Where should I get OEM brake calipers and drums from? Should I go right to Ford or will Pepboys are some other auto shops carry OEM parts? If not, does Pepboys or these other auto parts stores have good aftermarket parts?
You will get quality from ford but its a little more pricy I think. If you decide to go aftermarket from you're local parts store I would make sure not to get semi-metalic pads. Check out 50resto or other sites before you decide to take a trip to autozone. That way you know if they're ripping you off.
Well, I actually already bought the Maximum Motorsports Hawk Brake pads, MM shoes, stainless steel lines, and caliper sleeves. I just need to replace my old calipers with 200K miles on them and the drums. I know i'll pay more at Ford, but i'm willing to pay that extra money, are there any better aftermarket solutions from Pepboys or any other auto parts stores?
As far as the calipers go most of your parts stores included Ford are gonna sell you rebuilt units...not new ones (unless you go with performance aftermarket ones from performance stores). The foxes are too old. Manufacturers of auto parts for Ford are only under contract to make "service" parts for Ford for 10 yrs after the part dies. So if you do find new ones they may be made by someone else other than the original manufacturer. If you can find new units at Napa, that are the "Napa" brand, that is the way to go. More than likely they are still gonna be made by the same people that made them new for Ford but they will be cheaper. I know this for a fact. At our plant (we have over 60,000 employees world-wide) we make auto parts for the Ford assembly plants. 95% of everything we make goes to Ford assembly plants, 3% goes to Ford service parts and the other 2% goes to Napa (it just doesn't have the Ford logo stamped on it, it usually has our name on it or has Napa on it). Most of the Ford parts are not made by Ford. They are made by suppliers. Often times the supplier might sell the same part to parts stores under their own name and it will be the exact Ford part but cheaper.
As far as the calipers go most of your parts stores included Ford are gonna sell you rebuilt units...not new ones (unless you go with performance aftermarket ones from performance stores). The foxes are too old. Manufacturers of auto parts for Ford are only under contract to make "service" parts for Ford for 10 yrs after the part dies. So if you do find new ones they may be made by someone else other than the original manufacturer. If you can find new units at Napa, that are the "Napa" brand, that is the way to go. More than likely they are still gonna be made by the same people that made them new for Ford but they will be cheaper. I know this for a fact. At our plant (we have over 60,000 employees world-wide) we make auto parts for the Ford assembly plants. 95% of everything we make goes to Ford assembly plants, 3% goes to Ford service parts and the other 2% goes to Napa (it just doesn't have the Ford logo stamped on it, it usually has our name on it or has Napa on it). Most of the Ford parts are not made by Ford. They are made by suppliers. Often times the supplier might sell the same part to parts stores under their own name and it will be the exact Ford part but cheaper.