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Ford Crown Victoria Front Brake Pads Replacement Guide
How to replace the front brake pads on a 2nd generation 1998-2011 Ford Crown Victoria with picture illustrated instructions.

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Crown Vic Front Wheel
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Loosen 5 Lug Nuts
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Raise Front of Vehicle
This automotive "how-to" guide was specifically written to assist owners of the second generation 1998 to 2011 Ford Crown Victoria in replacing worn out front brake pads.

Owners of other Ford Motor Company vehicles such as the Lincoln Town Car, Navigator, Mercury Marauder, Grand Marquis, Fusion, Explorer, Expedition, Excursion, Escape, Thunderbird, Five Hundred, Fiesta, Escort, Focus, Edge, Flex, F-150, Taurus, Mustang, MKZ, MKX, MKS, and MKT may also find these front brake job DIY instructions to be helpful.

The items needed to complete this procedure include a floor jack, jack stands, a tire iron, a 14mm socket with ratcheting wrench, a "C" or "F" clamp, and a new set of front brake pads.

A few compatible aftermarket front brake pads for late model Crown Victoria sedans include the Bendix MKD931FM or RD931, ACDelco 14D931C, Raybestos ATD931P, Motorcraft BRSD931, Hawk HB433F.654 HPS, and Wagner QC931.



 
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Five Lug Nuts Removed
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Front Caliper, Pads, Rotor
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Upper 14mm Caliper Bolt
The first steps are to chock the rear wheels and engage the emergency / parking brake to prevent the vehicle from moving.

Then slightly loosen the five lug nuts on the front wheel with the lug nut wrench.

Raise the front of the vehicle with the floor jack and securely support it with at least two jack stands.

Spin off the five lug nuts and set them aside in a safe place before pulling off the front wheel. Behind the wheel, you'll see the front brake caliper, bracket, rotor and suspension.

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Loosen Caliper Bolt
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Pull Out Caliper Bolt
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Loosen Clockwise Direction
The front brake caliper is held in place by two 14mm bolts located on the back side of the caliper facing the suspension spring.

Use the 14mm socket with a ratcheting wrench to loosen the upper and lower caliper bolts by turning them clockwise (as seen from the outside of the vehicle).

Pull the two caliper bolts out and set them aside in a safe place.

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Pull Off Brake Caliper
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Rest Caliper On Suspension
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Brake Pads & Bracket
Carefully pull the brake caliper out of the bracket and off the rotor.

Rest the caliper securely on the suspension arm.

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Pull Out Old Brake Pads
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Remove Inner Brake Pad
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Replace Pad Abutment Clips
Pull the old brake pads out of the caliper bracket. If you have trouble removing them, try wiggling them as you pull.

If your old brake pads are fitted with wear or "squeal" bars, make a note of how they are situated and install the new pads with the wear bar in the same position.

I recommend buying the Wagner ThermoQuiet QC931 brake pads since they have excellent reviews on Amazon.

Remove the old pad abutment or "anti-rattle" clips out of the bracket and replace them with the new ones if provided.

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Remove Upper Caliper Pin
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Inspect & Lubricate Pin
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Remove Lower Slider Pin
In order for the brake caliper to operate properly, the caliper slider pins need to be well lubricated.

Gently pull the upper and lower caliper pins out of their rubber dust boots and inspect them. If they appear to be well lubricated with grease, re-insert them. If they look dry, apply a generous amount of high pressure moly lubricant or a silicone based brake caliper grease.

Push the lubricated caliper pin sliders back into their rubber dust boots until they snap in place over the metal lip on the pins.

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Attach "C" Clamp
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Brake Fluid Reservoir
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Twist Off Cap
To fit the brake caliper over the thicker new brake pads, the two caliper pistons need to be compressed back.

First move to the engine bay and remove the brake fluid reservoir cap. This will allow the brake fluid to more easily travel back through the system when you compress the pistons.



 

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Slowly Compress Piston
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Compress Back Other Piston
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Pistons Compressed
Attach the "F" clamp to the caliper piston using the back of an old brake pad to evenly apply the pressure.

Very slowly tighten the "F" clamp while repeatedly checking the brake fluid level in the reservoir to prevent it from over flowing.

Compress the two caliper pistons back until they are flush with their rubber dust boots. You may need to reposition the "F" clamp to compress each piston.

Screw the brake fluid reservoir cap back in place as soon as possible since the fluid absorbs moisture from the air.

Thoroughly clean off the brake rotor, caliper bracket, brake caliper assembly and the lug nut studs with brake parts cleaner spray. Do not use compressed air or blow with your mouth to clean off the brake parts since breathing in brake dust can be harmful to your health. Brake dust can be carcinogenic (causes cancer) if inhaled.

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Install New Brake Pads
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Push Pads Flush On Rotor
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Replace Brake Caliper

To help prevent or reduce braking noise, an optional step is to apply some CRC Disc Brake Quiet gel or a similar product to the rear of the new brake pads where they come in contact with the caliper. (Do not apply anything to the friction surface of the new pads.)

If your vehicle exhibits shuddering, pulsating, or vibrations during braking, you may need to have your rotors "turned" (resurfaced) or just replace them with brand new rotors. If this is the car's first front brake job and the rotors appear to be in excellent condition, you should be able to just replace the pads with great results.

Insert the new front brake pads into the bracket and push them together flush against the rotor.

Lower the brake caliper over the new brake pads and down into the bracket. If the caliper won't fit over the brake pads, you may need to compress the pistons back a bit further.

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Thread In Caliper Bolt
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Replace Lower Caliper Bolt
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Torque To 27 Ft Lb
Line up the bolt hole in the caliper with the hole in the slider pin inside the bracket.. Insert the two caliper bolts and tighten by hand a few turns to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

Tighten the two 14mm caliper bolts to just past hand tight or about 27 Ft Lbs of torque.

Double check that the caliper bolts are properly tightened before continuing on to the next steps.

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Caliper Re-Installed
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Bleeder Valve Rubber Cap
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Brake Fluid Bleeder Valve
If your brake pedal previously felt soft or spongy, the brake fluid may be contaminated with water or the brake lines may contain some air bubbles.

It would be best to bleed the brake lines at this time in order to flush out the old fluid and replace it with fresh DOT3 brake fluid. For more on this topic, check out my Brake Line Fluid Bleeding With An Assistant DIY Guide or alternatively the Brake Line Fluid Bleeding With A Power Bleeder Guide.

If you haven't already, don't forget to replace the cap on the brake fluid reservoir by twisting it on 1/4 turn clockwise.

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Replace Brake Fluid Cap
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1/4 Turn Clockwise
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Replace Front Wheel
Replace the front wheel, spin on the five lug nuts by hand to prevent them from becoming cross threaded, and tighten them  a bit with the lug nut wrench.

Lower the car from the jack stands using the floor jack. Progressively tighten the lug nuts in a "criss-cross" or star pattern to about 1/4 to 1/2 turn past hand tight.

It would be best to use a torque wrench or an air gun with a torque stick to tighten them to about 75-100 ft lbs of torque.

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Spin On Lug Nuts
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Lower Vehicle From Jack
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Tighten Lug Nuts

Sit in the driver's seat of the vehicle and pump the brake pedal a few times until it feels firm. Then check the brake fluid level in the reservoir and verify that it is at the proper level. If it is low, pour in some new DOT 3 brake fluid.

To break in your new front brake pads, just drive normally for the first few hundred miles while trying to avoid any hard or "panic" stops which may glaze over the new brake pads and cause them to be noisy and not perform properly.

It's also a good idea to regularly check your driveway for drops of brake fluid which may indicate a leak, check the brake fluid level in the reservoir, and also check that the lug nuts are still tight.

For more, check out my other Ford Crown Victoria Repair & Maintenance Guides.
 

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