DIY disk brake pad replacement - another question

Not if they are above minimum thickness and not warped.

If they're not warped or scored, you can just put a set of pads on and be done with it. If the surface is "rippled" (kinda like growth rings on a tree) it *MAY* need to be resurfaced or replaced.

If it is necessary to resurface 'em, they'll need to be removed and taken to a shop with a brake lathe and turned. The shop will measure the thickness with a micrometer and then check for any warpage with a dial indicator. If they can'[t be turned without exceeding the manufacturer's MINIMUM thickness, you'll need to replace 'em. If they can, the shop will put 'em on the lathe and turn 'em. Takes about an hour (at most) to do a pair.

If you don't need to resurface them, hit 'em with some 220 grit sandpaper to scuff 'em up a bit and break the glazing. (Take the shine off of 'em) That'll help the new pads set well.

Really not a difficult job to replace pads.. Pretty much if you can turn a wrench, you can do 'em.

IIRC you said in your previous post that you had 36,000 miles on this set of pads. Unless you are very hard on your brakes, I doubt that you will need to turn the rotors.

In general, if the car pulses when stopping the rotors are warped and need to be machined or replaced. If the car stops smoothly now then all you should need is a new set of pads. Rotors warp due to extreme heating. You might see this more often if you live in the mountains or you like driving with both feet (riding the brake pedal)or if you just like seeing how fast you can stop every single time you hit the brakes.

Check back in again when you get to your second pad change. At that point in time you might need to pull the rotors, repack the bearings and replace the bearing seals. Not a difficult job either but it is really messy!

Paul O. wrote:

Almost forgot to mention, many Fords do not use the bolts to hold the calipers on. Look at the calipers carefully and locate the surfaces where the two halves slide together. If there is a bolt head near that area, then those are the bolts to remove. If you do not see the bolts, you should see what looks like a piece of rubber sandwiched between two pieces of metal wedged between the sliding surfaces of the caliper. IT is about half the diameter of a hotdog.

If you have that setup, you have to drive the piece out to get the caliper loose. Buy new ones because you will likely destroy the old ones getting them out. They only cost a few dollars at the parts store and are readily available. Maybe someone else will know the proper name for these things and will chime in.

Good luck.

Paul O. wrote: