How to Replace the Front Rotors on a 2006 F150 4WD

When the F-150 hit the market in 1975, something Ford did not account for happened; the all-new F-150 instantly made up the majority of the F-series sales. Ford gave the 2006 F-150 had a wide array of available options; making sure that there was always an F-150 available to fit a customers needs. One of the options on the 2006 F-150 was four-wheel drive. Replacing the front rotor on the 2006 F-150 with four-wheel drive was actually easier than on a two-wheel-drive version, as there were no bearings inside the rotor to mess with.

Instructions

1

Loosen the front lug nuts with a ratchet and socket and raise the truck with a floor jack. Slide jack stands under the trucks frame rails and lower the F-150 onto the jack stands. Remove the lug nuts and pull the front wheels off the front hubs.

2

Remove the two caliper bolts, using a ratchet and socket, and pull the caliper from its bracket. Hang the caliper from the front coil spring with a bungee strap.

3

Pull the brake pads from the caliper bracket. Pry the pad slippers -- the thin metal shims that mount to the caliper bracket just above and below the brake pads -- with a flat-head screwdriver.

4

Unfasten the two caliper bracket bolts with a ratchet and socket. Discard these bolts, as you must use new bolts each time you remove them. Pull the caliper bracket from the steering knuckle.

5

Pull the rotor off the front hub. If the rotor does not pull off easily, lightly strike the rear of the rotor with a rubber mallet to free it.

6

Clean the surface of the hub with parts cleaner and a clean, lint-free cloth. Any debris left on the hub may cause a severe vibration when braking. Clean any anti-rust coating from the new rotor, using parts cleaner and a clean, lint-free cloth.

7

Apply a thin coat of an anti-seize chemical to the face of the hub and slide the new rotor onto the front hub.

8

Reinstall the caliper bracket and hand-thread new caliper bracket bolts. Tighten the caliper bracket bolts to 148 foot-pounds, using a torque wrench and socket. Press new pad slippers, which come with the new brake pads, into the caliper bracket. The slippers are hard formed, so they install only in one direction.

9

Slide new brake pads into the caliper bracket.

10

Set a drain pan directly under the removed caliper. Set the old inner brake pad inside the caliper so it contacts the caliper pistons. Position an 8-inch C-clamp over the caliper so its screw side contacts the inner brake pad and its fixed side contacts the rear of the caliper. Turn the calipers bleeder valve a half turn counterclockwise with a combination wrench and immediately tighten the C-clamp until the brake pad bottoms out on the caliper body. Immediately tighten the bleeder valve.

11

Remove the caliper from the bungee strap and set it on its bracket. Hand-thread the caliper bolts, then torque them to 55 foot-pounds, tightening the lower caliper bolt first, then the upper caliper bolt.

12

Repeat steps 2 through 11 to replace the rotor on the other side of the truck.

13

Reinstall the front wheels and hand-tighten the lug nuts. Raise the F-150 off the jack stand, using the floor jack, and remove the jack stands. Lower the truck to the ground and tighten the lug nuts, in a crisscross pattern, to 150 foot-pounds.

14

Check the level of the brake fluid in the brake master cylinder. If needed, add new DOT 3 brake fluid to the master cylinder until the level reaches the Max line on the master cylinder reservoir.

15

Take the old brake fluid to a nearby automotive fluid recycling center. Some auto parts stores take old brake fluid for free.