Help Me With My Brakes

billt460

billt460

Joined
Mar 30, 2015
Messages
11,880
Location
Lake Havasu City, Arizona
Do both of these tools accomplish the same task? (Compress the caliper piston for inserting new brake pads.) Here's the deal. I have a new set of Raybestos front disk brake pads for my 1991 F-150 2WD. I've had them for a while meaning to install them, but I'm not exactly sure how to go about it. I'm not familiar with Ford front disk brakes, with the tapered pin that has to come out.

Everyone say's it's "easy", and perhaps it is....... But only if you've done it, and I haven't. I'm just looking to replace the front pads for now. And if either one of these tools will help make it the slightest bit easier, I have zero problem buying either one. Having something better than a C-Clamp has to be the better option, because I'll be doing this myself, with no help. I don't have anyone to, "hold this while I hit that".

If anyone has dealt with these early 90's Ford tapered pin front disk brakes, I'm all ears. I can't seem to find a You Tube video pertaining to the 1991 F-150 front disk brakes.

www.harborfreight.com

Disc Brake Pad and Caliper Service Tool Kit, 11-Piece

Amazing deals on this Service Tool Kit Disc Brake Pad & Caliper at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
www.harborfreight.com www.harborfreight.com

www.harborfreight.com

Disc Brake Pad Piston Compressor

Amazing deals on this Disc Brake Pad Piston Compressor at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
www.harborfreight.com www.harborfreight.com
 
I use one of the old pads placed against the piston and a large c-clamp to push the piston back into the caliper's bore, it's very easy to do.. No need for anything else. Just make sure you have the cap of the master cylinder removed when you push the piston back in and drain pan or a piece of cardboard underneath to catch the fluid. I have an 87 and believe it is the same as your 91. It is very easy.
I hope you are also replacing the hardware too. The wedges shouldn't be reused.
It would also be beneficial to rough up the rotors with some emory cloth if you are reusing them before installing the pads.
 
Last edited:
The 11pc harbor freight kit is intended for rear brake calipers which have the hanbrake mechanism built in, but they can do front brake calipers aswell as long as they don't have opposing pistons. The other is not very useful for rear brakes, but can do calipers without handbrake mechanism and without opposing pistons.
 
Lubener said:
I use one of the old pads placed against the piston and a large c-clamp to push the piston back into the caliper's bore, it's very easy to do.. No need for anything else. Just make sure you have the cap of the master cylinder removed when you push the piston back in and drain pan or a piece of cardboard underneath to catch the fluid. I have an 87 and believe it is the same as your 91. It is very easy.
I hope you are also replacing the hardware too. The wedges shouldn't be reused.
It would also be beneficial to rough up the rotors with some emory cloth if you are reusing them before installing the pads.
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm going to replace as much of the hardware as possible. No sense in getting cheap in the wrong place, and reuse old hardware.
 
I would make sure that you can crack the bleeders open, and see brake fluid come out, before disassembly. Otherwise you may need calipers. Many times on vehicle that age, i just replace the calipers and pins due to age.
 
See if this helps:



It is a single piston caliper you do not need anything super fancy to depress the piston the second one at harbor freight will work use the old inboard pad against the piston. I prefer the scissors type for most stuff (use both old pads).

Unless there is something wrong with the calipers do not replace them. You will not get anything at the parts store that isn't garbage. If you do have to replace them, your best chance of getting something that isn't garbage is NPD.
 
DuckRyder said:
.........Unless there is something wrong with the calipers do not replace them. You will not get anything at the parts store that isn't garbage. If you do have to replace them, your best chance of getting something that isn't garbage is NPD.
Click to expand...

The calipers are in great shape. The truck has lived it's entire life in Arizona, and it's been garage kept. I've been retired for over 7 years, and I can't even remember the last time it was driven on a wet street. It has zero rust. I changed the rear shocks with a Crescent wrench.

That Video is one I hadn't seen before. Thanks for posting it.
 
billt460 said:
The calipers are in great shape. The truck has lived it's entire life in Arizona, and it's been garage kept. I've been retired for over 7 years, and I can't even remember the last time it was driven on a wet street. It has zero rust. I changed the rear shocks with a Crescent wrench.

That Video is one I hadn't seen before. Thanks for posting it.
Click to expand...
I'm going to go back on what i said and agree with the poster @DuckRyder about the calipers. I looked and there is not much for your truck. Most remans will suck.

The biggest trouble you will have , is not getting the bearings too tight or too loose. It takes a feel to do it. Are you replacing rotors, or just reusing yours?
 
spasm3 said:
The biggest trouble you will have , is not getting the bearings too tight or too loose. It takes a feel to do it. Are you replacing rotors, or just reusing yours?
Click to expand...

Hopefully just replacing the pads, and go with the existing rotors. The brakes aren't making any noise, and don't appear to be grooved. So I'm hoping just a pad change will do it.

Are re-manufactured parts that bad today?
 
billt460 said:
Hopefully just replacing the pads, and go with the existing rotors. The brakes aren't making any noise, and don't appear to be grooved. So I'm hoping just a pad change will do it.

Are re-manufactured parts that bad today?
Click to expand...
How do you know what is the rotor's minimum thickness?
 
^ Minimum thickness is usually stamped on the rotor, though if they haven't been resurfaced yet, this is the first pad swap on them and they aren't grooved, I doubt they're too thin yet. Granted it can depend on the prior pad material, how much they ate up the rotors.
 
Dave9 said:
^ Minimum thickness is usually stamped on the rotor, though if they haven't been resurfaced yet, this is the first pad swap on them and they aren't grooved, I doubt they're too thin yet. Granted it can depend on the prior pad material, how much they ate up the rotors.
Click to expand...
How is his going to know if he does not measure it?
 
^ Based on high probability? When old truck rotors wear evenly, they tend to last past one pad set.

Here's a related question: Do you continually measure your rotor thickness inbetween pad swaps? IMO it is fairly easy to see if there's enough rotor thickness remaining by eyeballing it, keeping in mind that you have less caliper piston extension needed with the new pads than the old ones. That is unless they need resurfaced due to grooves.

If you'd rather replace rotors every time or measure them, okay but if you don't have a baseline new measurement to compare and calculate out miles per increment wear, then how will you know if the rotors will be above minimum thickness before the next pads wear out, and then only if you use same pads which may not be the case even with same brand/model since copper was being phased out recently?
 
I use one of the big jaw lock-grip plyers with the 10 inch reach in the jaw. Remove one of the floating surfaces on one end, and it will fit where the pad is even on a 2 piston caliper. Drill the hole to a slightly larger size in the removed floating jaw, and the end of the plyer so you can use a bolt to put the floating jaw back on for other uses.

What is really nice about these is that when you put the pads back on you can use these lock-grip plyers to hold the new pads in place and then they will not fall off or spread when you add the spread springs before you put the caliper back on. You simply come at the pads from below with these plyers and they will fit around enough of the disk so you can put a lot of the caliper on before removing them. And then when you remove them the caliper holds the shoes from having the spreader springs cause them to fly apart.

Go to this page in the McMaster-Carr online catalog and item 5105A17 for $36.24 + shipping

www.mcmaster.com

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.
www.mcmaster.com www.mcmaster.com
 
I use the regular cheap caliper compressor tool you show at the bottom with an old brake pad against the piston(s) to compress 95% of the time). Don't forget to open the brake reservoir cap 1rst. The ONLY TIME I've tried to used a brake tool kit is on calipers where the pistons have to be rotated while compressed (had a VW that required this on the rear). Didn't work well. Ended up using vice grips and the old tool. Got done in 30 seconds what the tool couldn't do in 30 minutes of messing with it.
 
Lubener said:
I use one of the old pads placed against the piston and a large c-clamp to push the piston back into the caliper's bore, it's very easy to do.. No need for anything else. Just make sure you have the cap of the master cylinder removed when you push the piston back in and drain pan or a piece of cardboard underneath to catch the fluid. I have an 87 and believe it is the same as your 91. It is very easy.
I hope you are also replacing the hardware too. The wedges shouldn't be reused.
It would also be beneficial to rough up the rotors with some emory cloth if you are reusing them before installing the pads.
Click to expand...
Couldn’t agree more, slowly press the piston back, some release the bleed valve so you don’t push the dirty fluid through the ABS sytem
 
A large C-clamp will compress the piston or pistons. A can of brake cleaner and Sil-Glide lubricant. Don't screw around trying to use other lubricants you have hanging around. Spray the bleeder screws a few days before with PB Blaster or similar. You need some kind of 6 pt wrench for bleeder screws.

If they have SS clips you need new ones, hopefully the pads come with them.

I like to clean the pins and the holes they go in and the boots with brake cleaner. Then all new lube. Some wipe the pins clean, lube them and good to go.

A brake fluid flush is always a good idea with that age vehicle but snapping bleeder screws is always a possibility.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

N
Yaris brake shim question
Replies
3
Views
247
northestPM
Hillbilly Deluxe
Using OEM Parts on 9 year old vehicle 223k miles...
3 4 5
Replies
88
Views
6K
Hillbilly Deluxe
C
Prematurely worn out inner brake pads
2
Replies
27
Views
4K
ARCOgraphite
J
How often do brake pads wear unevenly?
2
Replies
27
Views
2K
Timmastertech
M
My rear brake fiasco (dealership, I know)
2 3
Replies
53
Views
3K
Marconis
Back
Top