How to Replace Rear Brakes on a 1998 Ford Windstar

Good brake pads in your 1998 Ford Windstar are necessary for the brake system to maintain breaking power. As a rule of thumb, you might want to replace the brake pads whenever the lining or friction material has become as thick as the backboard they mount on. The rear brakes on your Windstar minivan are readily accessible and you can replace them. However, the job requires attention to detail. The following procedure applies to models equipped with rear disc brakes.

Instructions

Open the hood and remove the lid off the brake master cylinder reservoir and remove half the brake fluid into a container that can be sealed. You will do this for later recycling. Use a hand siphon pump and leave the reservoir lid loose. The brake master cylinder is mounted on the brake booster, which is a drum-like component right in front of the driver, inside the engine compartment.

Loosen the lug nuts on both rear wheel assemblies with a lug wrench, shift the transmission to park and release the parking brake.

Lift the rear of your Ford Windstar with a floor jack and place a safety stand under the frame on each side of the rear of the vehicle for support. After this is done, lower the minivan.

Remove both rear wheel assemblies and work on one brake assembly at a time. This way you may use the other assembly as visual reference during the reassembly process, if necessary.

Place a large C-clamp over the brake caliper with the clamp screw against the outboard brake pad, which is facing you. Slowly turn the clamp screw against the outboard brake pad to push the caliper piston at the back of the caliper into its bore and then remove the clamp.

Unfasten the two caliper mounting bolts located behind the caliper assembly with a ratchet and socket. Remove the bolts and carefully guide the caliper off the mounting bracket and brake rotor. Secure the caliper to a near suspension component with heavy wire to avoid damage to the brake hose connected to the caliper.

Pry off the slippers or rectangular caps from each side of the caliper mounting frame with a standard screwdriver.

Remove the brake pads from the caliper by hand.

Clean the brake caliper, caliper mounting bracket, brake rotor and caliper mounting bolts with brake parts cleaner and wipe off the solution with lint-free towels.

Snap new slippers on the caliper bracket assembly by hand.

Install the new brake pads on the brake caliper and place the caliper assembly on the caliper mounting frame aligning the mounting bolt holes on the caliper and the holes on the mounting bracket. If the holes do not align, verify the brake pads are seating properly on the caliper bracket.

Coat the caliper mounting bolts with silicone brake caliper grease and dielectric compound D7AZ-19A331-A or an equivalent silicone compound that meets Ford specification ESE-M1C171-A. Install the caliper bolts finger tight and tighten the bolts to 14 foot-pounds (20 Nm) with a torque wrench.

Replace the set of brake pads on the opposite rear wheel starting with step 5 of the previous section through step 4 of this section.

Mount both rear wheels on the hubs and install the lug nuts snugly. Lower your Windstar and finish tightening the lug nuts with the lug wrench.

Add new brake fluid to the brake master cylinder reservoir to bring the level up to the "Full" mark, if necessary. Tighten the reservoir cap.

Pump the brake pedal slowly several times to adjust the new brake pads to the brake rotor. Check the fluid level on the brake master cylinder reservoir and add more fluid if necessary. Close the hood.