TowingExplorer
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 14, 2009
- Messages
- 408
- Reaction score
- 1
- City, State
- Central MA
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2006 Limited V8
*** Go HERE for a 2 year update!
Just changed my rear rotors and pads, here's the write-up for the fronts so I didn't net an unbalanced braking system. Even with just the rears done a slight brake improvement was noticed.
The fronts are very similar to other vehicles I have done brake work on in the past whereas the rears were quite new for me.
I used Magnum cross drilled rotors and EBC Green Stuff brake pads. The brakes before had always disappointed me with this Explorer. I guess I had always been spoiled by borrowing my dad's 2005 F-150 with the 5.4L. Well, who knows what brakes were on there but I must say that these brakes are NICE. I am definitely looking forward to the next time I tow a vehicle in my dual axle trailer! It is almost difficult now to come to a "gradual" stop as I usually did before... careful not to get too close due to the 1st gear bump. I had my girlfriend drive it and just backing out of the space we were in at the store she immediately looked at me with the biggest smile, that the investment on brakes might not have been wasted!
Side note, little bit of a squeal with a very slight press of the brake pedal until the pads have heated up. Squeal goes away after releasing the pedal even when cold so it is not the pads riding the rotors. Hopefully that goes away once broken in.
Forgot to take a before with the wheel on, so my first "before" is of just the rotor/caliper assembly behind the tire.
Used a large C Clamp to press the pads back forcing the pistons back into the caliper. If you didn't use depress the pistons, it would be difficult to push the caliper away from the hub due to the "nubs" on the pads which are inside the caliper pistons. Then removed the top 17mm bolt to the slide.
Caliper assembly rotated away. This is as far as you need to go to just change the pads. Continue if you also need to replace the rotors.
Pads removed...
To replace the rotor, you need to remove the entire caliper assembly including its bracket. To do this I first placed the 17mm bolt back in the slide alignment hole and turned it a couple times by hand. Next, used a 21mm to remove the two bolts which hold the caliper bracket to the hub assembly.
Naked old rotor...
Naked hub...
Old rotor by itself removed...
New rotor all cleaned up...
New rotor held in place for pictures...
Noticed the 21mm bolts had lock tite from the factory on them. Granted, the factory used red, all I had in my box was blue so that's what I used.
New pads...
New with old...
New pad installation begins...
All bolted back up...
Wheel back on...
Just changed my rear rotors and pads, here's the write-up for the fronts so I didn't net an unbalanced braking system. Even with just the rears done a slight brake improvement was noticed.
The fronts are very similar to other vehicles I have done brake work on in the past whereas the rears were quite new for me.
I used Magnum cross drilled rotors and EBC Green Stuff brake pads. The brakes before had always disappointed me with this Explorer. I guess I had always been spoiled by borrowing my dad's 2005 F-150 with the 5.4L. Well, who knows what brakes were on there but I must say that these brakes are NICE. I am definitely looking forward to the next time I tow a vehicle in my dual axle trailer! It is almost difficult now to come to a "gradual" stop as I usually did before... careful not to get too close due to the 1st gear bump. I had my girlfriend drive it and just backing out of the space we were in at the store she immediately looked at me with the biggest smile, that the investment on brakes might not have been wasted!
Side note, little bit of a squeal with a very slight press of the brake pedal until the pads have heated up. Squeal goes away after releasing the pedal even when cold so it is not the pads riding the rotors. Hopefully that goes away once broken in.
Forgot to take a before with the wheel on, so my first "before" is of just the rotor/caliper assembly behind the tire.
Used a large C Clamp to press the pads back forcing the pistons back into the caliper. If you didn't use depress the pistons, it would be difficult to push the caliper away from the hub due to the "nubs" on the pads which are inside the caliper pistons. Then removed the top 17mm bolt to the slide.
Caliper assembly rotated away. This is as far as you need to go to just change the pads. Continue if you also need to replace the rotors.
Pads removed...
To replace the rotor, you need to remove the entire caliper assembly including its bracket. To do this I first placed the 17mm bolt back in the slide alignment hole and turned it a couple times by hand. Next, used a 21mm to remove the two bolts which hold the caliper bracket to the hub assembly.
Naked old rotor...
Naked hub...
Old rotor by itself removed...
New rotor all cleaned up...
New rotor held in place for pictures...
Noticed the 21mm bolts had lock tite from the factory on them. Granted, the factory used red, all I had in my box was blue so that's what I used.
New pads...
New with old...
New pad installation begins...
All bolted back up...
Wheel back on...