🔧 F-150 - Rear Brake Pad Replacement

Replacing the rear brake pads involves removing both rear calipers, compressing their pistons, and installing new pads and hardware. Your F-150 uses a mechanical parking brake inside each rear rotor, so no electronic service mode or scan tool is required.

Difficulty Level: Beginner | Estimated Time: 1.5-2.5 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• Never work beneath your F-150 while it is supported only by a floor jack.
• Release the parking brake before removing the rear calipers.
• Chock both front wheels because the parking brake must remain released.
• Brake dust can be harmful. Do not use compressed air to clean the brakes.
• Do not press the brake pedal while either caliper is removed.
• Support each caliper without allowing it to hang from its rubber brake hose.
• Battery disconnection is not required for this repair.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• 3-ton floor jack
• 3-ton jack stands
• Wheel chocks
• 21mm deep socket
• 13mm socket
• 17mm open-end wrench
• 3/8-inch drive ratchet
• 1/2-inch drive breaker bar
• 3/8-inch drive torque wrench rated 10-80 Nm
• 1/2-inch drive torque wrench rated 40-250 Nm
• 6-inch C-clamp or brake piston compression tool (specialty)
• Small flat-blade screwdriver
• Brake spring hook or pick tool
• Wire brake-caliper brush
• 0-25mm brake rotor micrometer (specialty)
• Drain pan
• Caliper hanger
• Clean shop towels
• Nitrile gloves
• Safety glasses

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Rear brake pad set - Replace on both sides - Qty: 1
• Rear brake pad hardware kit - Replace on both sides - Qty: 1
• High-temperature silicone brake lubricant - Qty: 1
• Non-chlorinated brake cleaner - Qty: 1
• DOT 3 brake fluid - Qty: 1 small bottle, only if correction is needed

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park your F-150 on firm, level ground. Shift into Park, switch off the engine, and release the parking brake.
• Place wheel chocks tightly against the front and rear of both front tires.
• A breaker bar is a long handle used to loosen tight fasteners. A torque wrench tightens fasteners to an exact specified force.
• A jack stand is a fixed support that safely holds the truck after lifting. Never substitute wood blocks or bricks.
• Open the hood and inspect the brake-fluid reservoir. If it is at the MAX line, remove a small amount so piston compression does not make it overflow.
• Remove the reservoir cap only if fluid must be removed. Protect painted surfaces because brake fluid damages paint.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Loosen the Rear Wheel Nuts

• With your F-150 still on the ground, use a 21mm deep socket and 1/2-inch breaker bar to loosen each rear wheel nut approximately one-half turn.
• Do not remove the wheel nuts yet.

Step 2: Raise and Support the Rear

• Position the 3-ton floor jack beneath the center of the rear axle housing. Do not place it beneath the differential cover.
• Raise the rear until both tires clear the ground.
• Place 3-ton jack stands beneath the solid rear axle tubes, inboard of the brake assemblies.
• Lower the axle gently onto the stands, then leave the floor jack lightly touching the axle as secondary support.
• Push the body gently to confirm that your F-150 is stable before continuing.

Step 3: Remove Both Rear Wheels

• Use the 21mm deep socket and 1/2-inch breaker bar to remove the wheel nuts.
• Remove both rear wheels and slide them beneath the frame as additional protection.
• Keep each wheel’s mounting face clean.

Step 4: Inspect the Brakes

• Use a flashlight and safety glasses to inspect both calipers for wetness around the piston boot, hose, and bleeder screw.
• Use the 0-25mm brake rotor micrometer to measure each rotor away from the outer rust lip. Compare the measurement with the minimum thickness marked on the rotor.
• Replace both rear rotors if either is below its marked minimum thickness, deeply scored, cracked, or heavily heat-spotted.
• If a caliper is leaking or one pad is much thinner than its matching pad, stop and repair the underlying caliper or slide-pin problem.

Step 5: Remove the First Caliper

• Work on one side at a time so the opposite side remains available as a visual reference.
• Use a 13mm socket and 3/8-inch ratchet to remove the upper and lower caliper guide-pin bolts.
• If a guide pin turns with its bolt, hold the pin’s flats with a 17mm open-end wrench while loosening the bolt with the 13mm socket.
• Lift the caliper away from the rotor. Use a caliper hanger to suspend it from the frame or suspension.
• Do not twist, stretch, or sharply bend the brake hose.

Step 6: Remove the Old Pads and Hardware

• Pull the inner and outer pads out of the caliper bracket by hand.
• Use a small flat-blade screwdriver or brake spring hook to remove the stainless pad-support clips.
• Note the position of any wear indicator before discarding the old pads.
• Place the drain pan beneath the brake assembly and use non-chlorinated brake cleaner with clean shop towels to remove loose brake dust.

Step 7: Inspect and Lubricate the Guide Pins

• Pull each guide pin from its rubber boot by hand.
• Use clean shop towels to wipe away old lubricant. Inspect the pins for rust, pitting, or binding.
• Apply a thin coating of high-temperature silicone brake lubricant to each smooth guide-pin surface.
• Reinsert each guide pin by hand and make sure it moves freely without trapping air in the boot.
• Replace damaged boots or corroded pins before continuing.

Step 8: Clean and Install the New Hardware

• Use the wire brake-caliper brush to clean rust from the caliper bracket where the stainless clips sit.
• Do not grind away bracket metal.
• Press the new rear brake pad hardware into the bracket by hand. Use the old side as a positioning reference.
• Apply a very thin film of high-temperature silicone brake lubricant where the pad tabs contact the stainless clips.
• Keep lubricant away from the rotor and pad friction surfaces.

Step 9: Compress the Caliper Piston

• Place the old inner brake pad against the caliper piston.
• Position the 6-inch C-clamp or brake piston compression tool over the old pad and rear of the caliper.
• Slowly compress the piston straight into its bore while watching the brake-fluid reservoir.
• Stop if the piston will not move smoothly or if fluid approaches the reservoir opening.
• Your F-150’s rear piston presses straight inward; it does not need to be rotated.
• Compress slowly to protect the piston seal.

Step 10: Install the New Pads

• Use clean nitrile gloves to avoid contaminating the new friction material.
• Slide the new inner and outer pads into the hardware by hand.
• Make sure the pads move smoothly in the bracket without excessive looseness.
• Use clean shop towels and non-chlorinated brake cleaner if grease touches a rotor.

Step 11: Reinstall the Caliper

• Lower the caliper over the new pads by hand. Do not force it or twist the brake hose.
• Align the guide pins and start both guide-pin bolts by hand to prevent cross-threading.
• Hold the guide-pin flats with the 17mm open-end wrench if necessary.
• Use the 13mm socket and 3/8-inch torque wrench to tighten both guide-pin bolts to 31 Nm (23 ft-lbs).

Step 12: Repeat on the Opposite Side

• Repeat Steps 5 through 11 on the other rear brake assembly using the same listed tools.
• Confirm that both caliper hoses are untwisted and both calipers slide normally.
• Brake pads must always be replaced on both sides of the same axle.

Step 13: Reinstall the Rear Wheels

• Use a wire brake-caliper brush to clean loose corrosion from the wheel and hub mating surfaces without contacting rubber components.
• Install each wheel and start every wheel nut by hand.
• Use the 21mm deep socket and 1/2-inch torque wrench to snug the nuts in a crisscross pattern while the wheels are raised.

Step 14: Lower and Torque the Wheels

• Use the 3-ton floor jack to lift the axle slightly, then remove both 3-ton jack stands.
• Lower your F-150 until the tires are firmly on the ground.
• Use the 21mm deep socket and 1/2-inch torque wrench to tighten the wheel nuts in a crisscross pattern to 204 Nm (150 ft-lbs).
• Do not apply lubricant or anti-seize to the wheel studs.

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✅ After Repair

• Before moving your F-150, press the brake pedal slowly several times until it becomes firm. The first few presses may travel farther than normal.
• Check the brake-fluid level and correct it to the MAX line with fresh DOT 3 brake fluid only if needed. Do not overfill.
• Install the reservoir cap securely and clean any spilled fluid immediately.
• Start the engine and hold firm pedal pressure for approximately 30 seconds. The pedal should remain firm and not sink steadily.
• Apply and release the parking brake to confirm normal operation.
• Perform a slow test in a clear area. Confirm normal stopping and listen for scraping or grinding.
• Follow the pad manufacturer’s bedding procedure. Until completed, avoid towing and repeated hard stops unless required for safety.
• Recheck the wheel-nut torque to 204 Nm (150 ft-lbs) after approximately 80-160 km.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: ₹18,000-₹35,000 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: ₹6,000-₹15,000 (parts only)

You Save: ₹12,000-₹20,000 by doing it yourself!

Import-specialist labor rates in Haryana vary widely. This repair takes a shop approximately 1-1.5 hours, excluding rotor or caliper repairs.

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