🔧 Expedition - Rear Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement

Replacing the rear brake pads and rotors restores stopping power and prevents grinding, pulsing, and uneven braking. On your Expedition, the parking brake is a separate drum-in-hat system inside the rear rotor, so we’ll make sure it releases and doesn’t drag after the new rotors go on.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 2-4 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• 🛑 Support the truck with jack stands; never rely on a jack.
• 🔥 Brakes get extremely hot; let everything cool before starting.
• 🧴 Brake dust is unhealthy; use brake cleaner, not compressed air.
• 🧷 Do not let the caliper hang by the brake hose; support it with a hanger.
• 🅿️ Release the parking brake fully before removing rear rotors.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Breaker bar (1/2")
• Torque wrench (20–200 ft-lbs range)
• 21mm socket
• 13mm socket
• 18mm socket
• Ratchet (3/8" or 1/2")
• C-clamp (6" or larger)
• Flat-blade screwdriver
• Bungee cord or mechanics wire
• Rubber mallet
• Wire brush
• Brake parts cleaner spray
• High-temp silicone brake grease

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Rear brake pad set - Qty: 1
• Rear brake rotors - Replace in pairs - Qty: 2
• Rear brake hardware kit (clips/abutments) - Qty: 1
• Brake fluid (DOT 3 or DOT 4) - Qty: 1 quart
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 2 cans

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, set the steering straight, and chock the front wheels with wheel chocks.
• Make sure the parking brake is fully released (foot pedal released).
• Crack the rear lug nuts loose using a 21mm socket and breaker bar before lifting.
• Open the hood and remove the brake fluid reservoir cap (just set it on top). This helps the pistons compress easier.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the rear

• Lift the rear using a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) at the rear jacking point, then set the frame on jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Remove both rear wheels using a 21mm socket.

Step 2: Remove the rear caliper

• Turn the steering wheel isn’t needed here; just work straight-on behind the rear hub.
• Remove the two caliper slide-pin bolts using a 13mm socket.
• Lift the caliper off the bracket and support it with a bungee cord or mechanics wire.
• Slide pins are the bolts the caliper “floats” on.

Step 3: Remove old pads and hardware

• Pull the brake pads out of the bracket by hand.
• Remove the pad abutment clips (hardware) using a flat-blade screwdriver.
• Clean the bracket pad landing areas with a wire brush, then spray with brake parts cleaner spray.

Step 4: Remove the caliper bracket

• Remove the two caliper bracket bolts using an 18mm socket and breaker bar (1/2").
• Set the bracket aside.
• Reinstallation torque: Torque to 224 Nm (165 ft-lbs).

Step 5: Remove the rotor

• Pull the rotor straight off the wheel studs.
• If it’s stuck from rust, tap the rotor “hat” area with a rubber mallet to break it loose.
• If the rotor won’t come off and feels like it’s held by the parking brake shoes, make sure the parking brake is released, then tap again evenly.
• “Hat” means the tall center portion of the rotor.

Step 6: Clean and prep the hub face

• Clean the hub face (where the rotor sits) using a wire brush and brake parts cleaner spray.
• This helps prevent rotor wobble (pedal pulsation) later.

Step 7: Install the new rotor

• Clean the new rotor with brake parts cleaner spray to remove protective oil.
• Slide the rotor onto the studs.
• To hold it tight while you work, thread on one lug nut backward by hand using the wheel’s 21mm socket (snug only).

Step 8: Reinstall the caliper bracket and new hardware

• Reinstall the caliper bracket using an 18mm socket.
• Torque to 224 Nm (165 ft-lbs).
• Install the new abutment clips from the hardware kit.
• Apply a thin film of high-temp silicone brake grease where the pad “ears” touch the clips.

Step 9: Compress the caliper piston

• Place an old brake pad against the piston face, then compress the piston slowly using a C-clamp (6" or larger).
• Go slow and watch the brake fluid reservoir so it doesn’t overflow.
• Piston is the round push part in the caliper.

Step 10: Install the new pads and reinstall the caliper

• Install the new pads into the bracket by hand.
• Slide the caliper over the new pads.
• Install the slide-pin bolts using a 13mm socket.
• Torque to 35 Nm (26 ft-lbs).

Step 11: Repeat on the other rear wheel

• Repeat Steps 2–10 on the other side.
• Replace pads and rotors as a pair (both rear wheels) to keep braking even.

Step 12: Reinstall wheels and torque lug nuts

• Reinstall both wheels and hand-thread all lug nuts.
• Lower the truck off the stands using the floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Torque lug nuts in a star pattern using a torque wrench (20–200 ft-lbs range) and 21mm socket: Torque to 203 Nm (150 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• Before moving the truck, pump the brake pedal 10–15 times until it feels firm.
• Check the brake fluid level and top off with DOT 3 or DOT 4 if needed.
• Do a cautious test drive: start with gentle stops at low speed.
• Pad bedding (break-in): make 8–10 smooth stops from ~40 to 10 mph, with light driving between to cool. Avoid hard stops for the first 200 miles.
• Listen for scraping that changes with parking brake use (could indicate parking brake shoe drag inside the rotor).

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $650-$1,050 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $220-$480 (parts only)

You Save: $430-$570 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 2-3 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

HowToo makes it easy: same-day/2-day shipping on every part, plus all the tools and specialty tools you need! Check out the parts and tools sections below to add everything to your cart.