My 15 EL platinum has had 3 brake jobs in the first 38k miles.

I do not tow or drive hard but after about 10k the steering wheel starts to shake when stopping usually in the 30-50mph range.

The dealer has performed the rotor resurfacing (and they say the rotors are within thickness specs) and the brakes work great and after some time the vibration starts up again. Tires are new and wheels are good and balancing is good. It did this with the old tires too. Steering wheel perfectly stable from 0-100mph driving. Vibration only when braking.

I'm not a total car geek but I think that I should be thinking about replacing the rotors and pads with something a little better.

Does anyone know what my options would be? Again I do not tow or drive hard however I would like to have some brake rotors that do not vibrate over time.

I read that ford uses cheaper brake rotors?? I'd like to have a shop change out my brake system for something better and longer lasting.

I am in south florida if weather makes a difference.

Thanks for the help!

 

I just did the first brake job at 65K miles on my 15' EL 4x4, just the fronts, the rears were still 50%. The fronts were just starting to shake a little.

I always try to not let them heat soak unevenly. When I go from freeway speeds to the stoplight at the end of the offramp I always put it in neutral or park so the hot pads and rotor aren't sitting there squeezing and cooking while the other 2/3 of the rotor is cooling off, that causes warping of the rotor. Or at least roll a few feet a couple times. It drives my wife nuts because I always shift from D to N to D at almost every stoplight.

Sorry I'm making it sound like your driving habits but some vehicles are better than others with this problem but there are things you can do to help prolong getting the symptoms. I got good life out of the factory parts and replaced them with the same.

It's gonna be hard to find someone who has tried another brand and has put enough miles on them to give a definitive answer.

 

I guess I am looking for a replacement rotor that will not warp when I have my foot on the brakes when at a stop light. I probably wouldn't be good at putting the vehicle in neutral every time I stopped.

 

If you still have the original rotors, they have proven to be unstable and when they are surfaced, they will get thinner and more prone to warping. I once played this game with an '86 GMC 2500 van....rotors turned every 20k miles or less. I eventually demanded the rotors go in the trash.

Not sure who makes better rotors than the Ford OEM ones. I would say to try and get American rotors, but I believe that almost all rotors are cast in China these days. I believe the OEM Motorcraft rotors are Chinese, as well as the high end Wagner Thermoquiet type stuff, but maybe read some parts boxes at your local Ford dealer.

Good luck,
George

 

This wont stop the shaking, but I wouldn't suggest Yellow Stuff brake pads. Mind you, they stopped my Navigator on a dime, but they were the dirtiest pads I've ever seen and squealed like a pig. They also wore down the rotors pretty quickly.

I could've lived with the squealing, but my wife drove me nuts complaining about it. It was the brake dust that I hated.

 

Our 15 Limited 4x4 just passed 30k. We bought it new and it has never towed.
There is zero brake shake but the front rotors are grooved pretty badly. Still get lots of brake dust.
I pulled a caliper and was surprised to see plenty of pad left. I will be replacing front and rear with drilled and slotted rotors and ceramic pads. I put a kit from powerstop on our previous 08 Expy and they were fantastic. Smooth, powerful, and no brake dust.

 

I am thinking of putting on the EBC slotted rotors. I talked with EBC and they said these should run a lot cooler and have better iron and manufacturing processes. They said to use stock ford pads as they will last a lot longer. I will replace front and rear.

 

I purchased the PowerStop extreme brake package online for $390 (4 rotors and pads) and had a local shop install them for $300. So I am $690 into the brakes.

After the break in period, they are fine right now and time will only tell.

I hope they give me some good love over the years.

The stock ford brakes were causing my 15EL steering wheel to shake and vibrate and the dealership ground the rotors 3x under warranty. I just got out of warranty and plan to keep the truck so I hope this was a good investment. Steering wheel vibration while braking was really pissing me off. I tried to get ford to replace the rotors but they wouldn't do anything. My dealership sucks so out of warranty means no more business for them.

Fingers crossed...

 

I ordered EBC Yellow stuff for my 14 Taurus SHO but haven't installed yet. Yellow stuff pads and slotted rotors. I had the same deal on the pulsing dealer should have corrected or at least disclosed but AS IS. I was able to get all four rotors turned and completed a little over 4k miles about 3600 of that a regional cross country round robin from Fort-Worth-Central PA and back. Just starting to pulse again so I will monitor. I got one turn out of the rotors but not sure if I will risk two. I have heard good on EBC but my first ownership of a high capacity full size SUV so want due diligence with research.

 

I just performed my truck's first brake job at 83K miles. I bought the truck new. The front rotors have been junk since the truck had 25K on it. They were turned under warranty and 20K miles later, I had the same vibration in the front end. I lived with it till my pads were worn out.

I replaced the front rotors with Autozone Duralast Gold. They come with a three year warranty and are priced about where you'd pay for a factory rotor. Then I installed the same factory pads all around the truck as they performed so well. Very little dust and the truck stops on a dime.

 

You would not be wrong on the DuraLast Gold. I have not used them in a while but they worked great on my 2003 Durango...another 4k+ weight class SUV. I will replace when this set gets too far gone. No Scheduled road trips for a while so local missions only. 66K at my purchase and I can't find any documentation of previous brake work aside from the rotor turning in May. Being that high mileage I am suspecting that at least rotors were replaced at least once either during normal life or prior to/at lease turn in. Either way I am good for a while.

Moderator: I just caught the USCG Senior Chief...What rate? I was aviation ordnance for Navy and Ejection seats/safety equipment for Marine Corps. Ironically same aircraft for both. Join the Navy get stationed in the Desert...….Join the Marine Corps get stationed by the water. Military Logic huh?

 

I'm maybe 9 months and 10K miles in on the PowerStop extreme brake package that replaced the factory rotor/pads on 15EL plat.

I am really happy with the setup. There is not a single vibration or pulse on the steering wheel when braking.

Lots of stopping power, no dust. I recommend this set up.

 

Food and supply. Thank you for your service sir.

 

From being an Excursion owner for over 13 years, it is common practice to use a torque wrench on your lug nuts any time a wheel has been removed. I have a long handled torque wrench in my truck at all times. Most shops won't properly torque the wheel lugs, leading to uneven stress on the rotor. They'll use the air gun and gun them to who knows how many foot pounds of torque are on the lugs. So if you want your brakes to last, consider getting a long handled torque wrench and using it. The long handled version gives you more leverage on lug nuts. I've had rotors and pads last over 100k miles on my Excursion, making sure to always torque the lug nuts to proper specification.

(Current Excursion owner, future Expedition owner)