Brake Job Nightmare on Explorer.

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So my Explorer is over 50k on original front brakes, (rears replaced year ago due to bad Caliper).. So I order Centric Premium Rotors and Wagner Pads from Rockauto.. Due to work I was un-able to do the job for a month. So last week I did the front brakes Serviced Caliper Pins, Installed new rotors after cleaning, and installed pad. Also did oil and trans. (don't worry guys filter cut and post coming) lol.. All seemed well. So went back to work and was driving when I noticed drag on the brakes and noise ([censored] moment). So my next day off I took the wheels off serviced pins again and checked assembly (all were fine). So I figured I would give it a day or 2 to see if they (wore in).. Anyway problem only got worse.. Today I broke down and went to my local dealer and got Motorcraft pads and rotors and did another re-build. Thing sounds and stops like a dream!!. Motorcraft rotors even had in my opinion a very superior anti-rust coating ( the gray one ) that does not need to be cleaned. So all in all I think i'm done with aftermarket parts, Everytime i've used a Motorcraft product on my truck it has never been an issue. But anyway has anyone else had issues with Wagner and Centric parts going downhill? I've used both in past without issue so this was very disappointing. Also another downside due to my delay in getting work done I cant get a refund from rockauto... O well at least my truck is working as it should...
 
Centric rotors and Wagner pads are some of the most common parts used by shops across the US...they are not known to be particularly bad in today's world of one and done rotors. Something else was at fault here imho.
 
idk what else my father was a mechanic of 55 years. I worked with him in his shop for years growing up and have done more brake jobs then I could count, (and yes using aftermarket parts). assembly was fine everything was cleaned and lubricated where needed. Put the new parts on and bingo problem solved. I have seen threads of the quality of some of the aftermarket stuff as of late and was just wondering if anyone else had similar problems.
 
Originally Posted By: guitarandoil67
So went back to work and was driving when I noticed drag on the brakes and noise ([censored] moment).


A drag on the brakes doesn't point to a rotor or pad issue; it points to a caliper not releasing issue.
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: guitarandoil67
So went back to work and was driving when I noticed drag on the brakes and noise ([censored] moment).


A drag on the brakes doesn't point to a rotor or pad issue; it points to a caliper not releasing issue.


That's what I'd say.
 
Ford brakes are junk . I have a 2013 Mazda 3 with 35k miles and needed a complete brake job . One side had .030 on it the other had a huge crack the whole way across the pad . On the calipers it's stamped with FoMoCo . I've had nothing but problems with the brakes on the car since new . Everything else on it is just fine . My Yoyotas could go 100k on brakes no problem.
 
Originally Posted By: dcf
Ford brakes are junk . I have a 2013 Mazda 3 with 35k miles and needed a complete brake job . One side had .030 on it the other had a huge crack the whole way across the pad . On the calipers it's stamped with FoMoCo . I've had nothing but problems with the brakes on the car since new . Everything else on it is just fine . My Yoyotas could go 100k on brakes no problem.


On the flip side of things I got over 150,000 miles on a set of OEM brakes on the Fusion in the family before I serviced them and there was still a little pad left.
 
I am not buying that the solution was OEM parts when the issue was dragging brakes. Tell us if you notice any issues in the next 1000 miles. Maybe pushing the piston back in a second time for the OEM brakes helped with a sticky piston. I think the issue will come back and is likely the caliper but could be the flex brake hose.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
I am not buying that the solution was OEM parts when the issue was dragging brakes. Tell us if you notice any issues in the next 1000 miles. Maybe pushing the piston back in a second time for the OEM brakes helped with a sticky piston. I think the issue will come back and is likely the caliper but could be the flex brake hose.



+1
 
Another benefit to OEM brake parts is, you might find they're no more expensive than premium aftermarket parts. I found this out recently with my Dodge Grand Caraven. OEM parts were withing a dollar or two of A/M.
 
Originally Posted By: dan_erickson
Originally Posted By: dcf
Ford brakes are junk . I have a 2013 Mazda 3 with 35k miles and needed a complete brake job . One side had .030 on it the other had a huge crack the whole way across the pad . On the calipers it's stamped with FoMoCo . I've had nothing but problems with the brakes on the car since new . Everything else on it is just fine . My Yoyotas could go 100k on brakes no problem.


On the flip side of things I got over 150,000 miles on a set of OEM brakes on the Fusion in the family before I serviced them and there was still a little pad left.
Most times it is the driving style the accounts for the brake life.
 
Well i put 350 miles on them today and they are fine. Also these brakes are not the F-150 style with the (rabit ears) so side doesn't matter. and i made sure to check as well. Also this rebuild was done before alot of wear was put on the other set so I didn't even compress the caliper again. I put this on hear to discuss bad brake parts. I'm not a moron and it wasn't my first time around the block. I welcome constructive criticism, but I was asking about peoples story's with bad parts, not lets beat me up cuz it just had to be me no way it was bad parts! even if the problem is now solved running great magically after changing the pads and rotors again.
 
Most brake calipers have only two moving parts: in the sliding pin or in the piston. There could be corrosion in one of those two places. The pins should have silicon and no corrosion and no grease.
 
Could have been a manufacturing defect on the pads. They may have looked fine to the eye but they could have been off for a little bit to where they were causing them to stick in the caliper when you release the pedal.
 
How tightly did the Wagner pads fit (on the bracket)? I have seen aftermarket pads with poorly stamped backing plates that will fit too tightly. This causes the pads to "hang up" which may result in the situation you described.
 
Were the pads loose in the calipers when installed? They are floating pads, any hang up due to fitment issues will cause binding. I've had pads that needed the paint ground off the ends so they "drop right in".
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic
How tightly did the Wagner pads fit (on the bracket)? I have seen aftermarket pads with poorly stamped backing plates that will fit too tightly. This causes the pads to "hang up" which may result in the situation you described.


+1 on this.

I've had few cases of Wagner TQ pads being tight when installed on the brackets. Filing down the ears a bit fixed the issue and they worked great.
 
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