How To Replace A Ford Brake Pad

Worn brake pads can seriously compromise your Ford’s braking performance. If the pads wear so far that there’s no friction material left there will be metal-to-metal contact between the rotor and the pads. Then the rotors will get all gouged up and you’ll have to replace them too.

It’s strongly recommended to replace your worn brake pads before they mess up the rotors and possibly get you into a dangerous situation on the road. Doing so will restore your car’s braking performance and keep the rotors in good shape.

You don’t even have to bring your Ford to a shop to get the brake pads replaced. It’s so much cheaper and faster to take care of the job yourself. This tutorial will walk you through the process.

To replace the brake pads on your Ford, take the following steps:

1. Order OEM Replacement Brake Pads Online

Instead of paying inflated prices for OEM brake pads at a Ford dealership, you can order a set online. A lot of authorized sellers of OEM Ford parts offer great prices online. In fact, we’re an authorized seller and we offer wholesale pricing for OEM Ford parts, including brake pads. It's a pretty great deal, if you ask us!

2. Grab All the Tools You’ll Need

To ensure that this job goes smoothly, gather all the tools you will need first. When you're replacing your brake pads, you don't need a lot of tools. You'll only need:

• Lug nut wrench
• Socket wrench set
• Brake pad spreader (or slotted screwdriver)
• Silicone grease

3. Loosen the Lug Nuts

Turn the lug nuts by about a quarter of a turn on all of the tires you're going to be removing. This makes removing the tires so much easier once your vehicle is lifted.

4. Lift Your Ford

You can lift your vehicle with a hoist or a jack and jack stands. Be sure to do it safely.

5. Remove the Tires

It's important to mention that brake pads should always be replaced in pairs on both sides of the axle. This ensures even braking performance. To remove the tires, remove the lug nuts and then pull the tires off the car.

6. Move the Caliper Out of the Way

There should be two bolts holding the caliper in place. Remove them both. Be sure not to remove the bolts on the caliper bracket. Take the caliper off and then hang it from the spring or inner fender. Don't let it hang by the brake line.

7. Remove the Old Brake Pads

With the brake pad spreader, spread the caliper (with the old brake pads still in it) until it's fully open. Next, take the old brake pads out of the caliper.

8. Install the New Brake Pads

Image Credit: ChrisFix

Insert the new brake pads into the caliper. Be sure to put them in the right way. It's pretty common for people (even mechanics) to put the brake pads in backwards.

9. Bolt the Caliper Back in Place

Clean the old grease off the caliper bolts and then apply new silicone grease on them. Next, install the bolts and then hand tighten them. Don't use an impact wrench.

10. Pump the Brakes

You can pump the brakes either when your vehicle's still up in the air or after you bring it down and put the tires back on. When you give the brake pedal a couple of pumps until it feels firm, the calipers squeeze the new brake pads against the rotors. If the brake pedal still feels spongy after pumping it for a while, then there's probably air in the brake lines. In such a case, you would need to bleed the brake lines.  If you bleed the brakes, you will need to refill the brake fluid reservoir.

11. Put the Tires Back on Your Ford

When tightening the lug nuts, use the star pattern. This will help the wheel draw down evenly and the lug nuts to be torqued equally.

That's all! It's a pretty straightforward process. If you have any questions or issues, please don't hesitate to contact us.