Regularly checking the brakes on your Ford F-250 should be included as part of the truck's routine maintenance. Brakes, especially front brake pads, will wear down after time. According to the 2 Car Pros website, front brake pads tend to wear out twice as fast as rear brakes. If you use your F-250 for towing or hauling heavy loads, this will put an even greater strain on the front brakes. If you find the truck's pads are worn, you can save money by installing them yourself.
Instructions
- 1
Choose which side you want to work on first. Then use your tire iron/lug wrench to break loose the lug nuts on the wheel. It doesn't matter which you side start with, but you must change both the front left and right side brakes when installing new pads on your F-250.
2Place the jack under your truck and lift it so that the tire is off the ground. For safety, place one or two jack stands under the frame of the truck.
3Remove the lug nuts and wheel and then place them to the side. Look at your F-250's rotor. If it looks like it's in good shape, proceed with Step 4. If the rotor is damaged or appears severely worn, you must have it replaced or repaired before installing new pads. A bad rotor will quickly ruin your new pads.
4Use the correct size wrench or socket to remove the two bolts located on the back of the caliper. The size of the bolts may vary depending on the model year of your Ford F-250. Once the bolts are removed you should be able to pull the caliper off the rotor. If the caliper won't budge, try tapping it a few times with a rubber mallet.
5Fasten the caliper on top of the rotor with plastic tie-downs or a bungee cord and then remove the old brake pads. Pay special attention to how the brake pads are positioned in the bracket. You must attach the new pads in precisely the same manner.
6Save one of the old brake pads and position it on the inside of the caliper, against the piston. With the old pad braced against the caliper piston, attach your C clamp and tighten it against the pad until the piston is squeezed back into the caliper. After the piston has been fully depressed, remove the C-clamp and old brake pad.
7Insert the truck's new brake pads into the bracket. Remember, the pads must be installed exactly as the old pads were. The pads should simply clip into place.
8Remove the tie-down or bungee cord from the caliper and slide the caliper back over the F-250's rotor. Line up the bolt holes in the caliper with those on the mounting bracket and replace the caliper bolts. Be sure to completely tighten the bolts.
9Replace the wheel and lug nuts, tightening the lug nuts as much as you can with the truck still off the ground. Then, remove the jack stands and lower your F-250. Finish tightening the lug nuts and move on to the other side's front brakes. The brake pads on both sides are installed using the same procedure.
