how to do a brake job
 

hi everyone i have a 2000 f-250 crew cab 4x4 and the brakes shudder worse the faster you go so im guessing the rotors are warped what is involved in doing the front brakes do i have to take the hubs apart? can the rotors just be machined or do i need new ones? any ideas would help im only 17 and i spent all my money on the truck and i would be doing the work myself
is it the rotors warped or something else?

Thanks for all the help

cool, another young person on the boards! im 16, and i know the feeling of putting $20K+ into a (first)vehicle.

the rotors can be turned down, but i advise against it, because it makes them thinner, and less area for heat absorption. it is like a normal brake job on a car, the hubs do not have to come out (rear) unless it is a dually, which i think you do not have. it seems as if your wallet is kind of tight. in this case, machining the rotors may be the only choice. you will want new pads while you are at it. if you have some money to spare, i would recommend PowerSlots.

[QUOTE=strokin_it7.3]cool, another young person on the boards! im 16, and i know the feeling of putting $20K+ into a (first)vehicle.

exactly i spent all the money on the truck and insurance isnt cheap either. i just cant afford upgraded rotors right now because the truck has almost 200,000 miles on it and there are other little things that need to be done. so they are just floating rotors? are the pads easy to get off or is there something i should watch for to make sure i dont wreck them right away?

fixed rotor, floating caliper. that is about all i know of them, i have not done a brake job on a superduty, as mine are good.
get some pics of your truck for us please!

First thing you need to do is to get a manual for your truck if you don't already. Most of the bigger auto parts stores have then. They are a must if you intend to do your own work. They will show and tell you how it done.

Ditto. Most of them have diagrams and pictures as well. Best money you'll ever spend. (Other than FTE membership, of course. :-X25 )

Brakes are reasonably simple. Manual recommend. You will learn on the first hub and the next will be a breeze. Great comments strokin

well i put the new brakes on and when i tightened up the caliper it cocked the rotor on the bottom of it and now it wont turn at all. Is there something else i have to loosen it seems like the outboard pad is too thick any ideas would help

Use a C-Clamp and a old pad to compress the caliper piston to loosen up the tight pad. You should compress the piston almost all the way into the caliper. Remove the cap on the master cylinder and watch it to back fill. Hope this helps. I am not looking at anything but the picture I have in my mind. Good luck

the inside pad is compressed all the way into the caliper but it seems like the outside pad is hitting the rotor. there are 2 smaller bolts on the caliper are those for adjustment? it is loose and the wheel spins freely until the last half turn to tighten the caliper bolts all the way and then you cant turn the tire at all

The inside pad is just a slave. The outside pad usually has direct contact with the piston and rotor.. If the piston is not compressed to near stop before adding new pads they are usually is too tight a fit. You should remove the caliper and pad and try my last post. I don't have a manual with me so I am going on my memory.

Sorry my inside and your inside are not the same. I am trying to get a visual of your problem. I still think it is the piston is not compress enough. Wish I could see it, it would make it much easier.

Is there a bearing hanging up in your rotor? Probably not, you do have a 4X

well i hopefully found the problem. the 2 smaller bolts are automatic sliders to adjust for pad wear and those were so rusted i couldnt get them out to grease them so i will have to heat them up with a torch and try to get them out i hope this fixes it i will post how it works out
thanks for the help

The bolts you mention are the caliper slides and it's typical for at least one of them to rust and not move. When I do my brakes I loosen those first and then pull the entire caliper off the hub, then remove the slide bolts and change the pads on the bench.
I ran into the same problem as you when I did my first brake job. Check the boots that are on the caliper slides, as they may need to be replaced.

torque values for the caliper slide bolts are 42 ft lbs and the caliper bracket itself is 166 ft lbs.

Good luck with it

yup that was the problem all 4 were rusted and i did have to use a torch to get them out i guess it was 200,000 miles of rust thanks for all the help guys this website is great
Rugby 3 are you a rugby player

You might want to replace all four slides since they were rusted. Make sure you clean out the slide holes as well. It's also not a bad idea to pull the caliper and check the slides twice a year.

I used to play while I was in the AF many years ago.I was tight head prop. I just don't have the time anymore. It's a great sport, to bad it doesn't get much coverage here in the states. Have you played?