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Ford Explorer Community - Maintenance - Modifications - Performance Upgrades - Problem Solving - Off-Road - Street
Explorer Forum Covers the Explorer ST, Explorer Sport, Explorer Sport Trac, Lincoln Aviator, Mercury Mountaineer, Mazda Navajo, Ford Ranger, Mazda Pickups, and the Ford Aerostar
Are you talking about their Valucraft or Duralast brand? In either case, if you worn them slap-out that quickly, I'd say your rear calipers are hanging up. I've never used the "Valucraps", but I've used the Duralast on many cars/trucks over the years. Other than making a mess of your front wheels, they've preformed and lasted well enough. I prefer their C-Max ceramics on the fronts of my trucks (no brake dust), the regular Duralast are sufficient for the rears. The fronts do most of the work when stopping. I find the rears last 3-to-1 over the fronts.
Something else is hanging up your brakes so they are always wearing. I have used Duralast brake pads for years in multiple vehicles. I always purchase the middle of the price scale with the lifetime warranty.
it must be the drivers side caliper stuck open cuz they are ok on the other side.
they were also low on that side before which I attributed to the brakeline leak. Since that was fixed at the same time the new pads were added -- it looks like a new caliper is in order.
how does the brake line go into the caliper? flare kit needed?
I also had brakes wear prematurely on the driver side rear.
After having it happen 2 times I looked into it further. With the rear jacked up and wheels off I took a video of my bent axle shaft and the side to side movement of the caliper. Watch closely.
The rotor was not warped. This is an example of a bent axle.
The fun starts on this page of my registry thread.
I had duralast pads, put 20K+ on them, and they where actually really good. sounds like a sticky caliper to me. When I replaced them I was replacing the rotors because they where out of spec, so they had to go, they probably had 5mm left aswell.
Look into getting the Wagner SX series semi metallic pads or the Performance Friction carbon metallic pads. They outlasted some vehicles that they were installed on.