I replaced the brake pads front and rear on my 2015 F150 at 61k. After completing the job I test drove the truck to find that both front brakes were dragging. After some online research I discovered that Ford trucks and vans are prone to having the dual piston front calipers seize after retracting them to install new pads. I ended up getting remanufactured lifetime guarentee calipers. After install no more issues. Anybody else have this issue?

 

No issues when I did my brakes. I haven’t seen that issue mentioned before as a known problem.

 

Have you ever had your fluid flushed. Could be old nasty brake fluid causing it to not smoothly retract. W/ 61k, I assume it is 3-4 years old and the brake fluid should really be changed

 

This is a known issue with Fords... my brother owns a shop and has several fleet accounts with Ford and GM trucks. He will not do brakes a Ford pickup without doing the calipers. If the customer refuses ,the resulting frozen caliper and damage to the brand new parts are not covered . The GM HD pickups starting in 2011 are the same way, huge brakes but the calipers stick after a pad replacement.

 

There’s a bigger chance you had the pads in backwards. Did you actually test the calipers or just swap them out?

 

Flushed when doing brake pad change.

 

I don’t see caliper issues on F150’s unless poor methods are used to push the pistons back into the caliper. More common is that people don’t notice that there is an inner and outer pad and install them incorrectly. It’s difficult but it happens.

Ao so what can cause a caliper to fail? Sticking/rusty slides, overheated brakes that “swell” phenolic pistons, yuck build up that collects behind the piston.....

 

I always clean the Piston Dust Boot and put some slider lube grease on it while using a C Clamp to retract, I loosen up the Bleeder Screw you gotta see the Crap that comes out of there.

 

All of this. Ford calipers (I think all but maybe not) have an inner and outer pad. It's on purpose.There are other calipers done this way too. But people often get them wrong and the pads can jam up in the caliper body with causes the "sticking"

LIkewise brake fluid should be flushed every 3 years or so. It's good for your ABS unit, the hoses, and the calipers. And always check to make sure when pressing the pistons back you don't trap air behind the piston boots as it will causes then to pop open under heat or pressure and it might cause a fluid leak.

anyway - good luck

 

Just had all my pads and rotors changed as well by a local shop. When I accelerate gently from a stop I hear a few long brake squeaks up through 20mph and then it goes away. Happening 75% of the time. Just wondering how to identify the dragging issue. Is the dragging something you feel as resistance constantly , or can it be just an intermittent light noise like mine? Not sure what to do here...