are rear brake pads the same as front? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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are rear brake pads the same as front?

cra2

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June 25, 2006
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City, State
orlando, fl
Year, Model & Trim Level
'03, sport
Thanks to you guys, I just replaced my own front brake pads.
Never knew it was so easy.

Question is - are the rear pads just as easy?
(on a 2003 explorer sport 2dr 2WD XLT)

Or is there something more involved?

Thanks
 



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As far as I remember the rears are way simpler than the front. They have different design and the rears come off as a whole unit but nothing special in there.






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Thanks to you guys, I just replaced my own front brake pads.
Never knew it was so easy.

Question is - are the rear pads just as easy?
(on a 2003 explorer sport 2dr 2WD XLT)

Or is there something more involved?

Thanks
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Don't know much about the 2wd Explorer Sport models, but they should be a bit easier to do, no retainer/anti-rattle clips to deal with, that hold them in place like on the fronts. The rears just pop into place in the grooves for the brake caliper. It's up to you, but you can spray "disc brake quiet" on the back side of the pads, just to keep them from rattling around or squeaking after you install them. Spray in on the back side of the pads (metal backing plate), give it a few minutes to get tacky to the touch, and then install them into the caliper. Don't forget to grease up the "caliper slide pins" while the old pads are out of the caliper. People sometimes to forget to re-grease them. Clean up the caliper itself with a wire brush as well. If you buy your parts at Advance Auto Parts, you can use their online coupons from www.couponcabin.com and just order your parts thru the Advance web site and select what store you live near to pick them up in about an hour after ordering if the parts are in stock at that store. Their web site tells you if the parts are in stock.
 






It's up to you, but you can spray "disc brake quiet" on the back side of the pads, just to keep them from rattling around or squeaking after you install them. Spray in on the back side of the pads (metal backing plate), give it a few minutes to get tacky to the touch, and then install them into the caliper.

crud.
I didn't see that mentioned ONCE in the 5+ youtube videos I watched of people doing the front pads.
So, no, I didn't do that.
Hope it's not a problem.
Have only driven it a day since the job, but haven't heard any noise yet.

Don't forget to grease up the "caliper slide pins" while the old pads are out of the caliper. People sometimes to forget to re-grease them. Clean up the caliper itself with a wire brush as well.

again...crud!
That wasn't in anyone's videos either so I didn't even know about that.
They just removed the wheels, removed the old pads, compressed the pistons (after opening the brake fluid reservoir under the hood, installed new pads and put the wheels back on.
So that's what I did.

Is it important enough that I should (groan) take the front pads back off and add the grease while doing the rear pads?
(please say no, please say no, please say no)
 






created post twice by accident.
trying to delete.
 






Rears have the parking brake shoes inside the rear rotor. It can be a bit more difficult to get the rear rotor off because of the PB shoes. They are often toast when you remove the rotor.

If you are just slapping in new pads, should be similar.

Here is a thread that has two links that may help

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=342734&highlight=rear+brake

forgive me - new terminology for me.
so you're saying as long as I'm just doing the pads, it should be the same job as on the front, right?

(i'm assuming if the pads aren't gone and there are no grooves in the rotors, then all I need to do is pads)
 






As far as greasing the back of the pads and the caliper slider pins, it's a good idea to do so but isn't the end of the world if you don't. Greasing the back of the pads is to keep them quiet. Greasing the pins each time you do your pads is a good idea to keep them from seizing. When you handled the caliper, as long as it wasn't a real pain to slide the pins, you'll be okay till next service.
 






crud.
I didn't see that mentioned ONCE in the 5+ youtube videos I watched of people doing the front pads.
So, no, I didn't do that.
Hope it's not a problem.
Have only driven it a day since the job, but haven't heard any noise yet.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

No, not a problem if you didn't use any disc brake quiet on the fronts and I'm pretty sure those retainer clips on the front help keep them from squeaking or rattling around. You should be good to go. The rears could use a spraying of disc brake quiet.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>again...crud!
That wasn't in anyone's videos either so I didn't even know about that.
They just removed the wheels, removed the old pads, compressed the pistons (after opening the brake fluid reservoir under the hood, installed new pads and put the wheels back on.
So that's what I did.

Is it important enough that I should (groan) take the front pads back off and add the grease while doing the rear pads?
(please say no, please say no, please say no)>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

You are probably okay for now on pulling off the front pads and greasing the slide pins(get them next time) but greasing the caliper slide pins is an important thing to do, because if they dry out enough from lack of greasing, they can "freeze or stick" in place, such as one pin remaining closed (braking) and the other slid back open after applying brake pressure. What this can cause is your pads to wear down on angle, one side wearing out faster than the other. The side of the pad with the frozen pin will keep pressure against the rotor and wear that side of the pad out quickly. I had this happen on my Explorer right after I bought it a year ago on one of the rear pads. It will happen on the inner pad because that is the side the caliper pins and piston are on and the pad they push against when braking. It will also cause your rotor and rim to heat up quite a bit and you may see steam coming from it if it is snowing or raining out if this ever happens. The rim may be hot to the touch as well. Frozen calipers do this as well. I heard mine siziling after a drive to Niagara falls, 22 miles. When I pulled the wheel the next day, I could see the one side of the pad was more worn out than the other side, burnt and scarred from over heating. I replaced the pads and bought a new slide pin kit and re-greased everything. Been fine since. BTW, the slide pins pull or pop right out of those rubber boots they sit in, clean the old grease or rust off of them, re-grease(they sell caliper pin grease) and re-install seating them in the rubber boots at those little grooves on the ends of the pins. Takes only a few minutes. If the pins are really rusted up, buy a new caliper slide pin kit. Good luck.
 






(i'm assuming if the pads aren't gone and there are no grooves in the rotors, then all I need to do is pads)
>>>>>>>>>>

That is the general idea for checking pads and rotors. Rotors do wear down from good braking as well, so a rotor could get too thin for safe braking. The thickness of a rotor can be checked with a digital caliper tool, or even a crescent wrench by measuring the distant between the two edges of the wrench after you adjusted them to the thickness of the rotor. If the rotors look good, just do the pads and grease the slide pins. Use a little anti-seize lube on the caliper bolts. When pads wear down to bare metal, they will then cut lines into the rotors because of the metal on metal action going on there. Most pads these days have a low pad warning edge built into them that will scrape the outer edge of the rotor to let you know your pads are low on braking material or getting too thin, worn out. I always change mine before it gets to that point.
 






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