2006-2009 Ford Fusion Brake Job Tools and Torque Specs

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

A front and rear brake job on a 2006-2009 Ford Fusion needs only ordinary hand tools plus a torque wrench, a caliper piston tool and a bleeder setup. The published figures are 100 lb-ft for the M12 x 1.5 lug nuts, 37 ft-lbs for the front caliper bolts, 52 ft-lbs for the rear caliper anchor plate bolts, 19 ft-lbs for the rear caliper bolts and 71 in-lbs for the bleeder screws. Below is what each one holds, the tools to have on the bench, and the steps where these cars catch people out.

How the 2006-2009 Fusion brake system is laid out

Every Fusion from these years has disc brakes at all four corners - there is no rear drum version. The parking brake is built into the rear caliper and is worked by a cable, not an electric motor, so no scan tool is needed to retract the rear pistons for a pad change. Brake trade press that documented the platform reports no major brake changes from 2006 through 2009, with ABS becoming standard for the 2008 model year (Ford's owner guides describe it as "if equipped"). The Fusion shares the CD3 platform with the Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and Mazda 6 of the same era.

The rotors are the part to watch. They are thin from the factory and there is very little material to machine, so in practice most brake jobs on these cars are pads and rotors together rather than a resurface.

Runout and thickness variation should both be under 0.001 in. A rear rotor that starts at 10 mm leaves only about 0.9 mm of cut before it reaches the 9.1 mm machining limit, which is why a rear rotor that has been run on worn pads is almost always a replacement.

Torque specs for the 2006-2009 Fusion brake job

These are the values published for this platform. Any fastener not listed here - such as the front caliper anchor bracket bolts - should be torqued to the value in the factory service manual for your exact build rather than guessed.

Ford's owner guide adds two points about the wheels that matter after a brake job. First, the lug nut figure is for threads free of dirt and rust, and the nuts should be retightened to spec 500 miles after any wheel disturbance. Second, clean any corrosion or dirt off the hub face, the rotor and the back of the wheel before mounting it. Without clean metal-to-metal contact the nuts can loosen in service. Tighten the lugs in the crisscross order with a torque wrench rather than running them down with an impact gun.

Note the rear caliper bolts: at 19 ft-lbs they are about half the front value. Running them down to the front figure out of habit is an easy way to stretch or strip them.

Tools you need

• Torque wrenches that cover 19 to 100 ft-lbs and the 71 in-lb bleeder value. Most people need a click-type wrench plus a small in-lb wrench for the bleeders.
• Floor jack, two jack stands and wheel chocks. Use the jacking points shown in the owner guide.
• Socket set, ratchet and breaker bar for the caliper bolts, anchor bolts and lug nuts.
• Caliper piston tool. On the rear, the notch in the caliper piston has to line up with the pin on the back of the inboard pad, so get a piston tool kit with an adapter that can set it correctly. Never pry in the caliper sight holes - it damages the pistons and boots.
• Wire brush and brake cleaner for the hub faces and pad abutments.
• Brake grease for the pad backing plates and shims.
• Bleeder hose and catch bottle, plus a helper for the pedal.
• Fresh DOT 3 fluid. Ford specifies Motorcraft High Performance DOT 3 Motor Vehicle Brake Fluid (WSS-M6C62-A, with WSS-M6C65-A1 also listed in the 2009 guide). Federal standard FMVSS 116 requires DOT 3 to reach a minimum dry boiling point of 205 C (401 F) and a wet boiling point of 140 C (284 F). Open a sealed bottle; fluid that has sat open absorbs moisture.
• A scan tool only if you remove the ABS hydraulic control unit or master cylinder, or open the lines to the HCU. A normal pad and rotor job does not need one.

Front brakes: the steps that matter

1. Push the caliper pistons back into their bores, protecting the boots. Do not pry in the sight holes.
2. Remove the caliper bolts and hang the caliper aside - never by the hose.
3. Remove the pad retraction springs, then the pads, shims and stainless shims, then the pad slides.
4. Inspect the old pads. The service limits call for at least 3 mm of lining, no more than 2 mm difference side to side and no more than 2 mm of taper. Uneven wear points at sticking slides or a dragging caliper.
5. Install the slides, grease the backing plates and shims in the marked areas, and fit the shims. With OE-style shims, the cut shim is directional and goes on the inboard pad only, with the cut toward the leading side.
6. Install the new pads and new retraction springs. Reusing tired springs invites drag and noise.
7. Refit the caliper with the guide pin boots fully seated and tighten the caliper bolts to 37 ft-lbs.

Rear brakes: the parking brake is the difference

1. Disconnect the parking brake cable from the caliper: pull back the lever, unhook the cable and remove the conduit clip.
2. Retract the piston with the correct tool, remove the caliper bolts and set the caliper aside.
3. Remove the pads, shims and slide clips, then the two anchor plate bolts and the anchor plate if the rotor is coming off.
4. Reinstall the anchor plate and tighten its bolts to 52 ft-lbs.
5. Fit the slide clips and pads, with the piston notch lined up with the pin on the inboard pad.
6. Install the caliper and tighten its bolts to 19 ft-lbs.
7. Reconnect the parking brake cable and cycle the parking brake several times to confirm it works.

If the parking brake needs adjusting, the adjuster sits behind the rear access panel of the center console - do not pry that panel with a screwdriver. New cables need the lever cycled 5 to 10 times to take up slack. When it is right, two clicks gives slight drag at the rear wheels and five clicks stops them turning.

Bleeding and what to replace together

Bleed in this order: right rear, left rear, right front, left front. Have a helper pump the pedal and hold it, open the bleeder until flow stops, close it, and repeat until the fluid runs clear with no bubbles. Tighten the bleeders to 71 in-lbs. Gravity bleeding in the same order also works. The scan-tool ABS bleed routine is only needed when the HCU, the master cylinder or the HCU lines have been opened.

Because the rotors have so little machining margin, plan on new rotors with new pads, and always do both sides of an axle together. For the 2.3L four-cylinder cars we carry EBC Redstuff ceramic rear brake pads for the 2006-2009 Fusion 2.3L for low dust on a daily driver, EBC Yellowstuff rear pads for drivers who want more bite, and EBC USR slotted rear rotors for the Fusion 2.3L to pair with them. For the front axle and V6 cars, browse brake pads and brake rotors by vehicle, and add a brake hardware kit so the slides, clips and springs are new too.

Ford's owner guide is plain about the warning signs: occasional brake noise is normal, but a continuous metal-to-metal grinding or squeal suggests worn linings, and a vibration or shudder in the steering wheel while braking needs inspection. The trade press also reported no Ford or Mazda TSBs or recalls for the brake system on these cars, so most problems here come down to wear and maintenance rather than a design fault.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the lug nut torque on a 2006-2009 Ford Fusion?

Ford lists 100 lb-ft (135 N-m) for the M12 x 1.5 lug nuts, on threads free of dirt and rust. Retighten them to spec after 500 miles.

Does the 2006-2009 Fusion have rear drum brakes?

No. All variants of these years use disc brakes front and rear, with the parking brake built into the rear caliper.

Do I need a scan tool to do the rear brakes?

No. The parking brake is cable-operated, so the rear pads can be changed with hand tools and a piston tool. A scan tool is only needed for the ABS bleed after the HCU, master cylinder or HCU lines are opened.

Can I resurface the rotors on a Fusion?

Often not. The front rotors start at 25 mm with a 24.1 mm minimum to machine, and the rears start at 10 mm with a 9.1 mm minimum, so there is usually little or no room for a cut. Replacement is the normal choice.

What brake fluid does the 2006-2009 Fusion use?

Ford specifies Motorcraft High Performance DOT 3 Motor Vehicle Brake Fluid. Fill between MIN and MAX on the reservoir, using fluid from a sealed bottle.

Why are the rear caliper bolts torqued so much lower than the front?

They are smaller fasteners on a smaller caliper. The published rear value is 19 ft-lbs against 37 ft-lbs at the front, so check which end you are working on before setting the wrench.

Sources

1. Ford - 2008 Fusion Owner Guide - lug nut torque 100 lb-ft / 135 N-m, 500-mile retorque, hub cleaning, DOT 3 fluid spec, brake noise and ABS notes
2. Ford - 2009 Fusion Owner Guide - DOT 3 fluid specifications WSS-M6C62-A and WSS-M6C65-A1
3. Brake and Front End - Brake Job: Ford Fusion - caliper, anchor plate and bleeder torques, rotor thickness specs, pad procedures, parking brake adjustment, bleed order, no brake TSBs or recalls
4. ImportCar - Brake Job: Ford Fusion - four-wheel disc layout on all variants, ABS standard from 2008, CD3 platform
5. 49 CFR 571.116 (FMVSS 116) - Cornell LII - DOT 3 minimum dry and wet boiling points