Replacing brakes on the Explorer Sport

[buck91]

So with about 80k on the OEM units, our '14 Ex Sport is developing a lot of braking vibrations and noise. Haven't pulled them to inspect yet, but I figure its a safe bet that they are due for replacement. Very happy with performance and lifespan of the originals but of course Motorcraft parts always command a premium price.

Shopping some of the online retailers I can pick up the low end Power Stop kit ("Auto Specialty" KOE6375) for under $200 front and rear inclusive. This is an EXTREMELY attractive price since a set of Frontline rotors from Advanced runs over 200 for front and rear. Along the same lines, though, I wonder if this is really a good deal or if you get what you pay for?

Has anybody run this line of brakes from Powerstop in the past? How was performance and longevity? Like I said, I am in no need of upgrade just looking for equal performance to OE with an emphasis on lifespan and low dust/noise. Thing stops on a dime with OE brakes as it is.

 

[tomcat27]

I put a set of Powerstop rotors on a problem Toyota (the rotors would warp within a year; tried different brands) and never had a problem after that. the car is still running the same rotors 5 years later. of course, I used their drilled rotors.

I also put one of their better kits on a Caravan recently but its too soon to see how they hold up. (we used the drilled rotors on a Caravan... hahaha)

I don't know of a magic formula to avoid uneven runout/uneven pad material distribution.
I have done over hundred brake jobs and generally recommend the best parts that you can find - although not too many people are willing to put EBC rotors or the like on a car.

I have brake pulsing on a Sentra at only 42k miles; will be changing those out soon.

 

[andyd]

If the pads aren't down to bare metal and chewing up the rotors. Why replace the rotors? Get the OEM pads, because you like them. Wire brush the rotors to clean off any pad material, and simply replace the pads.

 

[Danno]

I have had luck on ebay, with well rated sellers.
No slots, no holes for the rotors, ceramic pads
Given you are in Michigan, coated rotors - at least on the hat section of the rotor - total zinc coating preferred.

 

[Thax]

If the OE brakes gave such long and great performance, why look elsewhere? Yes OE braking components can command a premium price but you really get what you pay for. The price difference is usually well worth it. OE rotors are generally better built units, better iron ,thicker and with better cooling vane configuration. OE pads always fit perfectly, almost always come with OE abutment clips/shims. As a dealer tech, I do many brake jobs and I can honestly say there is no comparison from OE to aftermarket. Id say spend the extra 50 to 100 bucks, and never regret the brand new braking performance for 60K-80K miles. Just my thoughts.

 

[rshaw125]

On my Explorer I bought a set of Motorcraft pads off of ebay. Never replaced the rotors. The rears are still factory.

 

[BigD1]

Raybestos® EHT™ brake pads is what I would buy. GG rated and come with stainless hardware. Shims seem to be high quality too from the description I read on their website. Never used this specific pad, but I have had very good performance with Raybestos Professional Grade pads over the years, and the EHT is a step up from the Professional Grade.

 

[dgunay]

Originally Posted By: andyd
If the pads aren't down to bare metal and chewing up the rotors. Why replace the rotors? Get the OEM pads, because you like them. Wire brush the rotors to clean off any pad material, and simply replace the pads.


Read the first post carefully. You will see that OP is complaining about brake vibration, which is most likely caused by warped rotors. Replacing the pads won't change anything without resurfacing or replacing the rotors.

 

[901Memphis]

AKEBONO is the oem pad supplier I would get those. Make sure you get the right size there's two brake options.. I'm sure you have the heavy duty police package?

 

[slacktide_bitog]

My choice would be coated rotors like Centric Premium or Wagner E-shield, along with some quality name-brand pads like Wagner OEX, Thermoquiet, or Akebono ProACT

 

[HangFire]

Originally Posted By: tomcat27
I put a set of Powerstop rotors on a problem Toyota (the rotors would warp within a year; tried different brands) and never had a problem after that. the car is still running the same rotors 5 years later. of course, I used their drilled rotors.

I also put one of their better kits on a Caravan recently but its too soon to see how they hold up. (we used the drilled rotors on a Caravan... hahaha)

I don't know of a magic formula to avoid uneven runout/uneven pad material distribution.
I have done over hundred brake jobs and generally recommend the best parts that you can find - although not too many people are willing to put EBC rotors or the like on a car.

I have brake pulsing on a Sentra at only 42k miles; will be changing those out soon.


Do you measure parallelism and on-vehicle runout for each and every rotor/brake job? What is your bedding procedure?

Answer those questions, and you may find your magic. Quality parts are always a good choice, but there's no need to go boutique, especially if you are slapping those rotors on without a runout check. They'll end up as "warped" (straight rotors mounted crooked giving shudder over time) like all the rest.

 

[HangFire]

Originally Posted By: rshaw125
On my Explorer I bought a set of Motorcraft pads off of ebay. Never replaced the rotors. The rears are still factory.


Since he has shudder, front rotor turning or replacement is in order, as dgunay already noted.

But you do make a good point about rears. Unless something is stuck, there is shudder, or unusual towing or racing wear and tear, chances are good that the rears have another 80K left in them. At this point, they are a good candidate for a tear-down, clean, inspection and lubrication. You can look at the pad thickness and decide when they need replacement. Of course, if any shudder remains for the rears, the rotors are a candidate for a skim, turn, or replacement.

 

[HangFire]

Originally Posted By: buck91
Shopping some of the online retailers I can pick up the low end Power Stop kit ("Auto Specialty" KOE6375) for under $200 front and rear inclusive. This is an EXTREMELY attractive price since a set of Frontline rotors from Advanced runs over 200 for front and rear. Along the same lines, though, I wonder if this is really a good deal or if you get what you pay for?

My Metric for pad quality is the friction rating. While some dismiss it, if accurately reported it is a good measure of pad quality. In general, I avoid EE pads. I use FE or EF pad only if that is the OEM spec and nothing better is available. Generally I shoot for GG rated pads. Unfortunately, most auto parts stores haven't caught on and don't even list the rating. You can always call and ask them to read it off the packaging or pad shrink-wrap.

Another point about pad selection, since you are pleased with OE performance, get the same pad type. If semi-metallic, get that, if ceramic, get that.

My Metric for rotor quality is the parallelism and runout Guarantee. If there is none, I won't buy it. You'll notice better brands like Centric list these specs. As you climb their price ladder, the specs get better. Ideally Parallelism is zero and Runout has to be less than .004", you'll notice as you move up into the better brands of rotors that the runout guarantee is smaller and smaller. You get what you pay for, unless you choose poorly.

Of course, off-vehicle runout doesn't guarantee on-vehicle runout. If the hubs have rust, grit, corrosion, flash, peening, or are just a bit crooked, your straight new rotors will mount eccentric, and you will develop shudder over time. (That's when people declare a rotor "warped"; it may be a straight rotor mounted crooked, it just takes time for pad material build-up to develop shudder).

In short, your choice of rotor brand and model is almost meaningless unless you are doing an on-vehicle runout check like this:

 

[buck91]

Does anybody have insight into Motorcraft part numbers and applications? RA shows three different front rotors for the HD brakes (as listed below) and at least two of those numbers show up on the VIN search on ford-parts.com. Not sure if there would be any difference or reason to choose one above the other?

BRRF318
BRR252
BRRF202

 

[bdcardinal]

Shoot me your VIN and I can tell you what your vehicle calls for.

 

[bdcardinal]

DG1Z-1125-B/BRRF-112 were the factory fit rotors on your Explorer. That number updates to GG1Z-1125-A/BRRF-318. EU2Z-1V125-A/BRR-252 are the Motorcraft retail value line rotors intended to be sold to outside shops and consumors that don't want to pay for the factory fit rotors. The G2MZ-1V125-VA/NBRR-21 are "High Level Aftermarket Spec" rotors that are not available to dealers yet.

 

[buck91]

Parts arrived this week, raybestos AT rotors and Sanger OEX pads. Goofy shape, but none of the integrated shims like their TQ's plus a gg rating. Will overhaul front calipers while I'm at it (fluid leaking from boot, no level drop or soft pedal though).

Any tips on overhauling a dual piston? Can't imagine its too much different, maybe do one piston at a time.... Or get both out?