Help Me Spend Money On a 2016 F150 ( regarding new brakes)

[Betik]

@TW Merema dust is not an issue. The truck is nothing pretty to look at, and it all pitch black except the rims. So making those dark with dust, it is something that I am gladly accept for improved braking performance.

 

[Betik]

Almost 2 years later I have found a "solution". Since the truck is now over 4 years old, I decided to replace the brake fluid. To my surprise* the when bleeding the rear brakes the fluid was super dark. Almost like coffee color. The front brakes seemed fairly clean. After replacing the fluid, I did take it for a ride and brakes now seem to have a "bite" into them. It made me wonder if all along the brake issue I had was because the fluid was contaminated on the rear. I find it hard to believe, but would the rear wheels getting dipped in the water frequently cause contamination ?


Note. I put an asterisk on "surprise" because right before I changed the fluid on the F150, I changed the brake fluid on my legendary Prius. THe brake fluid on the prius front and rear was very clean despite the fact that the prius is 4.5 years old and I has retrieved the jetski more often than the F150 has retrieved the boat. Including salt water retrieval which the truck has never done.

 

[drewkaree]

I had done the brakes about a year prior to replacing everything, and I bled every drop of the old brake fluid. That one change was huge. I also used a power bleeder for this process, easier to deal with when bleeding the brakes. No idea how old the fluid was in there, but I know that brake fluid is hygroscopic, so I buy the small bottles so as to use only what is needed, and simply toss any open bottles every spring. It's my belief that since you don't have a true "closed" brake system, your fluid is degrading by sucking moisture out of the surrounding air on a daily basis. Changing out your brake fluid by bleeding them is the cheapest and easiest insurance you can find. The power bleeder will help you get a firmer pedal in an easier fashion than MOST people can get by the pump and pray method.

I'm not gonna say I told you so, I'm just gonna let you come to that conclusion all on your own ?

 

[drewkaree]

Almost 2 years later I have found a "solution". Since the truck is now over 4 years old, I decided to replace the brake fluid. To my surprise* the when bleeding the rear brakes the fluid was super dark. Almost like coffee color. The front brakes seemed fairly clean. After replacing the fluid, I did take it for a ride and brakes now seem to have a "bite" into them. It made me wonder if all along the brake issue I had was because the fluid was contaminated on the rear. I find it hard to believe, but would the rear wheels getting dipped in the water frequently cause contamination ?

That coffee color is because the water in your brake fluid is/was causing rust. Was the fluid much darker in the master cylinder as well? Probably not the same color, but at least starting to turn colors? Not sure what year you have, or if yours had one side much darker than the other (another thing to take notice of, in case you need to service them in the near future - one side different than the other in color points to what side you want to zone in on if troubles arise)

If I were you, I'd make it something to do at the end of boating season - put the boat to bed for winter, and bleed your brakes the next day. A pint of brake fluid is going to cost you MAYBE $20, if you go with FOMOCO OEM stuff, you can get it on Amazon right now for $15, and you're going to end up throwing a good chunk of it away after you're done (THROW IT AWAY, DANGIT! It absorbs water once it's open, don't hold on to it and pour water right into your master cylinder!)

Betik, your safety is worth an extra $15 a year.

 

[BlkGS]

It's probably a good idea to change the hoses too. The hoses get soft with age and will make the pedal feel soft.

 

[Betik]

It's probably a good idea to change the hoses too. The hoses get soft with age and will make the pedal feel soft.

for what year intervals are you referring to? for 6 years sounds a bit short!

 

[2kwik4u]

for what year intervals are you referring to? for 6 years sounds a bit short!

Depends on the climate and the usage. I've replaced hoses as early as 5yrs, and as late as 20yrs. Dryer/hotter climates will tend to deteriorate the rubber faster than cool/humid environments. UV exposure (which isn't really an issue with brake lines) is the #1 killer of rubber in general.

I'll most likely move to a stainless braided hose when I do brakes on my Sierra here in a few months. The stainless braiding prevents the hose from "bulging" under pressure. This reduction in hose flex translates to better brake feel at the pedal. Stainless braided exterior is also more abrasion resistant if you spend any amount of time off road. Leading to less chance of puncture, or cut due to debris around the wheel area.