My own theory is that it gets a little gummy when damp and the shoe at that point sticks to that gummy brake dust on one side and the other gummy side to the drum. I even tried just pushing the parking brake a little while holding the handle out and it locks the same wheel when damp instantly. I'm sure Ford knows what is wrong, but unless you kill a bunch of people, nothing usually gets done. ( I still love my Fords though).

 

Doesn't it have RABS? FORD lit shows it was standard on all '98 F150 models. W/over 200K on your 97 anything could be wrong. I don't buy the idea that "Every Ford truck/ford 150 have always had issue with brakes for years" as if they all suffer this kind of malfunction. IMO it is somekind of failure.

I've never had any trouble like that w/either of my RABS equipped FORD light trucks after well over 130,000 miles. If "the proportioning valve....is the only thing (you) havent screwed with yet" I'd suggest that you take it to a qualified brake specialist. IMO its not just "pretty scary" its potentially very dangerous & could easily result in loss of control when you need it most.

 

This is a known problem, although there is no real solution that I've read about.

I did see a Ford TSB on it somewhere that basically says that the rear brake lining material is somehow sensitive to moisture and that causes the grabbing.

My 97 was doing it when it was damp, only for the first brake application or two then it would stop.

I just did a complete overhaul of the rear brakes...shoes, drums and all the hardware.
No problems anymore...for now.

It seems that the problem is related to the lining material, and it seems possible that some aftermarket lining could correct the problem.

When mine would lock up, the RABS would activate and try compensate.

My 91 would also do it once in a while.