Introduction to Brakes Basics for a Ford Taurus - Mercury Sable?

Answer 1

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Taurus / Sable Brake Information Roundup

• Front brakes are disc brakes - a caliper that pushed on 2 brake pads squeezing the bejeebers outta the 'rotor'
  
  
• Brake pad material - organic, metallic, semi-metallic & ceramic. $20-70
  My choice is to the ceramic - primarily due to long life and no brake dust on the wheels! Well worth the few extra $$
  
  
• Rotors - the large disc that mounts to the hub with the lugnuts sticking out of it, and the pads press against.
  Rotors can be re-surfaced to remove grooves and imperfections that occur through normal usage. This typically costs $15-20 per rotor.
  
  There's a big IF to this though: the rotor has to have enough metal left to be thick enough to have some ground away, and still be safe from collapsing. The parts store will measure the old rotor and determine if they can re-surfaced/machined.
  
  New Rotors - cost anywhere from $20-80 or so. Cheaper rotors will not last as long, don't dissipate heat as well as the top-of-the-line rotors, and well may 'warp' after only a year or two.
  
  
• Taurus/Sable rear brakes come in 2 types:
• • Drum-type* - 2 "shoes" being pushed outwards onto the Inside sides of the brake drum.
    Not the easiest of repair jobs - not hard, just sometimes a bear dealing getting the old drum off and working with the springs and remembering how they hook up.
    
    Drums also can be machined/ re-surfaced. Again, the shop will measure and advise if it can be done safely.
    
  • Disc Brakes -
    See above description - totally applicable
    NOTE: the biggest challenge/problem you will encounter is dealing with the emergency brake cable. It's very very spring loaded and will be a pain to disconnect, and an even bigger pain to hook onto the new caliper.
    
    
    
    
• Brake Pictures & diagrams - there are online sources of picture from places like Autozone.com's Repair Guide.
  
  Here's my advice: if you're taking on the brake jobs, it is likely you're going to be handling other repairs on your Windstar.
  
  With that in mind: buy a good Chiltons or Haynes repair/service manual. One of the best $20 investments you'll make in keeping your Windstar happy and healthy.
  
  
• When to change the brakes -
  
• • Inspection - front brake pads are the easiest to get a look at just behind the wheel. With a flashlight and turning the wheels to each extreme, you should be able to see how much brake pad material is left.
    
    
  • GRINDING! - This means you've gone too long and the brake material is gone so the brakes are the dreaded metal-on-metal.
    With no brake pad/shoe left, the brakes are NOT very good at stopping your vehicle.
    This is also gouging the rotor or drum metals and guaranteeing your rotor / drum is going to have to be replaced - no chance for have them reconditioned.
    
    
  • Screeching - whining sounds - could be caused by the wear indicator - a thin piece of metal that will hit the rotor when the pads are worn down and will soon be needing replacing.
    
    
  • Hard pedal - having to press the pedal really hard to get the brakes to slow the vehicle down.
    One cause is that the braking surfaces - pads/shoes/rotors - are glazed. Although glazing is great on doughnuts, it's a very bad thing on brakes. Glazed surfaces severely compromise the friction needed for brakes to work. This can happen even when there is a lot of brake pad / shoe material left.
    Likely to have to replace pads/shoes and resurface the rotor/drum
    
    
  • Vibrating/pulsating brake pedal - different from the rapid pulsations that you feel when the ABSsystem is active in wet or icy conditions.
    Pulsating, or the pedal moving up-n-down, varies with vehicle speed - The "moving up and down" is then likely to be caused by unevenly worn rotors/pads.
    
    This is not UNcommon as it gets closer to time for a brake job, and tells you the rotor is warping. The brakes are a very very HOT operation and the rotor can warp due to the heat and/or cheap materials or construction.
    
    Have inspected - checked if they can be resurfaced/turned, more likely they'll have to be replaced.
    
    
  • Squishy or soft brake pedal - This means there is AIR in the brake system! Not good!
    This air must be removed from the system - known as "bleeding the brakes". May not require brake parts to be replaced.
    
    
    
    

Tons of great information with specific instructions, tips & tricks for working on Taurus/Sable brakes in the "Related Questions" below