Rear disc brake pads

[jasilveira]

26,000 miles - New rear calipers and pads - NOT WARRANTY
This is only 1 of many issues
Note the Service reports - When it says TSB - this means Tech Service Bulletin
ie. The MFG knows of a problem and they issue this to the dealers to fix, but only when you bring it in

WANT TO BUY JUNK !!! BUY A FORD !!!!!!!!!!

[rdorman]

Originally Posted by jdhunt3

After only 20,000 miles, my rear disc pads are paper thin and need to be replaced ASAP. I've got plenty of experience replacing pads in other cars, so I felt confident I could tackle this job. I removed the calipers, but once they are removed I cannot get the piston to move back in using the tried and true C-clamp method. Does anyone know the trick to get the piston to seat back in the rear caliper?

Hey! We had the same problem and fiddled with the caliper for 5 hours and called eveyone we knew. FInally, we discovered that if you loosen the emergency brake line and bleed it as well,, the calipers will slide right in like magic!

[rdorman]

Hey! We had the same problem and fiddled with the caliper for 5 hours and called eveyone we knew. FInally, we discovered that if you loosen the emergency brake line and bleed it as well,, the calipers will slide right in like magic!

[FreestyleLover]

Same as you all. Ford has TSB and sent letter on recall. Ford replaced pads and turned rotors in April < 20K all to their cost $0 to me. 28K they are doing again and now replacing grooved rotors.

[WifesFreestyle]

Like most of you on here, I'm having rear brake issues. My car is the only car on the road (besides other Freestyles) that has more brake dust on the rear than the front wheels. It's at the dealership right now being looked at for steadily increasing rear brake noise. The brakes were trashed before I bought it (dealer changed front pads and rear rotors and pads before I took delivery at 26k miles). About 1k miles later, I took it back in because my wife, for some reason, was worried about the smoke billowing from the left rear wheel well. Women. Now the brakes are getting noisy again at 34.5k miles.

I assume the dealer is not going to do anything significant, like change out the calipers. My question is, have they changed the caliper design at any point since the Freestyle's inception, up to and including the '08 model? I find it difficult to believe that with all these complaints that they wouldn't have made a change somewhere along the line. If so, a) when was the change made and b) will the new calipers fit the old mounting points?

Thanks,
Mark

[pointer]

Ford should repair the brkes for free. If this dealer refuses try another dealer.

[lssmith]

As mentioned in a previous post, I had my rear brake pads and rotors replaced under warranty at 22,000 (before the TSB came out). Those new pads dusted the wheels as bad as the old ones and are now worn out at 35,000. They are replacing the pads and rotors again now (under warranty), guess we will see what happens. I have an extended warranty that kicks in 36,000 and goes to 100,000, maybe I will have free rear brakes for life. The front brakes by the way are still the original and are at 5 - 6mm.

[cabowabo]

dont need special tool just open the bleeder valve and use a big screwdriver and turn the piston back in ,might want to put a hose on the bleeder valve and into a bottle to catch the brake fluid ,
once you got the new brake pads in make sure you lube the caliper pins with grease so that they dont wear out the new pads quickly
bleed the brakes you can use the bottle and hose to bleed the system your self just pump the pedal and watch until the air bubbles goes away and straight fluid is coming out ,dont forget to fill the mastercylinder with new fluid

[rlockhart]

I have 39,000 miles on my '95 Freestyle and this is the second time I've had to have my rear brakes replaced - they are also replacing the rotors - This just doesn't seem right. Must be inferior parts! the first time they were replaced they were under warranty, this time it's my $$.

[microsfoftxpuser21]

yeah many fords are beging to become like dodges with brake issues bad calipers and wheel cylinders are know on tauraus and winstars to contours and t-bird-mustang