Ford F150 Brake Installation
At Stylin’ Trucks, we believe in safety first. Ok, maybe safety runs a close third to speed and then sound - or looks. So safety really runs back in fourth place, but fourth is still plenty important when it comes to custom truck building. Seriously though, safety is, and should always be, the number one priority. And the safety of your braking system is right at the top of the list.
If you’re into larger diameter wheel and tire combinations, then you probably already know about the drawbacks. See, larger wheels have much more mass to them than your factory wheels. They’re big and shiny, but they’re also much, much heavier and it’s a lot harder to stop them from spinning. Your factory braking system just wasn’t designed to deal with this type of stress.
People who have installed a basic 20-inch wheel onto their truck will notice braking performance that is severely diminished. A typical truck may require 50% additional braking distance. So if your 60mph-0mph braking distance is 100-feet with stock tires and wheels, you may need upwards of 150-feet to stop with 20-inch wheels.
This is where aftermarket braking systems come into play. They offer stronger, fade-resistant rotors, and tougher, larger calipers to put the bite back into your brakes. You’ll see braking distances decrease, a more firm pedal feel, and less brake dust and grime on your wheels. And in most cases, you’ll see increased life out of your pads and rotors.
Let’s check out the installation of a Stainless Steel Brake Corporation rotor and caliper set on our 2006 Giveaway F150, a truck already covered in hot truck accessories.
After supporting the F150 safely on the lift, the wheels are removed. |
Next, unbolt the caliper from the caliper mounting plate. |
Now slide the caliper off of the rotor... |
...and support it securely. |
Next, remove the spindle nut cover from the spindle nut. |
Now the spindle nut can be removed. |
Here we see the spindle and rotor setup, ready for the spindle to be removed. |
Now remove the Ford F150's factory rotor. |
The new SSBC slotted rotor can be installed now. |
Lightly screw down the spindle nut, but do not tighten. |
Using a torque wrench, tighten the spindle nut to the factory specifications. |
Now it's time to install the new caliper from SSBC. |
The brake lines can now be attached. Let's move on to the rear... |
The first step is to unbolt the caliper from the caliper mounting plate. |
Slide the caliper off of the rotor and secure. |
The F150's factory rotor can now be removed. Grasp it firmly... |
...and remove. |
The new Stainless Steel Brake Corp. slotted rotors are ready to be installed. |
The slotted rotor fits perfectly on the Ford F150's axle. |
Next, install the new high-performance brake pads and slide your caliper back on. |
The finished brakes look really nice. |
The brakes look killer on Stylin' Trucks' 2006 sweepstakes truck.
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