How bad are Ford calipers?

[JAYCEE]

I just had my front driver-side brake lock up 50 miles or so down the road. I made to a repair shop and had it replaced.

I had never heard of a problem with Ford brakes, but now since this happened a few have told me this is not uncommon on Fords.

How often should brake lines and calipers be replaced?

95 F150 with 208k miles. Brakes were flushed a couple of years ago.

 

[SLCraig]

Calipers have high failure rates on so many types of cars.

Saturns are not too bad, but their stupid rubber bushing design has issues with freezing up the slide pins very prematurely.

My Nissan is very common for after only a few years the rear calipers seize (not the slides) but the piston itself. I replaced mine on my 2002 this year, they were original.

Lines shouldn't really be replaced unless they look bad. Just new fluid now and again.

 

[01rangerxl]

I haven't had an F-Series, but have had two Rangers and an Explorer with a little over 350K miles on them total and all original calipers.

At 15 years and 208K miles, it could happen to anything. Either buy OEM calipers if available, or buy whatever aftermarket ones have the longest warranty and don't worry too much about it. If you are doing brake fluid changes at all, you're doing more than 99% of drivers.

 

[ls1mike]

I don't think I have ever replaced a caliper on anything.

 

[SteveSRT8]

If you haven't replaced any calipers then you are just lucky or you don't run really high miles.

But living in sunny FL we rarely have to do this, even on trucks that have gone 2 or 3 hundred thousand miles

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: JAYCEE
I just had my front driver-side brake lock up 50 miles or so down the road. I made to a repair shop and had it replaced.

I had never heard of a problem with Ford brakes, but now since this happened a few have told me this is not uncommon on Fords.

How often should brake lines and calipers be replaced?

95 F150 with 208k miles. Brakes were flushed a couple of years ago.




The original calipers lasted 208,000 miles? Doesn't seem like a "common" failure to me

Though it would definitely depend on what direction the mechanic/parts person whomever you talked to swung as far as brand bias.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
If you haven't replaced any calipers then you are just lucky or you don't run really high miles.

But living in sunny FL we rarely have to do this, even on trucks that have gone 2 or 3 hundred thousand miles


Even my 21 year old one ton has the original calipers. Infact in my 260,000 mile grand prix and 270,000 mile S-10 I never had to do a caliper on any of those either, I never changed the brake fluid either.

 

[CROWNVIC4LIFE]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8

But living in sunny FL we rarely have to do this, even on trucks that have gone 2 or 3 hundred thousand miles


Not sure where in sunny FL you live but I have to drive through monsoon flood water almost every single afternoon...Even so I have heard of no issues with Ford calipers.

 

[raaizin]

I had a 1996 explorer which had a pull due to a dragging caliper. Happened at about 150k miles...

 

[fdcg27]

Calipers have been just fine on the only Ford we've ever owned, the Aerostar.
It is, however, still young at only thirteen years and just under 172K as of the morning.

 

[punisher]

Ford has two different caliper piston materials, steel and phenolic.

Steel pistons can last until the end of time. Phenolic pistons can, not always, expand and lock up in the bore.

If you ever bought/sold brake pads for Fords you will sometimes be asked "steel or plastic pistons" as the pad backing mount is different.

 

[MNgopher]

No worse than anyone elses in the grand scheme of things. Seriously, the originals lasted over 200k miles. They don't owe you anything. Sometimes things wear out despite our best efforts.

Given the easy availability or replacement calipers, I'd be willing to bet that plenty do wear out, and not all are replaced for fun.