Brakes front end caliper problems

[Jose Ayala]

Hi.



Two weeks ago I took my truck to a brakes shop because of hesitation and vibration not knowing where it came from, and after removing all moving parts they told me that both pistons on the front calipers were bad, to much heat created and I did see the pads and they were cracked.



Any one had this issue, I have the sport trac 03.



Jose

 

[Todd Z]

Jose, DID your 03 have the OLD style pad?? There was a design change, you may have had the older style on there...



But yes the ST has had caliper issues, mainly from the slides not being greased properly not the caliper pistons being bad....



Todd Z

 

[Kevin Palmer]

I'm with Todd, even if you did have a bad piston it is like a million to one that you had two bad pistons. Sounds like they are grasping for straws to me...



Personally, I seriously doubt you have any bad pistons.

 

[J Piroth]

I had exactly the same problem. I had the pads and rotors replaced, then had both front calipers replaced when that didn't solve the problem. Even with the ST up on the lift and all brakes released, the calipers were locked down tight enough that you couldn't turn the wheel by hand.



The mechanic told me that the calipers Ford used as stock have plastic pistons that often fail. The ones they were replaced with have metal pistons, and shouldn't be susceptible to the same problem.



I was pissed, but since this is the only major problem I've had with the Trac in 4+ years, I figure I'm doing alright.

 

[J Piroth]

I had exactly the same problem. I had the pads and rotors replaced, then had both front calipers replaced when that didn't solve the problem. Even with the ST up on the lift and all brakes released, the calipers were locked down tight enough that you couldn't turn the wheel by hand.



The mechanic told me that the calipers Ford used as stock have plastic pistons that often fail. The ones they were replaced with have metal pistons, and shouldn't be susceptible to the same problem.



I was pissed, but since this is the only major problem I've had with the Trac in 4+ years, I figure I'm doing alright.

 

[Richard L]

I agree with both Todd and Kevin, but it is possible that your calipers are bad. You live in Florida where the humidity is very high and if you live near the ocean or Gulf, you have a lot of salt air. The brake fluid is hydroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisure from the atomoshere and in your case there is a lot of moisture to get into the brake fluid. Water is heavier than oil and will accumulate and settle to the lowest part of the brake system which is the calipers.



Water in the brake fluid becomes very corrosive and will eat at the pistons and the caliper bores causing the pistons to stick and not retract when you release the brake. That makes the pads drag and build up excessive heat which will warp the rotors, glaze and crack the pads and do other damge. Of course, if you caliper slide pins were not lubed or the brake pad slides were not lubed, they can stick and cause similar symptoms.



Unless they show you the dismantled caliper and you can see the pitting and damage, then I would be very skeptical that both calipers went bad at the same time.



Because of the brake fluids affinity to attract and absorb moisture, it is wise to flush your brake fluid about every 2 years or with every brake job to reduce the chances of caliper damage.



I do my own brake work and find it easier to just replace the caliper with remanufactured units every time I replace the front pads. You can often get calipers from $19-$59 at places like Pep-boys, Autozone, etc and many offer a 50K mile warranty or even a lifetime warranty.

When I get close to the the 50K warranty I do a brake job even if I have a little more mileage on my existing brakes, and the new calipers are free.



...Rich

 

[Jose Ayala]

Thank you all for your replies.



Yes, I do live in West FL and I do spend time close to the water, something I do like.



For the ones that did have the problem like me, the same explanation listed is what I was told, the Ford pistons were plastic and they needed to be replaced to make sure I did have good braking power and not locking power.



I guess I feel better knowing that I was not the only one having to go thru this change to make my ST better.



Take care all.



jose

 

[Richard L]

Jose,

Nothing needs to be replaced if it is not broken or worn out. If you took you truck to someplace like "Just Brakes", go somewhere else. They will charge you a lot more than an indipendent garage for the same work.



I have not disassembled a Ford caliper so I cannot say if the pistons are plastic, but I kind of doubt it. The real problem is that the calipers are metal and the piston bores can be damaged by water getting in the brake fluid. It is not worth the time and trouble to have the calipers rebuilt when you can buy remanufacturered calipers for a lot less then the brake shop will charge you. The pistons use "O-ring" seals and if the bore is damaged it will damage the seals and the piston so just replace the whole caliper.



If you can do the work yourself, it will be a lot cheaper...Probably less than $150 for new pads, rebuilt calipers and having your rotors turned.



Go to an autoparts store like NAPA, Autozone, etc and find out what they want for remanufacturered calipers and what kind of warranty they will give you. Then talk to some of the local independent auto repair shops and ask them what they would charge to install the calipers, pads and turn the rotors. That's your best bet at getting a good price.



...Rich