Here's a write-up a did a while ago. Let us know how the vented rotors work out for you.
Paul
I did a 2004 front brakes this past summer - here's the write-up I did for it. I don't think they're too different, if at all, from your 2003.
This took 2-hours to do - 1.5 hours for the first side and about 20 minutes for the other. Learning takes time! For those who feel up to it, some tips to make it easier - you'll save about an hour looking for tools!
1. Pull the tire off.
2. Spray penetrating oil around each stud (where it penetrates the rotor) and also around where the rotor mates with the drive hub.
3. Use a c-clamp to push the caliper slides and pistons back enough to get the caliper off the rotor. Put one end of the c-clamp on the rotor (right next to the outboard pads) and the other on the inboard side of the caliber - be careful to slide the clamp UNDER the brake hose on the back of the caliper. Open up the brake fluid resevoir before you do this so you don't build up pressure in the resevoir as you push the fluid back into it. Make sure it doesn't overflow onto the engine as it is corrosive.
4. Remove the banjo spring/clip that holds the outboard pad
against the caliper. Remember how it went on! You need a good size set of needle nose pliers for this.
5. Unbolt the caliper. The caliper slide bolts are actually
recessed hex bolts - they have a black plastic cap over them that you have to pop off (and save). The caliper slide bolt requires a 7 mm hex (allen) key wrench. Only problem is, with most allen key
wrenches about 3- or 4-inches long, you need a lot of force - and you will skin your knuckles. Plan ahead and buy a 7 mm hex key socket for your ratchet wrench - you'll thank me later, several times over.
6. Lift off the caliper and rest it on something sturdy - I used an
upside down milk crate with the rotor box on top of that. Anything
that will support the caliper and not put any weight or stress on the brake line.
7. BEFORE YOU PULL THE INBOARD PADS OFF THE CALIPER, turn it over an look at the back. There is an anti-rattle spring that goes between the center (and back) of the inboard pad and the caliper casting. Look at it and remember how it goes in. Remove the spring now and put it aside.
8. Remove the inboard pad next. However, first take the c-clamp and put one end over the inboard pad and the other over the back of the caliper. Carefully back the caliper pistons back into the cylinders. Stop when it doesn't move back easily anymore - don't bust the cylinder! Remove the inboard pads. These calipers have twin cylinders. Check the cylinders and their rubber boots for any leaks. At this point you should put the cap back on the brake fluid resevoir.
9. Put the new pads on. I apply high-temp silicone brake lubricant to the back of the pads (where they contact the caliper body or piston rims). This reduces noise/squeaks. DON'T put the lubricant on the friction material of the pad - my friend said that's what he thought it was for and use to do this when he did his brakes!!
10. I used OEM-spec ceramic pads from NAPA - $85 for the set.
Claimed to be "low-dusting". They come with new stainless steel
clips for the pads and the caliper bracket. These clips attach to
the pads where the pads slide on the caliper bracket. Another set
attaches to the caliper bracket on the surface that the pads slide.
This provides for stainless steel on stainless steel contact - and
eliminates the wear and resulting saddle that can develop on a bare caliper bracket where the pads slide.
11. Put the new stainless steel clips on the pads and caliper
bracket if you haven't done so already. Discard the old ones. Re-
install the anti-rattle spring between the back of the inboard pad
and the caliper body (see step 7).
12. To remove the rotor, you have to unbolt the caliper mounting bracket. This does suck and is not usually necessary on lighter vehicles. This part of the job requires a lot of force - the two attaching bolts are serious size. Fortunately, the wheel well is big enough that you can get your whole body over the bracket and apply a lot of force. The two caliper bolts are 18 mm. Again, save yourself some time and buy an 18 mm socket (think 3/8 inch drive) ahead of time. I found that my old Craftsman set (about 50 piece - English and Metric) didn't come with an 18 mm socket. Only 17 mm and 19 mm. You might get away with using a 3/4-inch socket - then again, you might round over the bolt and be really screwed. Being a Sunday afternoon, there
was no place nearby to get an 18mm socket - so I used an adjustable wrench - carefully. It worked but next time I'll buy the 18mm socket.
13. After taking off the bracket, the rotor comes off. Depending on
how well the penetrating oil worked (that you should have put on
first thing!) a little hammering should be all you'll need.
Alternatively, you may need a lot of hammering on the rotor to loosen it up - they get rusted onto the axle hub. I used a non-rebound hammer and a punch to bang on the rotor between the studs and then around the face of the rotor.
14. Put the new rotor on. I used cheaper Chinese rotors - $45 each from Advance Auto Parts. US-made rotors cost about $85 each and come with no guarantee that they'll be any better than the Chinese rotors. Additionally, the parts store (which supplies a lot of garages) claimed they have had no complaints about the Chinese rotors - he didn't even offer me the US-made rotors. They come turned and balanced. Before I put the rotors on, I first spay down the new rotor with brake-clean to get off the oil that they are coated with to prevent rusting during shipping. I then apply anit- sieze goop to the rotor hub surface that will mate to the axle hub - DON'T put it on the part of the rotor where the pad rides! I put some on the axle hub face as well. Just don't get it onto the stud threads. The anti-sieze goop will prevent the new rotor from rusting onto the hub like the old one probably did - you or the guy that does the next brake job on your truck will thank you later. You can use the silicone brake lube for this purpose as well - just make it a light coating so it doesn't ooze and get onto the main part of the rotor.
15. Use two of the lug nuts to temporarily hold the rotor in place -
it makes mounting the caliper bracket and caliper much easier.
16. Bolt the caliper bracket back into place. I don't know the
torque spec - but you can get a good idea from the force required to take the bolts off in the first place. I don't think you can over-
torque the bolts given the space you have to work in.
17. Apply silicone brake lube to the contact faces of the new stainless steel clips you installed on the caliper bracket and the pads.
18. Install the caliper. Before installing the caliper bolts,
lubricate the slide portion of the caliper bolts with brake lub -
just check and make sure the lube is o.k. to use on slide bolts. The wrong lube will deteriorate the rubber boots that the bolts go
through. Don't get the lube on the bolt threads. Again, I don't
know the torque spec for the caliper bolts but you will remember how much force it took to loosen them - act accordingly. You could
probably strip these if you tried.
19. Re-install the banjo spring clip that holds the outboard pad against the caliper - you'll need needle nose pliers.
19. Put the plastic caps back on the caliper bolt heads.
20. Take off the two lug nuts temporarily holding on the rotor.
21. Install the tire. The torque spec on the 2004 Expedition lug nuts is 150 ft- lbs. (THIS MAY BE LESS FOR OTHER YEAR EXPEDITIONS - CHECK YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL) Good Luck - it took all I had and I'm 5'11' and 265 lbs. Tighten them in steps - all to 50 ft-lbs, all to 100 ft-lbs, and then all to 150 ft-lbs. Tighten them by doing one lug nut (say at 6 o'clock on the hub) then moving to the opposite side of the hub (12 o'clock on the hub) and doing one. This will make sure the wheel is tightened evenly and will avoid potentially warping the rotor by tightening the lug nuts unevenly.
22. Start the truck and pump the brake pedal until it's firm - it
takes a number of pumps to get the pads back in contact with the
rotor. Then check the brake fluid level and make sure you don't need more or have to take some out.
23. Test drive it on a hill - gently. No need to cook them first time out.
That's it. Good luck - and don't try it unless you have enough time
to go slow, be careful, and watch what you're doing. I've done
brakes before and it took me two hours. If you've never done a brake job before, leave yourself four hours and ask a friend who has done one to come help you - or to at least watch you and give you encouragement!!
A couple of thoughts on Ford engineering: 1) Why the odd-ball 18mm bolt size on the caliper bracket, 2) Why the nearly unreachable location for the oil filter, 3) Why the location and mounting arrangement for the oil dipstick? 4) Why can't you use the SAT on the radio in dual mode with the DVD?
Sometimes I wonder if the engineers at Ford have EVER worked on their own cars. Maybe if you're a Ford employee you get a discount at the stealership and don't have to pay an hourly repair rate that's nearly the same as an attorney (my stealership is over $100 per hour).
If anybody has a shop manual and can post the torque spec on the caliper bracket bolts and the caliper slide bolts, please do.
Thanks,
Paul
