Brake pads are the replaceable friction pads that pinch the brake disc or drum when the brakes are applied. They are an important part of your Ford F-Series' braking system. You should replace the brake pads before they wear beyond a 1/4 inch, or risk damaging your F-Series' brake discs.
Park your car on a level surface. If you have a stick shift car, make sure the car is in gear. Place blocks in front of the front tires so the car does not move while you are working on it.
Open the hood of your car. Locate the master cylinder and brake fluid container. If necessary, remove brake fluid until the level in the container is less than half full. A turkey baster is a good tool for this. Put the brake fluid in the plastic container and dispose of it the way you dispose of motor oil.
Raise the rear end of your F-Series with your car jack. Remove the rear tire or wheel assembly.
Use the socket wrench to remove the caliper bolts from the back of the caliper. Slide the caliper off of the disc brake and suspend it near the disc brake with a small bungee cord or coat hanger. Suspend the caliper housing so that you do not damage the brake hose.
Remove the inner and outer brake pads from the caliper. Remove the caliper clips and throw them away.
Insert the new brake pads into the caliper. Slide the new clips (that come with the brake pads) onto the caliper mounting bracket.
Attach the caliper mounting bracket to the backing plate assemble.
Place the caliper on the steering knuckle and tighten the bracket bolts to 148 foot pounds (200 Nm) for a 15 series vehicle; 122 foot pounds (165 Nm) for a 25 series vehicle. Use the socket wrench to attach the clipper bolts and tighten them to 80 foot pounds (108 Nm).
Replace the tire wheel assembly. Lower the car to the ground. Pump the brake pedal a few times to seat the brake pads.
Add fluid to the master cylinder container to replace any you removed before you removed the old brake pads.
Season the brake pads by making only gentle stops when you are driving for the first week after you install the new brake pads. Try not to do any hard stopping when you are seasoning the brakes.
