Ford Expedition Brake Upgrades for Towing

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

The most effective brake upgrade for towing with a Ford Expedition is not a bigger caliper - it is a correctly set trailer brake controller working with the trailer's own brakes, backed by a heavy-duty pad compound, healthy rotors and fresh fluid on the Expedition itself. Ford rates the Expedition's brakes at its gross vehicle weight, not the combined weight of truck plus trailer, so the trailer has to do its share of the stopping. Here is how to set the system up and which parts actually help.

How the Expedition's Brakes Handle a Trailer

The Expedition years we fit here, 2000 through 2022, use disc brakes at both axles with a front and a rear pad set, which is why we list separate front and rear towing pads. The key fact buried in the owner's manual is this: the rating for the tow vehicle's braking system is at the gross vehicle weight rating, not the gross combined weight rating. In plain terms, the Expedition's pads, rotors and calipers are sized to stop a fully loaded Expedition. They are not sized to absorb all the energy of a loaded camper or boat as well.

Ford's 2017 manual states that separate functioning brake systems are required for towed vehicles and trailers weighing more than 1,500 pounds (680 kg) loaded, and it notes that some states require electric trailer brakes above a set weight, so check your state's rule. Ford also warns never to tie a trailer's hydraulic brakes into the Expedition's own brake system, because the vehicle may not have enough braking power to run both.

Upgrade One: The Trailer Brake Controller

Many Expeditions are equipped with Ford's integrated trailer brake controller. According to the owner's manual, it powers the trailer's electric or electric-over-hydraulic brakes with a proportional output based on the Expedition's own brake pressure. It works with electric drum brakes on one to four axles and most electric-over-hydraulic systems, but it will not activate hydraulic surge-style trailer brakes.

• Gain range: the plus and minus buttons adjust output in 0.5 steps from 0 (no trailer braking) to 10.0 (maximum trailer braking). The setting shows in the information display.
• Manual lever: sliding the lever applies the trailer brakes alone. If you use the lever and the pedal at the same time, the greater of the two inputs wins.
• How to set gain: Ford says to do it in a traffic-free area at about 20-25 mph. Set it for the most trailer braking you can get without locking the trailer wheels, because locked trailer wheels can make the trailer unstable. Re-set it when the load, road or weather changes.

If your Expedition lacks the factory controller, an aftermarket proportional controller does the same job. Either way, a trailer with working, adjusted brakes and a properly set gain takes more load off your pads and rotors than any pad swap can.

Upgrade Two: Towing-Rated Brake Pads

Stock-style pads are built for quiet, clean daily driving. Repeated heavy stops with a trailer push rotor and pad temperatures much higher, and that is where a heavy-duty compound earns its keep. These are the towing-capable pads we carry for the Expedition:

Be realistic about the trade-off. EBC says plainly that Extra Duty owners should expect to change pads roughly every 7,000 to 12,000 miles, because the compound favors stopping power over life. Higher-friction pads can also bring more dust or noise than a ceramic daily pad. If you tow only a few times a year, a quality set from our ceramic brake pads range may be the better fit; if you tow often or in the mountains, the heavy-duty compound is worth it. Browse every option in our brake pads collection.

Upgrade Three: Rotors, Fluid and Hardware

Rotors

New pads on scored, thin or heat-spotted rotors will not deliver their rated bite, and a towing compound will find every hard spot. Measure the rotors against the minimum thickness cast into them and replace them if they are at or near it. DBA recommends pairing the XP pad with its T3 slotted 4000 and 5000 series rotors; slots help clear debris from the pad face under heavy use. See our brake rotors for replacements.

Brake fluid

Towing heat soaks into the calipers and the fluid inside them. Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time, and wet fluid boils at a much lower temperature. The federal standard, FMVSS 116, sets these minimum boiling points:

Ford's 2017 Expedition manual lists DOT 3 or DOT 4 Low Viscosity (LV) High Performance fluid meeting Ford specification WSS-M6C65-A1 or WSS-M6C65-A2, and says to follow the brake reservoir cap for your vehicle. Use only what your cap and manual specify. A fluid flush before towing season is cheap insurance against a soft pedal on a long downgrade.

Hardware and hoses

Seized slide pins make one pad do all the work and overheat it. Replace clips and pins with a brake hardware kit when you do the pads, and check rubber hoses for cracks and bulges; replacements are in our brake hoses collection.

Driving Habits That Save Your Brakes

Ford's own towing advice is the cheapest brake upgrade there is:

• Shift to a lower gear on long or steep downgrades and do not apply the brakes continuously, because they can overheat and become less effective.
• Use Tow/Haul or Grade Assist if equipped; it adds engine braking.
• Turn off speed control with heavy loads or in hilly terrain.
• Practice turning, stopping and backing before a trip, and check the hitch, connections and trailer lug nuts after the first 50 miles.

Engine braking plus a well-set trailer controller means your Expedition's pads handle the final part of each stop rather than all of it.

How Hard Is the Job?

A front or rear pad swap on an Expedition is a solid driveway job for someone with a floor jack, jack stands, a torque wrench and a caliper piston tool: remove the wheel, unbolt the caliper, swap the pads and hardware, and reinstall. Torque the caliper and bracket bolts to the value in the factory service manual. On newer models with an electronic parking brake, the rear caliper may need to be put into service mode with a scan tool before the piston will retract, so check your model year's procedure first. Bed the new pads in as the maker directs; EBC's Extra Duty instructions call for gentle driving over the first several hundred miles followed by a series of medium to heavy stops. Fluid flushes and rotor replacement add time but no special skill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need trailer brakes to tow with my Expedition?

Ford's 2017 Expedition manual says trailers weighing more than 1,500 pounds loaded require their own functioning brake system, and some states set their own limits. Most campers and boat trailers an Expedition pulls are well over that.

What gain setting should I use on the trailer brake controller?

There is no single number. Ford says to set the highest gain that gives strong trailer braking without locking the trailer wheels, tested at about 20-25 mph in an empty area, and to re-adjust whenever the load or conditions change.

Will performance pads shorten my rotor life?

Any higher-friction pad works the rotor harder than a mild daily pad. EBC describes its Extra Duty pad as rotor friendly, but you should still check rotor thickness at every pad change and replace rotors that are thin, cracked or heat-spotted.

Should I replace front and rear pads at the same time for towing?

It is a good idea when both are worn, and using the same compound family front and rear keeps brake balance predictable. If only one axle is worn, replacing that axle's pads as a set is acceptable.

Can I switch my Expedition to DOT 4 brake fluid for towing?

Only if your vehicle's specification allows it. Ford's 2017 manual lists both DOT 3 and DOT 4 LV fluids meeting its specifications and tells owners to check the reservoir cap. Follow the cap and manual for your year.

Sources

1. Ford: 2017 Expedition Owner's Manual - trailer brake rules, integrated controller gain range and setup, downhill towing advice, brake fluid specification
2. DBA: Front Xtreme Performance Brake Pads DB15121XP - semi-metallic carbon fibre compound, heavy-towing use, slotted pad, TSP scorching, T3 rotor pairing
3. EBC Brakes: Extra Duty Light Truck, Jeep and SUV Brake Pads - Extra Duty purpose, 400C/750F testing, 7,000-12,000 mile pad life, bedding procedure
4. EBC Brakes: Brake Upgrades for Heavy-Load and Towing Vehicles - EBC pad compounds positioned for towing and heavy loads
5. 49 CFR 571.116 (FMVSS 116) Motor Vehicle Brake Fluids - minimum dry and wet boiling points for DOT 3 and DOT 4 fluid