How to Replace Brake Pads on an F250

The F250 model designation refers to the entry-level offering of Ford Motor Co.’s line of medium-duty pickup trucks. The F250, which is made on the same assembly lines with other medium-duty Ford trucks up to and including the F550, shares almost no parts with Ford’s F150 light truck. F250s use a disc braking system in which calipers squeeze the brake pads against a rotating disc. The friction created by this action slows or stops the truck. The disc brake pads will wear down after several thousand miles of use and will need to be replaced periodically.

Chock the rear wheels. Remove the plastic center hub cap by inserting the tapered end of the lug wrench behind the hub cap. Give the lug wrench a twisting motion and remove the hub cap. Loosen, but do not remove, the eight lug nuts with the other end of the lug wrench.

Raise the front of the vehicle with a hydraulic floor jack so that the wheels are off the ground. Place jack stands under the each side of the front axle beam. Lower the floor jack.

Finish removing the lug nuts with the lug wrench and remove the wheels. Access the upper caliper retaining bolts from the inboard side of the brake caliper and remove them with a 15 mm socket and 1/2-inch drive ratchet wrench.

Open the hood and remove the master cylinder cap near the driver’s side firewall. Now pull the upper caliper straight up from its mounting. Hang the upper caliper to the coil spring in the wheel well with a piece of wire coat hanger. Be careful not stretch the flexible brake line that will still be attached to the upper caliper.

Pry the brake pads from each side of the disc brake rotor with a flat blade screw driver and discard them. Insert new brake pads onto each side of the rotor until they snap into place. Make sure the brake pad lining material is facing the rotor on each side.

Place a “C” clamp over the piston in the upper caliper and tighten the clamp until the piston has fully retracted. Remove the “C” clamp and slide the upper caliper over the brake pads. Line up the mounting holes and tighten the mounting bolts with a 15 mm socket and ratchet.

Repeat steps 3 through 6 for the other front wheel. Replace the wheels and tighten the lug nuts with a lug wrench. Raise the front of the truck with a floor jack and remove the jack stands. Lower the floor jack until the wheels are on the ground. Tighten the lug nuts in a crisscross pattern. Push the hubcaps back into place until they snap into position.

Check the level of brake fluid in the master cylinder. Make sure it is not overfull. Use a syringe to remove excess fluid if necessary. Replace the master cylinder cap and close the hood.