3-second answer: Front brakes: 2 caliper bolts (torque back to 83-90 ft-lb; 4x4 up to 129), slide the caliper, replace pads + rotors. The piston pushes back with a C-clamp (crack the bleeder to make room — pushes old fluid out instead of back into the ABS). Torque the lug nuts 100 ft-lb (5-lug). Bed the pads per the box instructions.
The job
- Loosen lugs, jack + stands, wheel off.
- Two caliper bolts out, caliper off (hang it on a wire — never let it dangle on the hose).
- Push the piston back (C-clamp + old pad; crack the bleeder slightly to relieve pressure).
- Rotor off (2 screws on some), new rotor on, clean with brake cleaner.
- Pads in the bracket (new hardware clips — the squeal killer), caliper back on.
- Torque caliper bolts, reinstall wheel, torque lugs, pump the pedal BEFORE moving.
- Bed-in: 6-8 firm stops from 40 mph, let them cool. (See brakes & RABS for bleeding/proportioning if the pedal's off.)
Numbers
- Caliper bracket bolts: 83-90 ft-lb (F-150 4x4: 129 ft-lb)
- Lug nuts (5-lug): 100 ft-lb
- Rotor: check for thickness — below spec = replace (most are, at 30 years)
- Grease: caliper slide pins with silicone brake grease, NOT wheel bearing grease
The common mistakes
- Forgetting the slide-pin grease → one pad wears fast
- Reusing the old hardware clips → squeal
- Not cracking the bleeder → old fluid back into the ABS module (dirty)
- Over-torquing lugs → warped rotors next time
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Threads
- FTE search: brake pads · rotors · caliper