1997 Rear Brake Pads Renew (95-01)

[allmyEXes]

This morning after breakfast while it was cooler than normal I decided it would be a good time to install new rear brake pads on my white 1997. I recently had found a receipt from not too long ago showing that all of the pads had been replaced including turning the rotors had been done. I decided that I would just install new pads for now and the next time around replace the brake rotors. About a year ago I had purchased a set of semi-metallic Bosch pads for the front and 2 days ago while waiting on the rear pads to arrive replaced them. While the wheels were off I visually checked the front undercarriage and physically checked the front wheel bearings.
Now to the back brakes. I bought a set of Bendix semi-metallic pads and the quality looks very good as well as did the Bosch pads. So far I haven't found any marking on any of the parts or packing that says made in C hina. The bendix pads came with new anti-rattle hardware.

Picture of the old pads and the new ones. The old ones are less than half used so I will save them for my Mountaineer.

The rear pads are rights and lefts and do have tops and bottoms. I'm pointing a screwdriver at the notch on the bottom of the pad.

I was checking dates on the tires and they are one week from being 3 years old. Incidentally I spotted something metal in the tread of the right rear. Looks like a trip to the tire store soon.

I was able to do this at home with limited tools. I used a jack and stand, lug wrench,10mm to break a loose the caliper bolts a flat blade/tip screwdriver to help pop the pads out and a "C" clamp to push the caliper piston back in. If this is going to be your first time to do this task only have one caliper loose while you are compressing the piston!
EDITED June 2025: Pads lasted 5 years and 70k miles!

 

[96eb96]

Those calipers are the simplest design possible. Almost no chance of seizing up. I have a late model lexus and the pins were welded in. I gave them to a shop and the ended up destroying them with a torch. I said do what you have to. Ended up getting new ones.

 

[CDW6212R]

Good job, doing the brakes maintenance. I wouldn't have changed the rear pads, those are good for a year or more at least.

BTW, no c-clamp is needed for the rear brakes. Any good screw driver is strong enough to pry the caliper piston back in. You do that first thing after the wheel is off and you decide the pads need changing. Just place the screw driver between the old pad and caliper, you can get it in there easily, and pry the pad towards the caliper.

The ideal way is to have a hose on the bleed screw and open it barely before pushing the piston back in, to let the fluid out, instead of back into the master cylinder.

 

[CDW6212R]

Those calipers are the simplest design possible. Almost no chance of seizing up. I have a late model lexus and the pins were welded in. I gave them to a shop and the ended up destroying them with a torch. I said do what you have to. Ended up getting new ones.

I had to replace my 99 rear calipers due to the pistons dragging, from setting too long undriven(before I bought it). Then a year later one of those rebuilt units from Autozone, had to be swapped again. The rear pads should last 40-50k miles, in my truck I get maybe two years. The first set of pads went nine months and ate one rotor. The last time was about 15 months ago, and I think I have about 25% left last time I looked.

 

[allmyEXes]

@CDW6212R My wife will be driving it 20K plus a year and I drive 3000 a year so I put the new ones on hers to be and will use the used ones on my Mounty. They may last 5 or 6 years LOL. The ones coming of of the MM have ~255K on them.
Thanks for the input guys!

 

[CDW6212R]

It's great to have multiple vehicles alike, you can do that kind of thing, best parts on one, spares on another etc.

 

[96eb96]

I had to replace my 99 rear calipers due to the pistons dragging, from setting too long undriven(before I bought it). Then a year later one of those rebuilt units from Autozone, had to be swapped again. The rear pads should last 40-50k miles, in my truck I get maybe two years. The first set of pads went nine months and ate one rotor. The last time was about 15 months ago, and I think I have about 25% left last time I looked.

True, I guess there is always a chance for the piston to seize. But they would be very easy to rebuild.

 

[allmyEXes]

It's great to have multiple vehicles alike, you can do that kind of thing, best parts on one, spares on another etc.

With 3 2nd gens I have to keep a notebook (sometimes not updated) so the swapping and maintenance doesn't get confusing. The Mercury and one of the Explorers are the same dark blue color. All 3 have the same brand and size of tires. Sometimes even Explorer Forum serves as my notebook. I look back at a task that I performed on one of them and say to myself "oh that was the other one" etc. LoL.
I'm glad that all of the calipers felt real good pushing them back in.

 

[donalds]

I use these rather than a c clamp
Took years to finally break down and buy them

Just a suggestion

 

[drdoom]

Nice write up!
Yeah Boss, put a radial patch in that piece and re-balance.
Doc

 

[allmyEXes]

I see someone dug up my old thread. Funny story. A month ago, I thought that I might need new pads on the front of the white '97 which is this one. I took off the left wheel and un-fastened the caliper. The pads looked nearly new. 1/16" worn. I put them back on. Now I see from reading this that a changed them fall of 2020. That is over 20,000 miles ago and they only wore maybe a 16th of an inch. The funny part is I couldn't remember changing them in Sept 2020. Lol.

 

[CDW6212R]

I do brakes so often I try to forget about the last time(just like mowing becomes boring and tedious). My rear brakes should be getting close, but every time I have a reason to have a wheel off, they look fine. I have some new tires to go on again so it's time to pull it apart and check it all, and change shocks again. That last brand I tried were terrible in front, they've been worn out since about the one year mark. I've got four Rancho shocks to try this time.