Should I Replace My Brake Pads / Rotors?
 

I recently purchased a 2001 F-350 4WD DRW truck and was following Guzzle's instructions for the slide pin upgrade on the front wheels and discovered what I perceive to be a significant amount of rust on the backs of the brake pads:

http://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/...psbebaa0bd.jpg

http://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5b4c8f10.jpg

http://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/...pse706b03d.jpg

The rotors, although rusty on the sides and in the middle, seemed like the surface was OK:

http://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8b68a744.jpg

http://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/...ps18551414.jpg

As it turned out, the slide pins seemed adequately greased:

http://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/...ps31914447.jpg

Please let me know if you think I should/must replace my brake pads ... or rotors. I don't want to spend the money, but I am towing a heavy boat so brakes are critical. Any other feedback would also be appreciated, although keep in mind I have limited mechanical experience.

In case it matters, the brakes seemed to work fine up to this point.

I would wire brush those rusty spots and re install. Since we are on the note of brakes I will interject my .02.
While braking try to allow adequate braking distance. After braking and coming to a stop....give yourself plenty of room in front of you to let off the brakes and move the hot brakes to a different spot on your rotors about every 5 seconds so you DO NOT warp your rotors. It just really helps distribute the heat to all of your rotors rather than just bake the crap out of one spot on the rotors until you can get moving to cool them off again. Like I said....just MY .02 on brakes.
Dwayne

If you have the money and the urge then yes. Otherwise either jack that truck up, remove those rotors and take 'em to an auto parts house and have them use a micrometer to test the meat or drive the truck there and jack it up and remove your wheels in the parking lot so they can test it. If they've been turned before than the test will show it. If there's enough meat left you can have them turned but no real reason unless they're warped.

If it were me I'd 100% change those pads.

As long as the rotors are not warped, run'em!!!!! :-X22

As far as pads go, if you want more stopping power - get a set of EBC Yellowstuff pads. These pads are amazing and you will notice the difference right away, but even more so after they are broken in. They have a break-in coating that will 'prep' your old rotors, so no worries about that. I've had EBC's Greenstuff and Yellowstuff pads and prefer the Yellowstuff. They MAY have a slightly shorter service life and do make a little more dust than Greenstuff - but these are compromises I'm willing to make to STOP when I want.

I have never done what Dwayne suggests. :-roll Personally I don't think it makes any difference whatsoever. GOOD brake pads however make it nearly impossible to warp rotors. :-X22 I run O'Riellys lifetime warranty rotors (currently Bosch brand) and typically just swap them out with pads. My last set went 60-80k miles and were not warped, but had some heat/stress cracks. (I BEAT on my brakes towing heavy in the mountains). They swap'em no questions asked anyway - and warping is covered. Those drilled/slotted/cryoed and otherwise molested high $$$ rotors won't make ya STOP any better and are a big waste of money IMHO. The PADS are where its at! :-jammin

Are EBC pads sold at local auto parts houses?

Oh yeah, I don't think I ever read Guzzle's write-up - but all ya have to do is loosen the (12mm?) bolts that go in the slide pins and use the bolt to push the pin in and pull it back out. If it slides easy, you're done. If slide is stuck or doesn't slide easy, I use a prybar/screwdriver to compress the caliper a little so I can move the caliper out of the way and re-lube one pin at a time.

I (normally :-roll) do this check at every other tire rotation.

I also use dielectric grease on the slide-pins. :-X22

If I have to take the bracket off like you did - I have to clean it and paint it before I put it back on........... :-X15 I also always paint my calipers when they are new. ;) Now, I have never attempted to clean one of these painted calipers - this ain't for show. I just don't like RUST!! I even painted my last set of rotors - first time for that (VHT 'flame-proof' 2000* paint). But after seeing all the rust scale that was in the vent area of every old rotor I've ever seen, I figured they would cool better if they didn't get that way. Not sure it will make a difference, but we'll see!! :-drink

I think some can order them for ya...

I get mine from Clay. Prolly takes same amount of time and price is the same/better. :-X22
Riffraff Diesel Performance Parts: - EBC Brake Pads

One more thing...... :-roll

I change the brake fluid every couple years or so. Just open the caliper bleed screws and let most of the fluid out of reservoir then refill it. Leaves screws open and top off rez until clear fluid comes out bleeders. As long as rez doesn't go dry, no need to 'bleed' the brakes.

Brake fluid is hygroscopic and will eventually absorb moisture from the air. Once it mixes with water it becomes corrosive to carbon steel - like the calipers, brake lines and some of the ABS components! :-X18

This is just a CHEAP insurance policy!!!:-X22

My $0.02: Water gets up between the face of the caliper pistons and the pad backing. It rusts when this happens, but it has zero impact on performance. Thosed pads look nice and deep, you're doing appropriate maintenance, and the rotor looks OK in the picture. You are there, so only you can feel both faces of the rotor for grooves or excessive wear. If my brakes looked like that, I'd grease the pins and put everything together, then have a beverage and feel good about my due dilligence. By the way, you take excellent pictures - clear and concise.

My brakes didn't look like that the last time and had to do something about it. All slide pins were siezed and the back faces of all my rotors looked like I was using combs for brake pads. My left-rear caliper siezed (this is what called my attention to the brakes in the first place) and pretty much destroyed everything brake-related there. The rear brakes have what is laughingly called a park brake - they are a drum brake inside the rotor.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ictureid=84271

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ictureid=84270

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ictureid=97546

Thanks to all who provided feedback.

Got the driver's side off and one of the pads was so rusted half of it fell off its backing. That happened to be the same side where one of the slide pins was dry (but not locked up).

I'll be curious to see the difference in feel with the new brake pads. It's late so I got everything back together this evening but will test in the morning before I go to work (I hope).

Thanks again.