2009-2010 Ford F-150 4WD Brake Job Guide: Symptoms, Costs and the Right Parts

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

A brake job on a 2009-2010 Ford F-150 4WD means four-wheel disc brakes: vented rotors and multi-piston calipers up front, calipers and rotors out back, and a small drum-style parking brake built into each rear rotor hat. Most trucks wear through front pads first, but rear pads still need checking, so measure all four corners before you buy parts.

This guide covers what wears, the symptoms that tell you it is time, the published service limits, what to replace together, and what drives the cost of the job.

How the Brakes Work on a 2009-2010 F-150 4WD

The 12th-generation F-150 uses disc brakes at all four wheels with ABS. The front calipers ride on heavy cast brackets bolted to the steering knuckle. On a normal pad and rotor job there is no need to disturb the front hub or the 4WD hardware: once the caliper and bracket are off, the rotor comes off.

At the rear, a caliper clamps a vented rotor, and the inside of that rotor's hat doubles as a drum for the parking brake shoes. The parking brake is a foot-operated, self-adjusting system. That design matters at service time: a rear rotor that will not come off is often held by parking brake shoes that have worn a lip into the drum surface, not by rust alone.

One detail catches a lot of people on 2010 and later trucks: the front inner and outer pads are not the same. The inner pad has two ears that line up with the caliper pistons and the outer pad has a chamfer along the top edge. Swap them and the caliper can end up touching the wheel spokes.

Symptoms That Your F-150 Needs Brakes

• Squeal or grinding: a high-pitched squeal under light braking is often the pad wear indicator; grinding means the pad backing plate is on the rotor and the rotor is now being damaged.
• Pulsation in the pedal or steering wheel: usually uneven rotor thickness from pad material transfer or heat, common on trucks that tow or run long downhill grades.
• Pull to one side: a sticking caliper slide pin or a seized piston on one side.
• Uneven wear on one rear pad: uneven inboard wear on the rear often means dirt or a stone lodged between the caliper and its mounting plate, which keeps the pad dragging.
• Weak parking brake or a rear drag: seized parking brake actuators or worn shoes inside the rear rotor hat.
• Soft or sinking pedal: a hydraulic problem, not a pad problem. Check for fluid leaks at the lines, hoses and calipers before you replace anything.

Service Limits and Torque Values for This Truck

The table below lists the published limits and torque values for the 2009-2014 F-150 brake job. Measure with a micrometer, not by eye.

Use a torque wrench on the lug nuts. An impact gun run past spec, or lugs tightened unevenly, is a common cause of the pulsation owners blame on "warped" rotors.

Front vs Rear: What Is Different

Front: the front axle does most of the stopping, so front pads are normally the first to go. The caliper bracket bolts are torqued very high, so plan on a long breaker bar to remove them and a torque wrench that reaches 184 ft.-lbs. to put them back. Clean the bracket abutments where the pad clips sit, fit new clips from a brake hardware kit, and make sure the inner and outer pads go in the correct positions.

Rear: the upper rear guide pin carries a dampener designed to cut noise and vibration, so do not replace it with a plain pin. While the rear is apart, look at the ABS tone ring, check the parking brake actuators for seizing, and look for gear oil on the brake parts. Oil on the rear pads usually means a leaking axle seal, and new pads will be ruined by it unless the seal is fixed first.

2009 vs 2010: 2009 was the launch year for this generation, and some front brake parts are cataloged differently for 2009 and 2010 trucks. Confirm fitment for your exact model year before you order front rotors or pads.

What to Replace at the Same Time

• Rotors with pads: if a rotor is at or near its minimum thickness, or the old pads have scored it, replace rotors in axle pairs. New brake rotors with fresh ceramic brake pads give the cleanest bed-in and the quietest result.
• Hardware: abutment clips and slide pin boots are inexpensive and are what make new pads quiet and even-wearing.
• Calipers: replace a caliper that has a torn piston boot, a leak, or a piston that will not retract smoothly, in pairs on the same axle. See our brake calipers.
• Parking brake shoes: if the rear rotors fight coming off or the parking brake is weak, the shoes inside the hat are worn. They are easiest to do with the rear rotors already off; find them in brake shoes.
• Lines and hoses: in the Northeast and upper Midwest, the steel lines on these trucks can rust under their rubber wrap where salt and moisture sit. Inspect them closely at every brake job and replace suspect sections with new brake lines or brake hoses.
• Brake fluid: fluid absorbs moisture over time. If it is dark or has not been changed in years, flush it with the fluid type printed on the master cylinder cap and in your owner's guide.

What Drives the Cost, and How Hard the Job Is

The price of an F-150 brake job depends on four things: pads only or pads and rotors, one axle or both, whether calipers or parking brake shoes are needed, and whether you pay shop labor. Pads alone on one axle is the smallest job. Pads and rotors on both axles, plus hardware and a fluid flush, is the complete job many trucks need at this age. Seized calipers, a rusted brake line, or a leaking axle seal add parts and time.

For a home mechanic, this is a moderate job. The front is straightforward apart from the high bracket torque. The rear takes longer because of the parking brake shoes and a rotor that can stick on the hub. You will need a jack and stands rated for a full-size truck, a large breaker bar, a torque wrench, a caliper piston tool, and brake cleaner. Bed in new pads with a series of moderate stops before any towing.

A quick check for owners of 2009 trucks: Ford recalled some 2009 F-150s (NHTSA campaign 09V150000) because the brake stop lamp switch could be improperly adjusted, delaying or preventing brake light illumination under light pedal pressure. The remedy was a free dealer inspection and readjustment of the switch. If your brake lights seem slow to come on, run your VIN through the NHTSA recall lookup.

Shop the complete range for this truck in our brake pads and brake parts collections.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 2009-2010 F-150 4WD have rear disc brakes?

Yes. It has disc brakes at all four wheels, with a small drum-type parking brake built into the hat of each rear rotor.

How do I know if my F-150 rotors need replacing or can be reused?

Measure them. The front rotor minimum thickness is 32.0 mm and the rear is 23.0 mm. A rotor at or under that figure, deeply grooved, cracked, or causing pedal pulsation should be replaced.

Why are my new front pads rubbing the wheel?

On 2010 and later trucks the inner and outer front pads are different. If they are swapped, the caliper can sit where it contacts the wheel spokes. The pad with two ears goes on the piston side.

Why will my rear rotor not come off?

Usually the parking brake shoes have worn a ridge into the drum surface inside the hat, or rust has bonded the rotor to the hub. Make sure the parking brake is fully released and back off the shoe adjustment before forcing it.

Should I replace pads on both axles at once?

Only if both axles are worn. Front and rear wear at different rates, so measure all four corners. Always replace pads and rotors in pairs on the same axle.

What torque do the F-150 lug nuts take?

150 ft.-lbs., tightened with a torque wrench in a star pattern.

Sources

1. Brake and Front End: Ford F-150 (2009-2014) Brake Job - rotor and pad limits, torque values, 2010+ inner/outer pad difference, rear dampened guide pin, parking brake design, rear inspection points, brake line rust in salt states
2. NHTSA recalls: 2009 Ford F-150 - campaign 09V150000 brake stop lamp switch adjustment and remedy
3. NHTSA recalls: 2010 Ford F-150 - recall list for the 2010 model year (no brake-system recall listed)