How to Install the Front Brakes on a 2001 F150

The Ford F-150 has become the best-selling full-sized pickup in America, despite its late entry into the F-series lineup. Ford designed the F-150 to fit two molds. First and foremost, its a pickup truck that can handle all middle-duty work. Secondly, and more recently, it has become an everyday driver. To suit both worlds, the 2001 F-150 has many available options, one of which is a four-wheel drive. Surprisingly, replacing the front brakes on a four-wheel-drive 2001 F-150 is easier than on a two-wheel-drive model, as you do not need to worry about rotor-mounted wheel bearings on the four-wheel-drive model.

Instructions

Open the F-150s hood and unscrew the cap from the master cylinder reservoir. Siphon out about half of the brake fluid from the master cylinder with a clean turkey baster and transfer this fluid to a small container.

Loosen the F-150s front lug nuts with a ratchet and socket. Raise the front of the F-150 with a floor jack and slide jack stands under the vehicles frame rails. Lower the truck onto the jack stands. Remove the front lug nuts and pull the front wheels off the truck.

Loosen the two caliper pins with a ratchet and socket and pull the pins from the caliper -- notice that the top part of the pin has threads and the lower part is smooth.

Pull the caliper off its bracket and hang it from a nearby suspension component with a bungee strap. Pull the two brake pads out of the caliper bracket.

Set the inner brake pad inside the caliper so that it contacts the calipers piston. Position an 8-inch C-clamp over the caliper so that its fixed side touches the rear of the caliper and the screw part is touching the inner brake pad. Tighten the C-clamp until the brake pad stops moving -- this retracts the piston to allow clearance for new brake pads. Loosen the C-clamp and remove it.

Remove the two caliper bracket bolts, using a ratchet and socket, and pull the caliper bracket off the front hub. Skip to Step 9 if the F-150 is two-wheel-drive model.

Grab the rotor and pull it off the trucks hub, if the F-150 is a four-wheel-drive model. Inspect both sides of the rotor for any defects, including: mirror-like shine, grinding marks, deep grooves or excessive rust. If any defects exist, replace the rotor with a new one.

Set the rotor on the F-150s front hub. Skip to Step 18.

Look on the center of the rotor -- if the F-150 is a two-wheel-drive model -- and find the dome-shaped metal cap: this is the grease cap. Pry the grease cap off the rotor with a flat-head screwdriver and set it aside for reuse. Pull the cotter pin from the spindle shaft with needle-nose pliers and discard it. Remove the spindle nut, using a ratchet and socket, and pull the washer from the spindle shaft. Pull the rotor from the spindle shaft.

Pry the grease seal from the rear of the rotor, using a seal puller, and pull the inner wheel bearing from the rotor.

Inspect the rotor for any visual defects, including: deep grooves, grinding marks, mirror-like shine or excessive rust. If no defects exist, reuse the original rotor. If defects do exist, discard the rotor and use a new one.

Insert two fingers into the hole in the center of each bearing to hold them in place as the spindle shaft does. Rotate the bearings just as they would on the spindle shaft and feel for any roughness in the rotation. Grab the outer edge of each bearing and wiggle it to feel for any looseness. If any roughness or looseness exists, replace the inner and outer wheel bearings.

Put a generous amount of wheel bearing grease in the palm of your hand and set a wheel bearing in the grease. Rotate the wheel bearing in the grease until it is full of new grease -- you can tell it is full by the light resistance felt when trying to free-spin the bearing. Repeat this step for the other wheel bearing.

Set the inner wheel bearing in the hole in the center of the backside of the rotor. Set a new grease seal over the inner wheel bearing and position a grease seal driver on the grease seal. Tap the grease seal driver with a hammer to seat the grease seal.

Slide the rotor onto the spindle shaft, slide the outer bearing onto the spindle shaft and seat it in the hole in the center of the rotor. Install the washer onto the spindle shaft and hand-tighten the spindle nut onto the spindle shaft.

Seat the wheel bearings by spinning the rotor counterclockwise while you tighten the spindle nut from 17 to 24 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket. Turn the spindle nut counterclockwise about 175 degrees with a ratchet and socket, then tighten it to 1 to 2 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket.

Insert a new cotter pin through the hole in the spindle shaft and bend its legs in opposite directions with needle-nose pliers. Set the grease cap in place over the hole in the center of the rotor and tap it into the hole with a rubber mallet.

Install the caliper bracket on the F-150s front hub and hand-tighten its retaining nuts. Tighten the caliper bracket bolts to 136 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket. Slide new brake pads into the caliper bracket and apply a thin coat of disc brake grease to the rear of each pad.

Clean the old grease off the smooth part of each caliper pin with clean, lint-free cloths. Apply a generous coat of new disc brake grease to the smooth part of each pin -- do not get grease on the threaded part of the pins. Remove the caliper from the bungee strap and set it on the caliper bracket. Press the caliper pins into the caliper and tighten them to 21 to 26 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket.

Repeat Steps 3 through 19 to replace the brakes on the other side of the F-150.

Set the front wheels back on the F-150s front hubs and hand-tighten the lug nuts. Raise the truck off the jack stands with a floor jack and remove the jack stands. Lower the truck to the ground and tighten the lug nuts, in a crisscrossing pattern, to 150 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket.

Press and release the brake pedal until it feels firm. Check the brake fluid level in the master cylinder reservoir and add new DOT 3 brake fluid to the master cylinder until the level reaches the Max line.

Take any old brake fluid to a local automotive fluid recycling-center for disposal. Many auto parts stores take old fluid free of charge.