Cost of Ownership

[Trainmaster]

Sticker has a point. I've driven many cars for well over 200K miles and never "changed brake fluid". Around these parts, "brake fluid flush" is an annual scam hawked by the chain stores that employ misfits. They charge somewhere around $350 for a "brake power flush".

These days, sometimes when bleeding brakes, I drain well over a pint of fluid, especially if the gack that comes out is old enough to look nasty and black. I dont' think it matters much, as Sticker says, Ford is mute about doing such a thing.

 

[Boostedbus]

On the brake fluid flush topic, I’ve only ever changed or flushed out old fluid (dot 3) when I’ve had to change a caliper, wheel cylinder, brake hose, or brake line. I will say this, when I restored my 69 Eliminator over 20 years ago, I used dot 5 silicone brake fluid instead of dot 3 and never have had any brake issues ever. I could use it because I had 100% all new lines, hoses, wheel cylinders, calipers, and master cylinder that I installed fresh. Dot 5 and dot 3 cannot mix at all. It has all the same braking components that I installed 20 yrs. ago and she stops on a dime. I don’t think dot 5 is compatible with abs systems though or it would be a no brainer to use on newer vehicles. It doesn’t absorb any moisture and it has a higher boiling point.

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

I don't think it's wise to never change your brake fluid, but 1-2x/year is very excessive imho. I changed it twice on my Mountaineer in 15 years and so far once on my '11 Expedition.

 

[Boostedbus]

I don't think it's wise to never change your brake fluid, but 1-2x/year is very excessive imho. I changed it twice on my Mountaineer in 15 years and so far once on my '11 Expedition.

You may be correct with that statement but at the same time I think most of the steel brake lines corrode from outside in. I also realize it starts to corrode other components including rubber especially if it’s not driven daily. In today’s safety conscious era, air bags, lane assist, crumple zones, all the crash test data, etc...etc.... I think they should be using stainless steel lines and a much less corrosive brake fluid. I have changed all my 95 F150 brake lines over to stainless steel after having 2 different lines blow at 2 different times.(Both times miraculously in my driveway) I also changed all the lines on my 99 TJ Jeep to stainless right after I bought it just to be on the safe side even though I only run it off road but on some steep inclines. The only reason I didn’t use stainless steel lines on my Eliminator is because at the time of restoration I was all about keeping it original all the way down to the crappy mild steel brake lines plus I knew it was never gonna see any weather but sunshine.That’s also one of the reasons I chose the expensive dot 5 fluid,(Ok I know that’s not the original dot 3 fluid but who’s checking that?) along with I knew how much it would sit and dot 3 would really eat at everything from just sitting (not to mention if any dot 3 came in contact with the paint).I guess crash test results sell better than advertising stainless steel brake lines and lifetime fluid for added safety. Nobody thinks much about brakes until you don’t have any and then you better be thinking fast! E- brake!

 

[larryjb]

I just learned something more today:
https://www.tomorrowstechnician.com/brake-service-bleeding-and-flushing-abs-systems/

Still, I think a good flushing (including flushing the ABS unit) following a caliper change is sufficient.

 

[Plati]

....... E- brake!

I've been schooled over the years that it's not an E-Brake , it's a Parking Brake. I think most people never use it and then when they need it, it's all rusted up and a disaster. Me - I insist on a working parking brake to use in an emergency when the regular brakes fail. Those are designed so that 1/2 of the 4 work if one of the lines blows I think.

 

[larryjb]

On the topic of the parking brake, set it while in neutral, then take your foot off the regular brake, make sure the parking brake is holding, and then go in to park.

 

[Boostedbus]

Those are designed so that 1/2 of the 4 work if one of the lines blows I think.

Yes absolutely......the rear brakes and then you can pull off a James Rockford move and be heading the other way.......away from the scene of the crash. Except he did it in reverse instead of forward...... same concept though.... kind of??? The older guys on this forum know what I’m talking about.

 

[Trainmaster]

pull off a James Rockford move

Yep, you can spin the truck around in one and a half lanes with a good parking brake. Taught in pursuit driving.

Get it up to about 30, slam the parking brake, turn the wheel an quarter turn, hold on and power out of it when you're headed where you wanna go...

And hope you don't roll the thing when you hit the curb.

 

[Boostedbus]

this guy knows how to make the E-Brake work in panic situations!