Rear Brake Job

fastang2k1 · Nov 3, 2007

I am needing to do a brake job on my 01 GT and was told I need to change the calipers when replacing the pads. Can anybody tell me if I can get away with just turning the rotors and putting new pads in the existing calipers?

Spro · Nov 3, 2007

You shouldn't need to change the calipers unless they are really messed up.
When you go to push the piston back in, you will need to turn it first then push it in before you put the new pads on. (on the rears) The fronts will push back in normally.
Needle nose pliers will work.

tomustang · Nov 3, 2007

fastang2k1 said:
I am needing to do a brake job on my 01 GT and was told I need to change the calipers when replacing the pads. Can anybody tell me if I can get away with just turning the rotors and putting new pads in the existing calipers?

Who the heck told you that?

SaleenGT2001 · Nov 3, 2007

wow, thats really a new one.

did a shop tell you that?

RedDaemon · Nov 3, 2007

maybe he really meant rotors

highly improbable but its possible.

fastang2k1 · Nov 4, 2007

Yes, it was a shop that told me that. I won't mention any names, but it's a tire store, so in order for them to make a really good profit, they try to find ways of makin more money off the customer. I just put my factory wheels back on for winter driving here in the NW. The rotors looked good, the calipers aren't in bad condition so I will just swap out pads and get the rotors turned.

[BlackDiamond] · Nov 4, 2007

wow... I'd go back to them and tell them to f** off.

Mustang5L5 · Nov 4, 2007

I'd change the rotors though. GT rear rotors are waaaay too thin to cut. They are cheap enough that you can just buy a new pair along with pads and replace them.

No need to replace calipers. Just buy the little cube and spin them in clockwise. make sure you line the two recessed points on the piston to 12 and 6 o'clonc so the pad can sit flat (you'll see what i mean when you get to that point)

03ghoststang · Nov 4, 2007

Mustang5L5 said:
I'd change the rotors though. GT rear rotors are waaaay too thin to cut. They are cheap enough that you can just buy a new pair along with pads and replace them.

No need to replace calipers. Just buy the little cube and spin them in clockwise. make sure you line the two recessed points on the piston to 12 and 6 o'clonc so the pad can sit flat (you'll see what i mean when you get to that point)

i have had a couple cars that where due for there first brake job and the rotors where undersized. But if you can get yours measured and are over spec go ahead and turn them

markwsoil · Nov 4, 2007

The real problem with doing the rears on pretty much any Ford with disc brakes is that the parking brake is a LOUSY design. It uses a "Y" type brake cable which requires you to get the adjustment exactly correct so that the rear pistons can adjust themselves properly when you pull the parking brake. Plus there's a spring on there that pulls the parking brake off that would stress Arnold Schwarzenegger to work with.

I did them on my SHO, once, and vowed never to do that again. It's the same design on the Mustang, and, again, it's LOUSY design. The next time Ford does a lay off, I hope they get the engineer that designed their rear disc brakes.

Mustang5L5 · Nov 4, 2007

A ford engineer didn't design the rear calipers. They were designed by Varga which is a brazilian company. All Ford did was design the bracket and e-brake cables to mount them on the axle.

03ghoststang · Nov 4, 2007

and ford aint the only manufacturer that has them i've seen them on acuras and a few others

Mustang5L5 · Nov 4, 2007

Yup, same basic design is used on quite a few cars. Each manufacturer just designs different mounting brackets.

The PBR's used on the Cobras came on corvettes originally.

The GT PBR's used on the 99-04's were used on other vehicles as well...some trucks even have them as their REAR calipers. Take a peek inside some wheels and you'll see a familiar sight. Doesn't mean they are interchangable. There are a few differences.

twogts4us · Nov 5, 2007

03ghoststang said:
i have had a couple cars that where due for there first brake job and the rotors where undersized. But if you can get yours measured and are over spec go ahead and turn them

I think you are getting taken by the same shop as the thread starter...

I was told the same thing a couple weeks ago by the local Tire Kingdom shop, "they are too thin to turn" - I argued back that they'd NEVER been turned before...amazingly, the story then changed as we walked back into the shop and he seemed to have read the notes on the ticket incorrectly. They ended up turning the rotors...
I also swore that they installed the wrong pads, which squeaked continuously (but they could not duplicate the noise...of course) and squealed upon braking, but nonetheless replaced the pads soon afterward. Problem solved, but I'll never go there again...

fast97gt · Nov 5, 2007

if you have any mechanical experiance you can do this on your own man, however youll need a specialty tool to compress the calipers, (rear only) you can get/rent it at autozone. the calipers are 13mm hex heads, the caliper bracket 15mm hex heads that are tight by the way. the only reason you should replace the calipers is if the caliper to bracket bolts are seized together, unless you just got the $$$ to throw around.

Mustang5L5 · Nov 5, 2007

twogts4us said:
I argued back that they'd NEVER been turned before...amazingly, the story then changed as we walked back into the shop and he seemed to have read the notes on the ticket incorrectly. They ended up turning the rotors...

They don't have to be turned to be thin.

My GT has 50K and the rear rotors have worn to the point where there is a lip on the rotor. To measure the thickness i couldn't use regular calipers, but i had to use the screw-type just to get past the lip. I discovered the rotors to be under the min size recommended.

That's 50K miles, orginal pads and rotors...normal wear. The lip was even on both sides on each rotor, so it wasn't abnormal wear.

For the cost, i consider them throwaways.

03ghoststang · Nov 5, 2007

twogts4us said:
I think you are getting taken by the same shop as the thread starter...

I was told the same thing a couple weeks ago by the local Tire Kingdom shop, "they are too thin to turn" - I argued back that they'd NEVER been turned before...amazingly, the story then changed as we walked back into the shop and he seemed to have read the notes on the ticket incorrectly. They ended up turning the rotors...
I also swore that they installed the wrong pads, which squeaked continuously (but they could not duplicate the noise...of course) and squealed upon braking, but nonetheless replaced the pads soon afterward. Problem solved, but I'll never go there again...

i should clear what i said earlier. I'm a mechanic and when i do brake inspections i have come across a few cars that have rotors that are undersized and they have never been turned before

joshheat25 · Nov 6, 2007

The main thing with doing the rears is you have to buy that tool for 7 bucks or whatever and turn your piston in with a wrench. don't try needle nose pliers it's a bit#h. It's still hard with the tool. and I had my rears turned on my 00gt no problems.. rear brakes are hardly used anyway!

Mustang5L5 · Nov 6, 2007

The little cube works fine. A lot of guys say it sucks but i've always used it without a problem. Just use a rachet and push a little and it goes in.

Those who complain just need to work out a little more

Rear Brake Job

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