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Do I really need new rotors at 60k?


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Rears are the absolute worst on the Edge, due to the emergency brake, the brake distribution control which uses rears up faster than fronts, and of course the rust mentioned above. Calipers freeze and have to be replaced all the time, so greasing the slide pins regularly should be on your schedule, at least yearly I'd say.

 

And do replace rotors and pads together, this will optimize the bedding in of the pads to the rotor. If you know a trustworthy place that will turn the existing rotors, you can go that route as well, checking the rotor thickness is needed as also mentioned above.

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Rear rotors are 11mm new with a 10mm minimum. Essentially they are throw away rotors. Fronts are 28mm with a 26 mm minimum. A little more room to turn depending on how bad they are.

 

I never turn them I throw them. tolerances are too close for most rotors these days. Beside rust is usually the deciding factor.

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Some people are just stuck in the past when it comes to turning rotors.

 

My crotchety old neighbor (a former welder and heavy equipment mechanic) had a horrible pulsation in his F150 brakes- really, really bad. I rode in the truck and told him- just let me help you replace it all and it'll be like a new truck. I told him to buy either the top of the line Centric or Raybestos pads & rotors, and I'll help you swap them out.

 

So instead, he proceeds to buy just a set of front pads and gets the old front rotors turned. He put it all back together- same problem, maybe a smidge better. I told him again- buy new rotors! A week later I see him out there with a wheel off. I see a new rotor on there, OK that's good. I see new brake pads sitting in the caliper, but with no hardware. No slides, no springs. I say WTF man? He tells me can't fit them in and doesn't need the hardware.

 

I took over and disassembled what he had been working on. First I cleaned up the hub really well using a razor blade and WD40. Then I properly installed the new hardware kit along with the new pads in the caliper bracket. We made sure the pad "ears" slid easily back and forth in the channels (had to file down the rough edge from when the backing plate gets stamped out), properly lubed everything and put it all back together.

 

I said, OK, now you do the other side exactly like I did this side. He did, and the brakes are now 100% perfect. Smooth, quiet, just like a brand new vehicle. I'm guessing he has a new outlook on how to do brakes next time, but unfortunately given his age and limited driving, that is likely the last brake job he'll ever need.

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I assume your DOT salts the roads up there so they might be seized/rusted to the hubs. In that case you might need a BFH.

 

I've never had much issues getting rotors off the hubs, a couple whacks with a hammer always gets them off no problem. The bigger issue I've run into is getting the wheel/tire off the hub. I tried to pull the front wheels off on my 2000 F150 one time and they would not budge. I had to crawl under a hold a 2x4 against the inner wheel lip while someone else beat it with a BFG. That got one side loose, but the other side still wouldn't budge. It took me laying on my back, holding onto the frame and kicking the wheel as hard as I could about a dozen times before it budged. I was almost to the point of leaving the lug nuts slightly loose and driving it in circles until it broke loose. I always put anti seize on hubs after all that BS.

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Do I need a socket to get front or rear rotors off? I was going to replace pads and rotors this morning and couldn't get the front rotors off. It looked like a I needed a large socket to get rotor off, but maybe I was just looking at wheel hub but. Lol. I think it was just corroded onto the wheel. Either way I couldn't get the rotor off and didn't want to bang it too much in case I couldn't get it off. A few taps with a hammer did nothing. So I ended up just swapping out front pads even though old ones looked like they looked to have plenty of life left in them. I have pads for rears, didn't attempt to do them today. Thinking of doing rear pads and seeing if that helps. Thoughts?

Edited by Mirage52
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Once you get the caliper off and up out of the way (2 bolts), you need to take off the caliper bracket that holds the pads (also 2 bolts). Once that is off the rotor should come right off the hub - nothing holding it on other than perhaps rust or corrosion. Mact has a real nice brake vid on utoob, just google something like '2013 Ford Edge SEL brake job" and you get all kinds of tutorials. If the rotor is rusted to the hub, a few smacks with a BFH should do it. (I think Mact actually has to do that in one of his vids.) Let us know how it goes.

 

Coincidentally, I just did front brakes (pads+rotors) today on my wife's '06 Trailblazer. Rears are tomorrow.

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Do I need a socket to get front or rear rotors off? I was going to replace pads and rotors this morning and couldn't get the front rotors off. It looked like a I needed a large socket to get rotor off, but maybe I was just looking at wheel hub but.

 

That's the nut that holds the halfshaft into the wheel hub. You don't want to touch that one!

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Thanks guys. Yeah it was corroded.

 

I did the rear pads this morning. Looks like there's a Torx screw in the rear rotors. Anyone have trouble removing that to replace rotors?

 

I'll see how new pads go. If the pulsating persists I'll start over again and replace rotors and pads. Pads were like $50 total so it's worth the trial period to me. If I have to replace them in a year or so oh well.

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Thanks guys. Yeah it was corroded.

 

I did the rear pads this morning. Looks like there's a Torx screw in the rear rotors. Anyone have trouble removing that to replace rotors?

 

I'll see how new pads go. If the pulsating persists I'll start over again and replace rotors and pads. Pads were like $50 total so it's worth the trial period to me. If I have to replace them in a year or so oh well.

Did you rent a brake tool kit from the auto parts store? Ya need it to turn in the rear pistons and they usually have that torx bit included. Makes the job much easier!!!! Kit is free to rent at Advance but ya gotta do a complete buy and return with a credit card.

Edited by fishx65
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Am I correct in assuming that the torx screw in the rotor doesn't actually do anything? Why take it out then? BTW, what size is it? I'm about to do 4x pads and rotors on my Edge and from what I can gather, the Powerstop rotors do not have the torx screw in it. I figure I can just take the old rotor off and toss it, and put the new rotor on and not have to worry about any torx bolt.

 

PS: I don't really trash the rotors. I take them to recycler in town that will give you a few bucks for them. But I do regularly pollute our pristine Texas air with wafting clouds of smoke from a fine Don Rafael 7x50 Churchill. :victory:

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Am I correct in assuming that the torx screw in the rotor doesn't actually do anything? Why take it out then? BTW, what size is it? I'm about to do 4x pads and rotors on my Edge and from what I can gather, the Powerstop rotors do not have the torx screw in it. I figure I can just take the old rotor off and toss it, and put the new rotor on and not have to worry about any torx bolt.

 

PS: I don't really trash the rotors. I take them to recycler in town that will give you a few bucks for them. But I do regularly pollute our pristine Texas air with wafting clouds of smoke from a fine Don Rafael 7x50 Churchill. :victory:

You have to remove the screw from the rears. I have never seen one on the fronts. The screw is only for the assembly line to hold the rotor in place on the rear. In my video you see me toss the screws. Never to be seen again. If you do not remove the screw you will not get the rotor off.

 

Be liberal with the anti seize on the rotor caps where the wheel touches the rotor. You will appreciate it the next time you have to remove the wheels.

 

I turn my rotors over the Army garage as the funds go back into the garage to help pay for the tools and equipment I use. Helps keep costs down.

 

Going on all out on those rotors and pads. I just use the autozone duralast rotors and ceramic pads. Thankfully I generally only have to buy one set maybe two for the life of the Edge depending on how many miles I put on it.

Edited by macbwt
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MacT, thanks for the followup. Do you recall what size the torx was in the rotor? I have a few torx but not a whole set and want to make sure I have it before I start pulling off wheels! And thanks much for your instructional vids, I've used a few tips from them and I got an AEM Filter Minder and installed it on the airbox. I dig that.

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MacT, thanks for the followup. Do you recall what size the torx was in the rotor? I have a few torx but not a whole set and want to make sure I have it before I start pulling off wheels! And thanks much for your instructional vids, I've used a few tips from them and I got an AEM Filter Minder and installed it on the airbox. I dig that.

Glad the video helped. The screw in the rotor was a Phillips if I remember correctly. I threw it away so do not know. The low frequency dampers I believe were a 32 torx but I think I mention the size in the video.

 

I am at about 80K miles on the AEM filter and still going. The filter minder has me at 50 percent. Thinking one day it may pop into the red. I use the Forscan app to monitor air flow of the MAF to verify I have no air flow issues.

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