Need Help Replacing Brakes (rotors & pads)

[Rngrs3910]

Looking for a little help here from anyone who's replaced their rotors and pads themselves.

I have an 06 V8 EB Edition. I drive a lot for work and went into the dealership last weekend for my 60,000 servicing. Everything checked out and was in good shape, but the tech noticed that my brakes had marginal wear would need to be replaced in the near future. The estimated cost was $800+ ($1000+ if the emergency brake needed replacement too). I scheduled another appointment to have this done.

The next day I was talking with a friend of mine and mentioned that I needed to have my brakes replaced. He lives out in the burbs and has a garage and tools and a jack, and offered to help me do it myself if i bought the parts (I did a quick search on Napa's website and estimated it would cost me about half of what the dealer is charging). He recently did the rotors and pads on his wifes Focus, and said it was pretty straight forward.

So my questions are: Is it worth the savings to do this myself, or am i getting in over my head? I'm no mechanic, but I'm good at taking things apart and them putting them back together. If I buy the Hayes manual and the right parts, is this a pretty straight-forward repair?

Any comments/suggestions/etc would be a big help.

 

[TRB]

Brakes are not too bad to do, especially if you have some experience like your friend. I too was a bit leery on the first brake job I did, but as a poor married college student, I didn't have much choice. Pads for the fronts & rears shouldn't run more than $60-150, depending on what pads you select, and add another $30-50 for ebrake shoes, and $60 to turn the rotors. With fluid and misc, you should get out for $170-300 depending on pads. Of course, replacing rotors would be more, probably $200, but hopefully you won't need them. Usually they should last for 2 pad changes with only having them turned.

The fronts are pretty straightforward, usually remove a couple of bolts that hold the caliper on, slide it off ( don't let it hang by the hose at all) and remove the rotor for turning or replacement if worn too much. I usually siphon out a bit of the brake fluid from the reservoir, then use C clamps or vice grips to push the piston back into the caliper (push against the old pad, forcing the fluid back into the reservoir). Then you can reinstall the rotor, put anti squeak compound on the pads, and reinstall the caliper.

The rears usually are similar, but I don't have any experience on Ford's internal parking brake. I did a rear emergency brake job on our Yukon and it was not bad at all.

A shop manual should give you the basic info. And I would bleed the brakes too. The fluid has probably absorbed a good bit of moisture and probably needs to be flushed.

Good luck!

 

[shaker1]

TRB's advice is good.

A few additional thoughts:

Personally, unless there are grooves or uneven wear, I do not resurface my rotors. Assuming you are not feeling any problems in the brake pedal and the rotors are smooth you may be fine just replacing the pads. And if the parking brake is working OK and has not been abused, it may be OK to skip that too.

Use good quality parts, I like to go with OEM or Raybestos brand. Don't forget to lube the caliper "slides" with high temp brake grease.

If you don't flush/bleed the system, remove as much old fluid as possible while the caliper pistons are retracted and replace with new. Use a turkey baster or suction gun for this. Fill up with fresh fluid before pumping the brakes. And top it off after the pressing the pedal a few times.

 

[rileyrs]

brakes should be pretty easy if you have a little experience working on cars.
most of it is rather straight forward once you are actually doing to repair.

here is a link for a page with tons of how to vids on a 1996 explorer, i realize its 10 yrs older than yours, but i believe the brakes should be pretty similar, he has two brake vids on here.
good luck

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=241881

 

[bojans]

Just watch the dual piston calipers. If you try to squeeze one back into the bore w/o blocking the other one first you may be rebuilding your calipers.

 

[rileyrs]

blocking the other one?
can you explain what you mean by that

 

[fixxxer]

Either putting a block between the one piston and the caliper so that when you press the first pinston into the caliper, the other piston doesn't get pushed out by the pressure or using something that will push both pistons back into the caliper at the same time.

 

[rileyrs]

ok ya now i know what you mean, sorry i didnt get that at first.

ya when i did the brakes on the ranger, i put a piece of wood over both pistons, and the used a c clamp to compress both at the same time.
seemed to work fine

 

[fixxxer]

Glad I was able to clarify

 

[08 Mountaineer]

i've done pads and rotors on a couple of mine and a friend's cars, no major deal. if you have some general tool knowledge you'll be fine.

if i remember correctly, i just used some basic sockets/rachets and a c-clamp...

 

[rileyrs]

ya its easy.
the only thing i ran into on the 02 ranger was the rotor had rusted onto the lugs and hub surface, a LITTLE heat, some pb blaster, and a hammer got it off after a while though, otherwise its pretty easy to do.