Wexford F150 Owner

I have a 2015 F150 crew cab 4x4 with the 3.5L Ecoboost, 18 inch wheels. My rotors have not perfromed to my liking and I'm contemplating installing slotted and drilled rotors. I'm not a DIY mechanic (Mr. Mediocre Wrench at best) Any thoughts would be appreciated.

tenx82

What is the issue with the OE rotors? Assuming they're in proper working condition, simply changing your rotors will do little to nothing for braking performance. Slotted/drilled won't offer any extra braking power, but they do have less surface area for dissipating heat (not good).
If you can lock up your tires (with ABS defeated), you should be looking at tires, not rotors, for better stopping performance.

Wexford F150 Owner

tenx82 - Thanks for the reply. I can stop well enough and I agree with your tire comment. I wasn't a fan of the OEM Goodyear Wranglers to begin with. The problem is that the rotors have warped and they have been warped for a while. It costs a small fortune to have them pulled and cut and that never seems to be a real solution. The pads are wearing well with about 65,700 miles on the truck. Most of my driving is highway. My original tires are nearing the end of their life and I was going to have tires and brakes all done at the same time. I did a little research on line and I'm think about putting on the PowerStop Z23 rotor and pad package at least on the front for now and on the rear when they're worn out. The rotors are drilled and slotted. The drilling and slotting, while reducing the surface area, will better dissipate through the holes and slots. I'll need to find out if the dealer will install them or if I'll have to take it elsewhere. Any other recommendations/thoughts will be appreciated.

AK4wheeler

Ford has always had cheap rotors that warp very easily from the factory. The problem is the rotors are not strong enough for the heaviness of their trucks. I had this problem with my 01 Expy and now my 2014 F150, which warped at 18K miles.

Look at Powerstop Z36 brake packages. After much research, this is what I went to and could not be happier. Good Luck.

AK4wheeler

Wexford F150 Owner

Out of curiosity, any reason why you went with the Z36 package over the Z23 package? Do you do a lot of towing/hauling? I did the questionnaire on the website for the kind of driving I do and it steered me toward the Z23 package. I'm not questioning your decision, I'm just trying to get a handle on what went into your thought process and to see if our circumstances are similar.

mhendrickson81

I got a set of slotted and dimpled rotors and semi-metallic pads from brakeperformance.com. This is my second F150 and the second time that I have gotten just above 50K miles and the rotors warped on me. This is also the second set of rotors I bought from them. They make good stuff right here in the good ole USofA.

When deciding to do a rotor upgrade you need to look at what you are doing with the truck. It makes a difference. If you tow/haul a lot, then you will want to go with slots and dimples with semi-metallic. If you just drive it on the road, no off road or towing/hauling, then you might consider ceramic. There is some science behind dimples versus drilled too. Check out there website and what they recommend for how you use your truck.

As far as the labor to change them out...if you have a floor jack, jack stands, and a cheater bar you'll be fine (those caliper bolts can be a BITCH!) You might want to get a C-clamp if you don't already have one to compress the calipers to make room for the new pads. Some bailing wire is handy too, to hang the caliper while you are changing the rotor (a wire clothes hanger works just as good). If you don't have a 3 pound sledge, go get one. You'll need it to get the rear rotors off. Since Ford put a drum kit on the rear for the parking break...you'll need to "help" that rotor off a little. Just be gentle. The last that I'll tell you is to make sure and take the cap off of the brake reservoir. When you compress the caliper you are going to be pushing fluid back through the lines. Too much back pressure can screw up the ABS system. It is rare, but better safe than sorry. A little DOT3 is cheaper than an ABS system.

Other than that, 6 lugs, and 2 bolts and they come right off! Don't forget a can or two of Brake Clean.

Good luck!

Wexford F150 Owner

So I did some additional research and ordered the Powerstop Z36 package. Funny they were actually a few bucks cheaper than the Z23 package that I was originally looking at. The turning point for me was that they were recommended for hilly terrain, which we have in abundance here in Pennsylvania. I just took a trip to Ridgeway PA with my truck with the old rotors a couple of days ago and the braking going down hills was miserable and I just couldn't take it any more. I'll update once I get them installed. Anyways, I appreciate your feedback!!!!!!!

jeffvic

I'm looking to upgrade my stock rotors and was seeing if anybody has any preference between Stoptech or Powerstop rotors and pads. I'm upgrading due to warped stock rotors. Thanks

AK4wheeler

Sorry,

I did not see your original questions back to me. I am glad you made your decision. I went with the Z36 because I have a 2014 4x4 leveled with 35" tires so I am quite heavy. I do tow my 16ft utility trailer on occasion but I went with the Z36 because they are more heavy duty than the Z23.

AK4wheeler

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