Ford Expedition Front Brake Replacement
brakes on the 2003 (Note, it's actually a 2004) Ford Expedition. This process should be the Same on 2003-2006 Explorers and
possibly earlier years. It's pretty simple even if your tool box is not that packed. The problem is that I used Autozone El-Cheapo
rotors, and this is not the second set that have gone south. The first set had excessive wear but yet the pads were not to the limit,
the second set had a similar problem but toss in warped. And don't give me any crap that the lug nuts were not properly tightened,
that's 101 stuff and not the case here or on 99% of these cheep rotors warping! Being sick of dealing with these cheep rotors I
ordered a set of Raybestos Performance Rotors from Amazon. I was going to get them at Autozone but they were close to $60
cheaper at Amazon with free shipping. So I figured I would get the matching Raybestos ceramic brake pads as well. Had the parts in
a couple of days due to Amazon prime and was on my way. So this job get the Expedition new front rotors and pads.
Complexity
This took about 30-45 minutes of work per wheel. Most of that time was cleaning and doing simple tasks. The most complex part of
the job is putting back the retaining springs other then that it's a cake walk.
Tools Needed to Replace the Pads and Rotors
Medium blade screwdriver
Metric Socket Set, 18mm and 21mm for Lugs
Torque Wrench so you don't have to guess how tight things should be
(Note you can use a 13/16" on the lugs with a bit tighter fit but works well)
Torx T45 Bit
Needle Nose Pliers
Disk Brake Grease (sometimes included with the premium pads)
Brake / Carb Cleaner
Shop Towels
Parts Needed
Raybestos Rotors - I got mine off of Amazon Here are the numbers for 2003 Expedition
Note I had bad luck with these rotors, I would recommend looking for the NON-Grooved version, way cheaper. These rotors warped
and I replaced them with the POLICE versions. The police versions had a revised internal construction compared to the grooved
rotors above. Not sure if the design was updated, but it needed to be. So far no problems with the new rotors, and new Hawk pads.
*NOTE PLEASE CHECK YOUR VEHICLE AND YEAR TO MAKE SURE THE ABOVE WILL WORK, IT'S ALL ON YOU!*
I picked up the rotors EACH for about $86 at Amazon vs. Autozone's $137. Both had free shipping. I did notice that Amazon quickly
raised the price to $90 for them when I last looked but that's still significantly cheaper then Autozone. Brake pads from Amazon were
$57 and the similar (if not Raybestos) pads were $55 bucks. Warrenty at Autozone is lifetime and after writing this, seems like a
good way to go. Wait, I have a set of them I can return and get a fresh set of lifetime pads, so I'm good!
On the next few pages you can see the process to replace the rotor and pads. Don't forget you can have your rotors turned by a
competent machine shop if not that bad, and if you have OEM still on the car it's a good way to go if still within spec.
Torque Specifications
Wheel Lug Torque 2003 21mm Wheel Lug at 145Ft/Lbs (If you have 19mm Lugs use 125Ft/Lbs)
Caliper Bracket bolts (The 18mm Bolts) at 145Ft/Lbs
Caliper Slide Bolts (The Torx T45 Bolts) at 25Ft/Lbs
DISCLAIMER AND WARNING
If you don't feel that you have the skill to complete this task take the work to a professional. Please check all parts and
ensure that they are in good condition, this includes bolts, hoses and fluid. Make sure brake lines are not cracked,
pistons are not leaking and parts are moving freely when they should (Torx Slide Bolts) and all fluid is at safe levels.
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