Brake Performance Blogs

Easy Tips to removing and installing new brake pads

Changing the brake pads is not as difficult as you may have imagined. Sure, the rotors look easier and it's often hard to imagine how to get those brake pads in and out of the calipers, but it's actually quite straightforward.

Nearly all cars require you to remove the two caliper mounting bolts in order for you to remove the brake pads. You will need a caliper spreader tool, or if you don't have access to that, a C-Clamp can also be used. This is helpful in pushing the caliper piston back in, so you can install the new brake pads and then slide them over the rotor.

You also want to have handy a packet or tube of brake grease. Apply this over the back of the brake pad, to prevent any small rattles from the brake shim plate.

Lastly, it's a good tip to have a can of brake cleaner to clean up the brake caliper contact points, such as the piston, piston seal area, and hardware.

1. Ordering Parts
For 2004 Starting with the 2004 model year, Ford launched a new body style for the F150. The new body style truck is a new vehicle inside and out. However, not all of the 2004 F150s that you see will be the new body style. The 2004 F150 was also made available in the older body style pickup that came on the scene in 1996. The older body style F150 is called a "Heritage" edition. The newer body style is simply referred to as an 2004 "new" model. You do need to be aware of this for correct ordering of parts, and parts look up.

2. Valve Stems
On some 2007-2008 F150s, the OEM valve stems leaked due to design flaws and defects in the materials. Leaks usually developed at the base of the stem and might only leak while the vehicle is moving due to the centrifugal forces on the stems. To inspect the valve stems, apply light pressure to the valve stem cap with your finger and inspect the surface of the valve stem. Look for surface cracks at the base of the valve stem and listen for any slow air leak.

3. Lifting
On the "new" model F-Series trucks, be sure to fold the side view mirrors in when raising these trucks on a two-post lift. The mirrors are large enough that they have been crushed by the plate or cap found at the top of the lift posts.

4. Hoods
This one issue might seem excessively simple to talk about, but can be very embarrassing in front of the customer if you are not prepared. The secondary hood release handle has moved on the 2008 Super Duty. It is now below the inside lower corner of the right headlight.

5. Lathes
One significant design change is to the front rotors. On the 4x2 "NEW" F150, the front wheel bearings are now sealed bearings that are pressed into the rotors and secured with a snap ring. This design calls for a special adapter for your bench-style brake lathe or on-the-car lathe. The 4x4 is a hubless design rotor and requires no special bench lathe adapter beyond what is needed for any hubless rotor.

6. Stock Retaining Nuts
You need to be aware that the retaining nut for the rotor is not intended for reuse. For this reason, it may be wise for your shop to stock two retaining nuts for 2004-and-up F150 2WD.

7. Shudder Strategy: Count The Fins and Check the Rack
Some 2004/2005 F-150 trucks built before 11/29/2004 may exhibit front brake roughness and or shudder while braking. The full TSB is # 05-21-19. Vehicles built prior to 8/20/2003 require the replacement of the rack and pinion assembly if it has not been replaced.

To determine if the vehicle has the old- or new-style rotors (or even if the aftermarket rotors are well designed) count the number of fins. The new-style rotors have 47 fins.

8. Tire Shoulder Wear: Change Your Specs
Some 2004-2006 F-150 vehicles (excluding Heritage) built before 11/1/2005, equipped with only the following tires or the same replacement sizes, may exhibit rapid tire shoulder wear on the inside edge of the front tires:
Hankook P235170 R17 XL
General P255170 R17
Continental P255/65 R17
Ford recommends adjusting the alignment specs and rotation if possible only if the tread depth of the inside shoulder is worn more than 1/2 of the tread depth of other ribs if the tires are exhibiting inside shoulder (toe) wear. If this is the case, set the front total toe to 0.30 +/- 0.05 degrees, also check camber and caster angles are within specification limits, and perform 4-wheel alignment at a certified facility.

9. Rear Brake Adjusters
If the rear brakes need adjusting, perform a brake adjustment using the vehicle owner's manual as a guide. New vehicles might have auto-adjusters. A wheel alignment service can be helpful.

New hub units may exhibit rough feel when rotated by hand, a characteristic common with today's high performance products. SKF reports the rough or coarse feel of some new hub units if they are rotated by hand before installation and explains why these conditions are normal for technicians to experience.

In recent years there have been concerns about new hub bearings being rough or difficult to rotate. Many technicians inspect a new replacement hub bearing visually and by rotating the assembly once or twice by hand.

During the inspection process, it is not abnormal to feel a rough, coarse sensation as the two halves of the hub are rotated. This condition is not an indication of a defective bearing; these hub units should not be returned as suspected defective parts.

This condition is caused by the premium grease SKF uses in many of its bearings, especially in hub bearings. SKF uses GHG grease that provides a significant advantage over other standard greases.

SKF GHG contains many performance-enhancing additives, some of which are in the form of soft crystalline structures when the grease is new. These crystalline structures can create a rough, coarse feeling when the hub bearing is first turned by hand, before the bearing has experienced significant rotation.

These additives are important to optimum wheel bearing performance and include anti-brinelling and extreme pressure performance enhancers and solid lubricant components. This advanced technology grease chemistry improves bearing performance from many aspects, ranging from protecting against bearing damage during vehicle transport to maintaining proper lubrication conditions during high load/low speed operation to lubricant stability at elevated operating temperatures.

Even though the bearing may feel rough when it is initially rotated by hand, after rotating on the vehicle for a few minutes, the soft crystalline structures in the grease will break down into finer structures, and the bearing will rotate smoothly. There is no detrimental effect of the SKF GHG grease run-in. This is the normal and desired behavior of this type of grease.

Another item that may contribute to a hard turning hub bearing is the seal. In some hub bearings, the seals also have more interference with the bearing. Once the bearing is rotated for a few minutes, the bearing will gradually turn freely. This is a normal situation.

As a reminder, Generation 3 hub assemblies need to be fully preloaded/seated with the correct torque in order to operate properly. Without the proper bearing seating on a hub assembly, the bearing may have a feeling of roughness when turning it. The rough feel is more noticeable in bearings that are preloaded from the factory, as many of these newer generation hub units are preloaded. Always remember to follow the OE manufacturer's recommended torque specifications and procedures when installing the axle nut. This will create the correct preload for the hub assembly.