Brake job on E450

j-d wrote:

Don't forget now, let me know what its weight was, from Jayco.

I believe that the sticker on the cabinet door said 12,200lbs out the door of the factory

Personally, I think the dealership is the best place to take your vehicle for repairs, but you have to find the right one. At 32,000 miles, for $1900 it sounds like they are replacing everything. Ask why??

At 32,000 miles I would expect the front pads to be getting low and the squealer tabs contacting rotors to alert you. The calipers should be ok. Ask why they were quoted? Many companies consider it a liability to reuse things so they replace everything. But service manual won't say it is required. Rotors have a minimum thickness, ask if yours are below minimum. If not, why were they quoted? The rotors should be ok but will need machined as part of front brake pad replacement.

You get what you pay for and brakes are important obviously, as well as having qualified person do the work. My suggestion is to get a second opinion and ask the above questions if price is also $1900. A front brake job (lu be caliper slides, replace pads, machine rotors) should cost less than $500 using good Ford parts. I'm betting rear brakes are still only half worn which is fine for another 30,000.

Looks like your rear brakes use what I call "wedges"


The four long pieces are slides and retainers for the rear pads, and the two little pieces are anti-rattle clips. My personal belief is that wedges cause more sticking than slide bolts do. And harder to remove and re-install.

Checking/Changing/Lubricating the Front Pads/Calipers is one step beyond changing a tire. You should be able to get into a position where you can see the actual pads. If the material is a lot thicker than the steel backing, the pads'll get you to FL and back. Probably more.

Let me know when you're coming, maybe I can catch you for a break along the road, 95 or 75.

Then for next year, put advance thought into a brake job. If it doesn't need calipers or rotors, then do pads, use that lube, and go. If it needs more, get a takeoff Brake kit from Quigley. I don't know if Ford would want to install it because it'd be a mixed breed vehicle. Moonlighting Ford mechanic would be perfect, but any mechanic can do the swap. If it needs ball joints, get the whole Axle kit. It won't be "like new" - It'll BE NEW.

Don't forget now, let me know what its weight was, from Jayco.

j-d wrote:
Are you able to work on brakes, and do you want to? If so, dismantle, scuff pads with emery cloth (or a flat concrete surface) and put it all together lubing it with this

You can get the front Calipers and Pads off easily. To pull the Rotor, you need to remove the Caliper Bracket, 21MM socket and they are TIGHT.

What year is your Chassis? And How many Miles?

Do you have the rear brakes on slide pins like the fronts, or does yours use the stainless steel drive wedges? With either, you can get it apart and do same as front, but drive wedges are a PITA to get back in place.

Remember, unless your Chassis has the "Dump Truck Nose" you can upgrade to those brakes from a 4x4 conversion company.

I can do brakes, BUT not on this rig. The year of the E450 is 2006. It has 32,000 miles on it. Have no idea what the rear calipers have (pins or wedges) I'm the third owner of the RV, so I don't know brake maintenance. But I am guessing they haven't been done. The pedal feels good, no pulsing in the pedal, or lurching like the rotors are warped at all. They just squeak when crawling in stop and go traffic. They are probably fine, I will probably have the fronts done next spring, and the rears in the fall. Just so I know that the brakes are new. The trip this year is to Florida, so no real mountain descents to be of any worry. But 2018 is Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Glacier NP. Utah... So I would rather have piece of mind on the 2018 trip

Just an ACTUAL parts COST 2008 Ford F450 Class C a guest's rig down here. The job was done. I guided him to parts stores, machine shop, and mechanic's shop

NEW RAYBESTOS ROTORS: $13.30 each
NEW KELSEY HAYS CALIPERS $48.00 (approx) each.
NEW Canadian BEARINGS all of them with seals $26.00

I talked him into getting a new master cylinder $60.00

Machine shop labor to turn 2 rotors $16.00

Brake shop labor including total flush of the entire system $60.00

He had spent close to $700 in Canada to do the rear drum brakes.

All except the bearings were stamped Hecho en Mexico (made in Mexico)

measure the pads if thickness is an issue with the Stealer.

If it is squeaking all the time, Fords are notorious for stuck caliper pins, well at least half of mine were stuck.

Are you able to work on brakes, and do you want to? If so, dismantle, scuff pads with emery cloth (or a flat concrete surface) and put it all together lubing it with this

You can get the front Calipers and Pads off easily. To pull the Rotor, you need to remove the Caliper Bracket, 21MM socket and they are TIGHT.

What year is your Chassis? And How many Miles?

Do you have the rear brakes on slide pins like the fronts, or does yours use the stainless steel drive wedges? With either, you can get it apart and do same as front, but drive wedges are a PITA to get back in place.

Remember, unless your Chassis has the "Dump Truck Nose" you can upgrade to those brakes from a 4x4 conversion company.