2003-2011 Ford Crown Victoria Front vs Rear Brakes: What Wears First and What to Replace

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

On a 2003-2011 Ford Crown Victoria the front brakes almost always wear out first. The car is heavy up front, weight shifts forward every time you stop, and the ABS module deliberately holds rear brake pressure back during hard stops, so the front pads and rotors do most of the work. Plan on replacing front pads more often than rears, but inspect all four corners every time, because the rear brakes on this car hide a second set of parts most owners forget about: the parking brake shoes.

How the Crown Victoria Brake System Is Laid Out

The 2003-2011 Crown Victoria uses disc brakes at all four wheels with anti-lock brakes. Ford's owner guide describes the service brakes as self-adjusting and notes that ABS pump noise and pedal pulsation during a panic stop, or on gravel, wet or snowy roads, is normal and means ABS is doing its job.

The rear axle is a solid live axle, and each rear rotor is a drum-in-hat design: the outer face is a normal disc that the rear caliper clamps, and the inside of the rotor hat is a small drum. A pair of parking brake shoes sits inside that drum. So each rear corner has brake pads for normal stopping and brake shoes that only work when you set the parking brake. The parking brake is a foot pedal that pulls a cable system: tension applies the left rear shoes first, and the cable conduit trying to straighten then pulls the right rear cable and applies the right rear shoes.

Brake fluid is DOT 3. The owner guide specifies Motorcraft High Performance DOT 3 Motor Vehicle Brake Fluid (PM-1-C, Ford specification WSS-M6C62-A), filled between the MIN and MAX marks on the reservoir.

Why the Front Brakes Wear First

Three things push the wear to the front of this car:

• Weight transfer. A long, nose-heavy V8 sedan pitches forward under braking, loading the front tires and front brakes much harder than the rears.
• Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD). Brake & Front End magazine explains that the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor has used EBD since 2001. On initial brake application full pressure reaches the rear brakes, but once the ABS module calculates that deceleration has passed a set threshold, it closes isolation valves to hold rear pressure steady while front pressure keeps building. As the car comes to a stop the valves reopen and rear pressure rises in proportion to the front. The practical result: in any firm stop, the fronts carry the extra load.
• Heat. Because the fronts do more work they run hotter, and heat is what wears friction material and rotor surfaces.

The rears are not wear-free, though. A sticking rear caliper, seized guide pins or a dragging parking brake can wear a rear pad set faster than the fronts. If your rear pads ever wear out before your fronts, treat that as a symptom and find the cause before installing new parts.

Front vs Rear at a Glance

Symptoms and How to Tell Which End Is Worn

• Steering wheel shake when braking usually points to the front rotors. Pulsation felt mostly in the seat or pedal, with a steady steering wheel, can come from the rear.
• Grinding or a constant high-pitched squeal from one corner means that corner's pads are at or past their limit. Ford notes that occasional squeal or groan, especially on the first few stops on a damp morning, is normal and not a fault by itself.
• Pulling to one side under braking is usually a front caliper that is sticking or a front hose problem.
• A parking brake that will not hold, or a rear wheel that drags and runs hot after a drive, points to the rear shoes or cables.
• Gear oil on the inside of a rear tire or rotor means a leaking axle seal. Brake & Front End flags right-side rear axle seal leaks on some 2009 models; oil on the rear shoes or pads ruins the friction material and must be fixed before new parts go on.
• A red BRAKE warning light that stays on after the parking brake is released indicates low brake fluid. Ford's guidance is to have the system inspected immediately, because braking performance can drop and stopping distances get longer.

The Fix: Which Parts to Buy

Front brake job

Most front jobs are pads plus rotors. Brake & Front End notes that Crown Victoria rotors have enough material to be machined at least once in their service life, so a rotor that stays above its minimum thickness after cutting and runs true can be resurfaced; if it is below the specification stamped on the rotor, replace it. For a durable daily-driver or high-mileage pad, see the 2003-2011 Crown Victoria front semi-metallic brake pads, or browse all brake pads and brake rotors.

Rear brake job

Before ordering rear pads, look at the pistons in the rear calipers. Brake & Front End points out that some calipers carry steel pistons and some carry phenolic pistons, which mostly applies to pre-2003 cars but can also vary with whatever a remanufacturer put in a rebuilt caliper. For the 2003-and-newer 4.6L car we carry the EBC Greenstuff 2000 rear brake pad set for the 2003 and newer Crown Victoria. If the rotor has to come off, that is the time to inspect the parking brake shoes and the inside of the drum.

Calipers

If a caliper is seized or leaking, replace calipers in axle pairs. Brake & Front End recommends checking the old caliper brackets and replacing them regardless when calipers are replaced; some remanufactured calipers include the bracket. Shop brake calipers and brake hardware kits for slides, clips and pins.

What to Replace or Check at the Same Time

• Front hub bearings. The front hubs are unitized bearing units with the ABS wheel speed sensor built in. Check for play and growl whenever the fronts are apart.
• Rear axle seals. Inspect both sides on every rear job; a weeping seal will contaminate new rear pads and shoes.
• Parking brake shoes. With the rotor off, inspect the shoes and drum surface for wear, damage or oil contamination.
• Hardware and slides. Clean and lubricate caliper slides and replace worn abutment clips so the new pads wear evenly.
• Brake fluid. Top up or flush only with DOT 3 that meets the Ford specification listed above.
• Hoses on high-mileage cars, especially where road salt is used. See brake hoses.

How Hard Is the Job?

A front pad and rotor job on a Crown Victoria is a straightforward driveway repair for someone with basic tools, a torque wrench and jack stands. The rear takes a little more care because of the parking brake. If a rear rotor binds on the parking brake shoes and will not come off, Brake & Front End describes backing the shoes off through the adjustment access plug with a brake adjusting tool. On reassembly, measure the inside diameter of the rotor's drum section and set the shoes 0.5 mm (0.020 inch) smaller than that measurement, then install the caliper and pads and tighten the two rear caliper guide pin bolts to 25 Nm (18 lb-ft). Test the parking brake before the car goes back on the road. For every other fastener, use the values in the factory service manual.

Police Interceptor owners have one more step: from 2006 Ford equipped the CVPI with a fire suppression system tied to wheel speed data, and Brake & Front End recommends following Ford's depowering procedure before lifting or servicing those cars.

Before any brake work, run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup to make sure there are no open safety recalls on the car.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Crown Victoria front or rear brakes wear out first?

The fronts, in nearly every case. The front end carries more weight during stops and the ABS module's Electronic Brake Distribution holds rear pressure back once deceleration passes a threshold, so the fronts do most of the work.

Does the 2003-2011 Crown Victoria have rear disc brakes?

Yes. It uses rear discs with calipers and pads, and each rear rotor hat has a small drum inside it for the parking brake shoes.

Should I replace all four brakes at once?

Not unless all four are worn. Replace pads and rotors in axle pairs (both fronts or both rears), and inspect the other end at the same time so you know how much life it has left.

What brake fluid does a Crown Victoria use?

DOT 3. Ford specifies Motorcraft High Performance DOT 3 Motor Vehicle Brake Fluid meeting WSS-M6C62-A.

Why are my rear pads wearing faster than my fronts?

That is not normal for this car. Look for a sticking rear caliper or guide pins, a parking brake that is not fully releasing, or oil from a leaking axle seal on the friction material.

Can I resurface Crown Victoria rotors?

Usually once. The rotors have enough material to be machined at least once, provided they stay above the minimum thickness stamped on the rotor after cutting.

Sources

1. Brake & Front End - Tech Feature: Brake Job on Ford CVPI - EBD rear pressure strategy, drum-in-hat parking brake and cable operation, shoe setting 0.5 mm (0.020 in), guide pin bolts 25 Nm (18 lb-ft), rotor machining, caliper piston and bracket notes, hub bearings, axle seal leaks, fire suppression system
2. Ford - 2008 Crown Victoria Owner's Guide - DOT 3 fluid specification WSS-M6C62-A, ABS, self-adjusting brakes, normal brake noise, brake warning light guidance
3. NHTSA - Check for Recalls - VIN recall lookup before brake service