Brake fluid upgrade?

carringb wrote:
Ford requires a higher temp brake fluid in the F53 motorhomes. It used to be called "Super DOT-4" but they have revised the name to DOT-5.1 to match common industry nomenclature.

Boiling brake fluid make the pedal soft, but as mentioned it should only be a problem after long braking, not just one hard brake application.

Be SURE if you are adding or replacing DOT 5.1 brake fluid that you are
using DOT 5.1 and absolutely not DOT 5 ... The DOT 5 is silicone based
and is incompatible with the DOT 3, 4, or 5.1 ... and once you get
silicone in the lines it is there forever.

Wiki on DOT 5.1

As experienced racers, we do not use DOT 5 (silicone, non-hydroscopic)
fluid. That stuff was designed not for racing, but for classic cars
that get stored for long periods and not used. We change fluid so
frequently (the heavier Corvettes and Vipers every weekend) that the
water absorbtion problem is moot.

Note that the temperature ratings are minimums, and so it allows for
different brands to make higher temp fluids that are still called
DOT 4. Racing we use ATE Super Blue/ Type 200 Amber. The only difference
between them is the color, and we use them in alternate fluid changes.
That way we can bleed all the blue out, as it is replaced by yellow,
or visa versa. Even though the DOT 4 minimum is 446F/311F the racing
fluid is 536F/388F, and about $15/liter

ATE Blue Racing Brake Fluid

An even higher temp DOT 4, Castrol SRF is 590F/518F but $80/liter

Castrol SRF

all that said, I don't think you are boiling your fluid ... you might
want to use more aggressive brake pads though, like the Hawk Super
Duty

Hawk Super Duty

Hawk SD for 2006 E350

Hawk pads

We use Hawk Blue 9012 and DTC-60 race pads on the race cars

Hawk Race Pads

path1 wrote:
Bryan said...

If you want to improve your brakes, the best thing you can do is upgrade your front axle to one for the '08+ E-series. Bigger rotor, caliper, and pads. Its one of the best upgrades I've done to my van. You can pick up a take-off front axle from QuadVan in Portland for $400. As a bonus, you also get new/better ball joints and suspension bushings, plus an improved radius arm and sway bar design.

Will this bolt up to 2003 F-350? (not E-350)
Thanks

Hmmm. I'm not sure about the F-series 2wd. Sorry.

Bryan said...

If you want to improve your brakes, the best thing you can do is upgrade your front axle to one for the '08+ E-series. Bigger rotor, caliper, and pads. Its one of the best upgrades I've done to my van. You can pick up a take-off front axle from QuadVan in Portland for $400. As a bonus, you also get new/better ball joints and suspension bushings, plus an improved radius arm and sway bar design.

Will this bolt up to 2003 F-350? (not E-350)
Thanks

path1 wrote:
Made emergency stop while ago. Still thinking if I could of done anything different. Was thinking about brake fluid. Read that "racing" brake fluid is better but also saw info saying "don't mixes fluid types" with the main differences in types are the boiling point of the fluid.
Question:
-Doing a brake fluid flush and upgrade to more heavy duty type be of any help in stopping distances?

"Racing" brake fluids are often silicon based and not hygroscopic (do not absorb water). You want your brake fluid to absorb water and road car brake fluid absorbs water by design. If not you would have water concentrations that would boil causing brake failure.

Ford requires a higher temp brake fluid in the F53 motorhomes. It used to be called "Super DOT-4" but they have revised the name to DOT-5.1 to match common industry nomenclature.

Boiling brake fluid make the pedal soft, but as mentioned it should only be a problem after long braking, not just one hard brake application.

If you want to improve your brakes, the best thing you can do is upgrade your front axle to one for the '08+ E-series. Bigger rotor, caliper, and pads. Its one of the best upgrades I've done to my van. You can pick up a take-off front axle from QuadVan in Portland for $400. As a bonus, you also get new/better ball joints and suspension bushings, plus an improved radius arm and sway bar design.

(OP here)

Afterwards I turn off my hearing aids so I only see my DW's lips moving and I'm never sure what she is saying.

to funny. I don't wear my hearing aids as much as I should but afterwards I have no problem hearing DW:B

Unless your brakes were already hot such as coming down a long grade the brake fluid should not be an issue. You should change your brake fluid every two to five years depending on how often you use the RV. Use either DOT 3 or DOT 4 depending on what the chassis manufacturer recommends. Never use DOT 5. My emergency stop rule is 'pedal to the floor and I hope the ABS works along with a quick prayer'. Afterwards I turn off my hearing aids so I only see my DW's lips moving and I'm never sure what she is saying.