Ford Excursion/SD brake recommendations

Just an FYI on my experience on my van. While the parts are not exactly the same, the brakes are nearly identical....

I used to have problems with short brake life as well. Granted, when used as specified, the vans don't have brake problems, however I effectively use my E350 as an E450, since when loaded my axle weights are at the limits of an E450, and my GCW is usually 22k which is max E450 GCWR.

Pads weren't terrible, usually got about 60k out of them. My problem was rotors cracking form severe heat cycling. A big reason for that being the terrible brakes on the enclosed car trailers I used to tow. I tried Hawk pads early on for shorter stopping. I didn't like them because they increased stopping distances when cold. I also tried slotted rotors, which seems better when the brakes were wet (i.e. first stop after a big puddle, or when driving in slushy snow), but otherwise didn't make a difference. Even tried cryo treated rotors. These were the biggest disappointment. Yes, the surface did not checker (surface crack) as fast, but when they did crack after 6 months, they cracked all the way through.

So... my very last brake upgrade was new Ford OEM brakes. In 2008, Ford upped the brakes to 13.58" rotors with much larger calipers. This upgrade finally did it! Even at full load, I can now lockup the brakes on dry pavement. And after 100,000 miles the rotors are crack-free and I still have about 20% on the pads! Going to Ford OE upgrade really worked better than anything aftermarket.

Ford made a similar upgrade to the pickups in '05, but the Ex never got the same treatment. But I suspect you could replace the knuckles and do the same thing.

Yes!

Should pull out the calipers slides out and check them. I always cleaned then and then new caliper grease on them.

So difficult my 13 year old does them. In other words, very easy.
All you need is the following.
Also, note that according to Ford service manual, you only need to have the rotors turned if they are warped or grooved. Otherwise just replace the pads. I'll explain how to replace the rotor too, if you are installing slotted ones.

I have air tools so I'll tell you how to do this by hand.

Torque wrench for up to 150ft/lbs for wheels, or a tire shop near by.
1/2" socket set metric.
Floor jack
Jack stand for safety
Large C-clamp to compress the calipers.
Brake cleaner and some rags.

Break lug nuts loose on both front wheels.
I'll give example of drivers front.
Start the truck and turn the wheel to the right near full lock.
This will give easier access to bolts on the caliper.
Jack up the drivers side and place jack stand under axle for safety.
Remove the lug nuts and pull the wheel off
Using the large C-clamp put it so the screw portion touches the front side of the pad, the rear of the c-clamp will contact the back of the caliper body.
Screw the C-clamp in to force the caliper to slide towards you. This is basically compressing the caliper pistons. It is best to do two to four turns, wait a couple seconds then go again. If you just crank on it, the caliper pistons are strained.
Once the caliper pistons are compressed all the way.
Undo the two caliper mounting bolts, they are on the ears at each end of the caliper, 14mm maybe, I forget.
Once these are out remove the caliper and flip it upside down on top of the rotor, or hang it with a bungie from the shock tower.
You will now see to wire springs in the top of the pads.
Pull one side of the wire towards you to release the tension in the hole.
Once both are out, simply flip the top of the pad horizontal and pull the pad out.
New pads will come with metal anti rattle clips, the springs the pads physically sit on.
Grab your new pads and put anti squeal compound on the back of the pads, the part that touches the caliper, then put them in the caliper the way you took them out. I like to tilt them in, then flip it up. Once both are in, double check both are contacting the rotor then
DON'T FORGET THE TWO SPRING WIRES!! Install the spring wires.
place the caliper back on.
Now, lube the caliper mounting bolts and tighten it up.
Once the caliper is tightened down, get in the truck and press the brake pedal a few times to set the pistons against the pad.
Repeat this on the other side. You will spend maybe an hour, 30 minutes if you have air tools.
To replace the rotors and pads you first have to remove the caliper as above, then remove the caliper mounting bracket from the Knuckle on the axle. Once it is off you can slide the rotor off the hub.

FYI, on these trucks after installing the wheels, with the truck on the ground the wheels must be torqued to 150ft/lbs. If you don't have a torque wrench get them tight as you can, then drive to a tire shop and have them verify the torque, they will usually do it for free.

rowekmr wrote:
How difficult of a job was it to DIY? I normally have shops do my brakes but was interested in doing these?

dodge guy wrote:
Yep. Power slots and hawk pads. And when doing the brakes be sure to lube the caliper slides and clean and lube the areas where the pads and hardware sit in the caliper brackets.

They are pretty easy considering how heavy the calipers and rotors are. the hardest part may be trying to remove the rotor from the hub (big hammer here!) they like to rust to the hub. and then cleaning the areas where the pads sit, there will be some stainless shims/clips that sit in the caliper bracket and the pads then sit in those. be sure to lube the areas where the pads slide so they don`t rust in place over time. also the slides sometimes tend to rust and not slide. a small propane or map gas torch will free them up. it sounds like a lot of work, but it will save some money that can go to the next trip!

How difficult of a job was it to DIY? I normally have shops do my brakes but was interested in doing these?

dodge guy wrote:
Yep. Power slots and hawk pads. And when doing the brakes be sure to lube the caliper slides and clean and lube the areas where the pads and hardware sit in the caliper brackets.

dodge guy wrote:
The brakes on the X are the same as on the higher GVWR F250/350. And the X as of 02 has an 11,500 lb tow rating.

Good point and I always used this argument to justify exceeding the payload ratings.
Nevertheless my brakes didn't last very long!
Like the OP there was always that one hard stop somewhere along the way that seemed to start the premature wear ball rolling.
I tried slotted rotors and different pads but in the end the brakes never seemed to last as long as I wanted. They would be fine until one day you needed to make a hard stop. By hard I don't mean pedal to the floor screeching halt,but a firm quick stop.
After the firm stop the breaks would always feel a bit weaker,truthful pads would generally be within spec. but breaks never felt quite as firm. I would drive like this for quite awhile. Eventually I need brakes replaced sometimes rotors and the cycle would repeat itself.

The brakes on the X are the same as on the higher GVWR F250/350. And the X as of 02 has an 11,500 lb tow rating.

rowekmr wrote:
I thought the Excursion's tow rating is 10K-11K depending on engine/drivetrain? I think for a truck rated to tow a trailer at that weight should be able to stop it in adverse conditions. I have to admit the brakes never gave me problems before or after that incident towing or empty but that time with brand new pads/rotors, lubed slide pins, etc. after about 500-600 miles (break-in) it should have better performance in my opinion. After that incident I searched this forum and found out that I should manually downshift to the same gear the trans used incline for the decline.
The current Ex has tow/haul mode so that should help but I want to make sure I have as much braking performance as I can afford.

Lantley wrote:
I am slowly coming to terms with the facts of the GVW and payload numbers.
I once towed a 31BHDS TT with a PSD Excursion. It was a fantastic combo.
Very stable and solid in all conditions even though I was quite a bit over my GVW towing a 10K loaded TT.
I replaced breaks regularly and accepted it as a way of life.
In hindsight I have come to recognize that towing beyond your ratings may not be dangerous day to day but it will cause parts to where prematurely.
I was replacing brakes regularly because I was towing a heavy trailer regularly.
My current truck is more in line with the factory ratings and my maintenance cost are noticeably better. Wear items like tires and brakes are lasting longer.
Don't get me wrong the X is a great TV, in some ways I still miss it. If I had the same TT I would get another X in a heartbeat, but the bottom line is the GVWR numbers do have meaning and consequences.
Exceeding the ratings may not put you in harms way on a daily basis but you will more than likely wear out consumable parts prematurely.
As long as you tow a with your current combo you will be wearing your brakes prematurely. This is a lesson I learned in hindsight, while I was towing with the X I was unable to see the forest through the trees!

The tow rating of the X maybe 11K but the payload rating isn't so great for it to be such a beast of a truck
The X has a payload rating of 1700 lbs or so. I easily exceeded that.
I never had fear or worries while traveling. My combo was rock solid.
I had an exhaust brake on my PSD X, which kept me off the brakes when going down steep grades. Nevertheless both of my X's required expensive brakes jobs every year or so.

I had always read that the low GVW was attributed to the soft rear suspension of the X which may very well have been true. I enjoyed both of my X's the entire time I owned them. However I encountered at least 2 expensive brake jobs along the way. Honestly at the time I never thought much of it and considered brakes and rotors the cost of towing heavy. I imagine a set of brakes may have lasted 25k-30k miles or so.

My current truck which tows a larger trailer but is more in line with its ratings is now in need of a rear brake job. However I have over 100K on the current brakes.
I have no real evidence or data but I suspect exceeding the payload rating of the X caused excessive wear on my brakes.
If I had to do it all over again, I would have no problem getting another X, but I would also expect to buy a lot of pads and rotors if I exceeded the ratings.
Many choose to ignore GVWR and focus on axle ratings when it comes to payload. I try to be a GVW guy myself, but in the end I knowingly exceeded the payload rating with my X.
It's often said that GVW is more of a warranty/wear issue vs. a safety issue.
In hindsight I can attest to my tires and brakes wore out faster than I expected when exceeding my payload rating.
I did not think much of the excessive wear at the time. But now that I'm more in compliance with the ratings on my current rig, I believe exceeding the ratings probably contributed to the excessive brake and tire wear on both of my X's.

I thought the Excursion's tow rating is 10K-11K depending on engine/drivetrain? I think for a truck rated to tow a trailer at that weight should be able to stop it in adverse conditions. I have to admit the brakes never gave me problems before or after that incident towing or empty but that time with brand new pads/rotors, lubed slide pins, etc. after about 500-600 miles (break-in) it should have better performance in my opinion. After that incident I searched this forum and found out that I should manually downshift to the same gear the trans used incline for the decline.
The current Ex has tow/haul mode so that should help but I want to make sure I have as much braking performance as I can afford.

Lantley wrote:
I am slowly coming to terms with the facts of the GVW and payload numbers.
I once towed a 31BHDS TT with a PSD Excursion. It was a fantastic combo.
Very stable and solid in all conditions even though I was quite a bit over my GVW towing a 10K loaded TT.
I replaced breaks regularly and accepted it as a way of life.
In hindsight I have come to recognize that towing beyond your ratings may not be dangerous day to day but it will cause parts to where prematurely.
I was replacing brakes regularly because I was towing a heavy trailer regularly.
My current truck is more in line with the factory ratings and my maintenance cost are noticeably better. Wear items like tires and brakes are lasting longer.
Don't get me wrong the X is a great TV, in some ways I still miss it. If I had the same TT I would get another X in a heartbeat, but the bottom line is the GVWR numbers do have meaning and consequences.
Exceeding the ratings may not put you in harms way on a daily basis but you will more than likely wear out consumable parts prematurely.
As long as you tow a with your current combo you will be wearing your brakes prematurely. This is a lesson I learned in hindsight, while I was towing with the X I was unable to see the forest through the trees!