Replacing rear brake pads and rotors

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BMW2FORD

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If you loosen the master cylinder cap, the piston slides back very easy. Don’t leave the cap loose too long since brake fluid will absorb a lot of water which is not good. No turning of the piston is needed but the pistons do have the marks like other cars that this needs to be done on but most likely carried over parts.
 

Soliyou

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If you loosen the master cylinder cap, the piston slides back very easy. Don’t leave the cap loose too long since brake fluid will absorb a lot of water which is not good. No turning of the piston is needed but the pistons do have the marks like other cars that this needs to be done on but most likely carried over parts.
Ours is different due to the electronic parking brakes.. I don’t think loosening the bleeder screw or opening the cap will help. You can end up breaking the parking brake actuator.

You must put it in service mode to retract the electronic actuator all the way, then you can push the piston back. This also prevents accidental actuation of the parking brake while you are working on the brakes,, which can cause a serious injury!
 

Soliyou

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Is this the tool you used to press the piston back in? I've always used an old pad with C clamp, but sure looks like life would be easier this this...
Yes, this will work. In fact I am on my way to buy one now to do the rear brakes later this evening :)

The c-clamp will react against the plastic housing of the actuator and can crack it.
 

Soliyou

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Two more things to note just to complete this this topic.
1- it seems that Ford changed the part number from JL3Z-2200-A to KL3Z-2200-C. The new pad has more surface are as seen in the two pictures below. Some aftermarket use the old design while others use the new one and some are even in between.
Original design:
3ED7A86B-5901-4EFD-B725-EA3AF8B92861.jpeg
Updated
6AF8B7E9-60BD-427F-98FA-1B730E0A7ACD.jpeg

2- The service manual requires replacing the two caliper sliding pin bolts. Ford pads come with new bolts but the lower one included in the package doesn’t have the stud for the wiring harness! Which is crazy since you can’t buy it separately from Ford. If you decide to reuse old bolts at least use some blue thread lock on them and torque to 26 ft-lb (value from service manual) or more.
 

BMW2FORD

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Ours is different due to the electronic parking brakes.. I don’t think loosening the bleeder screw or opening the cap will help. You can end up breaking the parking brake actuator.

You must put it in service mode to retract the electronic actuator all the way, then you can push the piston back. This also prevents accidental actuation of the parking brake while you are working on the brakes,, which can cause a serious injury!
Yep agree, you always have to put it in the parking brake service mode or you'll never push the pads back but if you then loosen the master cylinder cap under the hood, the piston is much easier to push back. I wouldn't loosen the bleeder since that can let in air but the cap trick works. When the car is off, all the abs valves are open so its like old school hydraulic brakes. You can even foot bleed these brakes as long at the key is off as well.
 

VBreithaupt

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11. Now insert the pads into the mounting positions. I did the inside pad before the outside pad because it was easier to hold in place while mounting the front pad. Once the pads were on, I re-installed the (piston-compressed) caliper. Also, take note that the arrow on the pad with the word "UP". Apparently the pads are directional, but you wouldn't know it by looking at the friction material.

View attachment 73829


View attachment 73830
I was able to hold the caliper bolts with my fingers until they tightened up enough to crank down with the ratchet.

View attachment 73831

Finally, I reinstalled the wheel, torqued the lug nuts to 150 pounds (!!), and then reversed the procedure above to exit out of parking brake maintenance mode.

This side of the truck took me less than 45 minutes - the other side was a little over 90 minutes because I could not for the life of me get the rotor off using my small sledge - I had to upsize to the big guy.

Hopefully this helps someone. I saw a comment in another thread that this was easier than changing the oil. I could not possibly agree more!

Fronts coming soon....
 

VBreithaupt

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Great job of talking through process and pictures. I need to replace mine and you just made it easier. Did someone say how to put in parking brake mode?
 
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Overtow

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If you loosen the master cylinder cap, the piston slides back very easy. Don’t leave the cap loose too long since brake fluid will absorb a lot of water which is not good. No turning of the piston is needed but the pistons do have the marks like other cars that this needs to be done on but most likely carried over parts.

I didn't touch the brake fill cap, and I absolutely did not open the bleed valve - that ends badly for everyone and is unnecessary. The piston was super easy to compress - I didn't have to apply much torque on the tool at all and probably could have done it one handed if the caliper wasn't swinging all over the place.

If you don't put it into parking brake maintenance mode, something is going to brake. (no pun intended...)
 
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