[metallicnotazx5]

Well as most know the bearing went bad in my RR drum 3 months ago. I was just going to replace the drum but saw the shoes were missing a nice little chunk and I have OCD.

Anyway, I've had these damn Hawk HPS sitting around since 2 years ago when I bought the car and I FINALLY got around to installing them.

WHAT A NIGHTMARE. In my 3 year of being a mechanic I've never done front brakes on a focus before.

Not an overly difficult job, some may say they are easier than most, but...

I don't have a 7mm hex socket in my box. There's 6.95 more I just spent than I wanted to. Well then the rotors were frozen to the hub worse than I have ever seen in my life. I ended up destroying a stud with a missed swing. Trip to, 7.74 I didn't want to spend

Well all in all I got it done and flushed 2 pints of Castrol LMA through the fronts. (Flushed with a generic dot 4 through the rears 3 months ago, will prob. flush the rears again with the Castrol). I also like the Castrol because it is very clear fluid and will be easy to tell when it gets dirty.

Took it for a ride, I was amazed at how quiet they were, followed the brake in procedure to a T. I just got done cleaning up and letting the brakes cool before I run out again to do an errand and test them now that they are ready to be used.

Parts Used:
1. Hawk HPS
2. Napa Blank Rotors

Fluids and Greases Used
1. CRC "Black" synthetic brake grease for caliper slides and pad contact points
2. CRC BraKleen
3. CarQuest brake clean (switch to this when I bought the stud because the CRC brake clean was getting gooey for some reason)
4. Anti-Seize (for back of rotor and bolt threads)
5. Castrol Full Synthetic LMA Brake Fluid

Tools and Other
1. Sanding disc to clean the hub
2. Wire brush to clean caliper/pad contact points
3. 7mm hex socket
4. 15mm Deep socket
5. 3/8" Ratchet
6. Electric 1/2" Impact
7. 19mm 1/2" Impact socket
8. Torque wrench.
9. 1 Stud
10. 1 open lug nut (to pull new stud through)
11. 3# mallet

 

[s.c._focus2.0fan]

sounds like i need to do mine, my brakes are pretty loud and i haven't replaced the rotors since i've had the car (almost 80k miles)

 

[illinipo]

you havent been working on your Focus very long have you? lol

Its only downhill from here man. This is like a 2 or 3 on a scale of 10 for omfg this car is insane...

 

[loudfocus01]

Cool man, I changed my brakes not too long ago myself.
It's definitely not something I'd let go for too long if your up there in miles on stock rotors.

 

[metallicnotazx5]

you havent been working on your Focus very long have you? lol

Its only downhill from here man. This is like a 2 or 3 on a scale of 10 for omfg this car is insane...

I've been working on it and I love working on Focuses. I just drive purely highway and racked up 60k in 3 years. I probably could have even gone another 10k on the pads I just didn't want to be doing this in February.

 

[illinipo]

I love working on Focuses.

ya me too but dang... some of these things are just like.... REALLY FORD!?! WHY.

I bought the crap Duralast pads and rotors a while ago and i got 50k on them with 1/3 life left... not like i drive easy either, and 5 autocrosses on them. This car isnt too bad on brakes.

 

[MattZX3]

brakes for me last an average of two years

 

[metallicnotazx5]

brakes for me last an average of two years

60k, Pads were warrantied out at 2,000 miles for being noisy but old rotors were used. I was surprised. I probably could have made it to 70k on these pads. If it wasn't for the bearing going bad in the RR drum the rears probably would have outlasted the car. There was seriously no difference between the shoes at 55k and the brand new shoes, only the one side had a bunch of friction material missing from overheating from the bearing being bad and melting onto the spindle.


The hawks feel great though. Silent, smooth and quite a bit more initial bite. The pedal feels great, no more 1.5" of travel til I get feel in it.

 

[illinipo]

initial bite ok, but do they actually stop better?

im about to upgrade i need a better autox pad that can do street duty... would be a pain to swap out pads every race day

 

[metallicnotazx5]

initial bite ok, but do they actually stop better?

im about to upgrade i need a better autox pad that can do street duty... would be a pain to swap out pads every race day

Maybe it was just worn out pads but holy damn... these things stop noticeably better than what was on there. I'm very happy. No noises yet and I've put about 100miles on them.