Questions about brakes on a 2020 ST

[gwbmcse]

I have an ST without the upgraded brake system. Not really having any issues but at around 65,000 miles, I assume my brakes may need a change. The questions I have are:

1. Is this a DYI thing? I have changed brakes on older Escapes and such but I read about rotors dragging if not done right with the piston and the e-brake so I wonder if its worth just letting Ford do it.

2. New rotors. Besides the sportier look which I do like but no one besides me would ever notice, is there a reason to change the rotors to a slotted/vented rotor? Reasons to keep the solid rotors?

3. Assuming I let Ford do the brake job, should I bring them the hardware (pads and/or rotors) or is standard Ford issue good enough? I was looking at the complete set, front/back rotors and pads from Powerstop but that set, the Z23 Evolution, is very hard to find in stock. Is Powerstop a good brand? Any others worth looking into?

 

Just looking for advice on parts and service to get the best out of my brakes.

 

Thanks

 

Edited August 18, 2023 by gwbmcse

[dabangsta]

I think you might find that 65,000 miles is not that many for brakes, unless severe duty. Your 2020 had EPB (Electronic Park Brake), and you need to put the rear brakes into service mode (the park brake motor retracts) and put back into regular mode when done. It is easy to do and find how to do it. You might also find the rears wear faster. I would check them for even wear and how much pad is left at all corners before just replacing them because of miles.

 

I think that slotted and drilled rotors on a street vehicle is for looks only. I think that the slotting wears pads faster than you might expect (that is what they are for), and drilled tend to crack. Having said that, I always put them on my vehicles that I drive, along with aggressive pads. I think I have the Powerstop Z23 kit on my 2012 Fusion (slotted and drilled rotors, and pads) and I go through pads every 20k miles...but I am very hard on brakes and cars in general (but still had 3-4mm pads left on my 2017 Escape at 96,000 miles). I wouldn't put them on my daily driver that gets 15-20k miles a year (my 2019 Edge SEL).

[Oranga]

As stated above, you might not need to replace them yet. Try to look down into the caliper and see how much pad material you have left.

 

Yes, drilled and/or slotted rotors have no real benefit on a street car besides looking cool as hell. So you'll have to decide if its worth the premium over a standard blank rotor. FWIW, i paid quite a bit more for cross-drilled rotors on my BMW 335i and I always look at them longingly after I park.  (Also, just to be pedantic, when you said vented, i assume you mean slotted. As in slots that are cut into the surface of the rotor. Vented means they have vanes inside of the rotors that help move air for cooling. Almost all disc brakes are vented.)

 

Powerstop is a good brand, Stoptech too. I strongly doubt a Ford service center will touch parts that you bring in. Some independent shops might let you bring your own parts, others may not, so you'll just have to call around if you end up farming the job out.

[1004ron]

Had two sets of drilled & slotted rotors and now very happy with the solid rotors.

 

Brake Pads & Rotor Replacement Option for Edge Sport (2016-2018) - Page 3 - Brakes, Chassis & Suspension - Ford Edge Forum

[MLTEdge]

On modern cars with moderate use brakes can go well over 100k. Particularly if you down shift to assist hard braking such as going down steep inclines. I've traded in cars with 140k miles still with usable pads.

[Davidoo]

Yes, they should go well beyond 65k miles.  My son drives pretty easy on his car.  He has a 2007 Ford Focus with 130,000 miles and the original brakes.