Brakes F350

Thanks for all replys. Lots of info here.
I don't ride my brakes and always use TH mode towing and sometimes in big hills use it without the trailer. I asked opinions as I was unsure and want to be safe next spring especially towing in hills and with a big toyhauler. Completed a 10k trip across Canada this past summer and it was great as I know the roads and use the braking accordingly.

I will replace all the pads with probably OEM Ford parts and leave the rotors for now.
Thanks.

First, depends on lots of stuff...

How you drive, where you drive, what you haul/tow, what your expectations
are, how much do you know and/or want to know about braking, etc...

If you just drive it within the OEMs ratings, then OEM is okay. Know
that all things has a specification range. Meaning the specification
for what OEM is...is defined via the OEM's specifications

If you drive hard, tow heavy and at the limits...tough ambient & terrain,
then higher spec (level or performance) should be considered. Note that
as you go up in spec, so does the $$$, typically...

Lots of automotive's 'good' stuff comes from the track, but not all
things track are a good thing for street...

Like drilled rotors...some drill patterns remove about 40% of the rotor
material and cast iron mass is a major component on thermal rejection
metrics. That most track stuff has tires in the 20"-24" dia range. Meaning
they rotate much faster so that it will move more air through those
holes to negate the loss in thermal mass...or pathway to remove the
heat

Track has many with the kind of budget to replace often. Some every
new race...other after a couple races...or more...so what seemingly is
good for them can also be good for street...if you also replace those
parts often...like every few thousand miles...NOT tens of thousands of miles...

Also, drilled rotors crack. Known to most in the business and another
reason they are replaced often (sooner)

Slotted is much better and allows the out-gas a route outa there...other
wise the out-gas can float the friction material off the rotor surface

Why the better pads (even OEM) all have a gas slot cut in them down the
middle. In the old days...only us techie boy racers knew to hand cut
that slot with a hack saw...and we didn't know the hazards of asbestos
back then...

I check all my friction materials whenever the tires are rotated and
whenever change engine oil...just look at the MC reservoir fluid level
for disc brakes...as they consume fluid from the MC to the caliper and
why I never refill in-between brake jobs...as will NOT know how much
friction material has been consumed

If the OP is concerned enough to ask...have the tires rotated and ask
the mechanic to check...or check themselves

Squeak is just fine with me because I know that the higher performance
it is...the harder the materials embedded in the friction material is
and will make noise as they sacrifice themselves for the job

There should be anti-squeak shims, etc that is both part of the new
pads (via bent over tabs) and other shims. You can use any one of the
compliant goop's, but they don't last long in high performance braking

Do NOT trust the sheetmetal tab squealers on the pads...they have cost
me too many rotors because they don't always work well enough for me...

And do NOT take others who still look good at XXX,XXX miles...unless
they live next door to you...drive exactly just like you...tow an
exact trailer that is also loaded up just like yours...drive in the
same ambient & terrain as you do...etc, etc...Plus that they have
the exact same brand, model, etc both vehicle and rotor/friction materials...

Brake pads are cheap compare to what can happen with too worn or
El Cheapo pads...I always go the best performance level I can find...except
for the sedans the then wife drove...she does not understand and ride
quality and that squeaklessness higher on her list of have to haves than
mine...part of why she is now the 'ex'...

Grit dog wrote:

Drilled/slotted rotors are for race cars not big trucks. Don't waste your $ there.

I understand there is a controversy over slotted vs non-slotted rotors. Slotted rotors may shed heat faster. But non-slotted rotors have more mass to absorb the heat in the first place. That means they get hot slower in the first place.

The truck manufacturers seem to all be in the non-slotted camp since I've never seen a slotted OEM rotor.

^This. If you even need front pads at 80k km, you've been ridin the brakes!
Since you don't know how to tell if they're wore out by looking at them then I'd suggest doing nothing until you figure that out.
You don't need rotors unless the old ones are warped, with that low of km.
Drilled/slotted rotors are for race cars not big trucks. Don't waste your $ there.

I get around 90K miles on pads. I just changed the front rotors at 218K miles

Golden_HVAC wrote:
Less time if you are switching from winter to summer tires at the same time.

Why would this have anything to do with saving time while changing your brake pads?

...

My opinion--yours may vary:
Been driving for 45 years and have never experienced brake pads as good as the ones on my 2012 F-350 SRW (long life, stopping power, good grip feel, lack of dust, etc.) MotorCraft brake parts are less expensive and may be lower quality to compete with the brake/tire shops. I had a very bad experience with MotorCraft pads 8 years ago and will not use them again--they are not the same as OEM. Dealers can get OEM--my dealer refers to them as brown box parts. My son's Ford dealer says "I don't know what color the box is, but we learned a long time ago to only use OEM brake parts on heavy pickup trucks." Motorcraft pads may have improved, but when I got the OEM parts for my last brake job, they felt just like new, which I like very much. The front brakes on my truck have a funny looking notch in them that make it look like they are thinner than they really are.

If you have an air compressor, then Harbor Freight has a kit for brake bleeding. It uses the compressed air to create a vacuum, probably with the venturi effect. It has a reservoir bottle and you can suck your spent brake fluid into that from the wheel cylinders.

I generally won't try any HF tools that aren't solid one or two piece metal. Wrenches and such. But this kit got some good recommendations and I tried it and it works. They also have another kit with a hand pumped vacuum system, I have my doubts about that one.

Golden_HVAC wrote:


I would also highly recommend going to the Ford dealer, pick up a quart of the class A motorhome rated brake fluid. It has the highest possible "Wet boiling point" of all brake fluids, and replace the brake fluid. After about 5 or 6 years, the brake fluid has the opportunity to absorb a lot of moisture, and should be changed. The old brake fluid can reach 700F and some moisture in the fluid can change to steam bubbles, that can compress, giving a "Spongy" feel to the brakes. Changing the fluid every 5-7 years will prevent this.

Good luck!

Fred.

It'll also stop your brake lines from rotting for the inside out! Have drained mine several times just using gravity, not that much work as most garages want several hundred to close to $400 up my way to do it :E