Owners of other Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles with similar rear brake hardware such as the Fiesta, Fusion, Focus, C-Max, Mustang, Escape, Transit Connect, Explorer, Edge, Expedition, Flex, MKS, MKZ, MKT, MKX, Navigator, Milan, Grand Marquis, Mariner and Mountaineer may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

The items needed to complete this procedure include a lug nut wrench, a floor jack, two jack stands, a 13mm socket, a ratcheting wrench, a disc brake piston tool (Lisle # 28600), an extension bar, a tube of brake parts lubricant grease and a new set of rear brake pads.

A few compatible sets of new rear brake pads include the following with their part numbers: ACDelco 17D1377CH, Wagner QC1377 or ZD1377, Raybestos ATD1377C, Bosch BC1377, Bendix D1377, Monroe CX1377, Power Stop 16-1377, Motorcraft BR-1377 and Akebono # ACT1377.

Slightly loosen the 5 lug nuts on the rear wheel by turning them counter clockwise with the lug nut wrench. I prefer to work on one side of the vehicle at a time for extra safety.

Raise the rear of the car with the floor jack and securely support it with at least two jack stands.

Spin off the 5 lug nuts and set them aside in a safe place.

Pull off the rear wheel to reveal the rotor, bracket, caliper and suspension.

Loosen the lower caliper bolt by turning it clockwise (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) with the 13mm socket and ratcheting wrench.

Then loosen the upper caliper bolt by turning it clockwise (as seen from the outside of the car) with the 13mm socket and ratcheting wrench.

Lift the caliper out of the bracket and off the old pads.

In order for the caliper to fit over the thicker new pads, the caliper piston will need to be retracted backwards.

The 6th gen Taurus is equipped with "screw-in" type rear caliper pistons that need to be turned back with a special tool such as the Lisle # 28600. You may also be able to just use a pair of needle nose pliers to rotate the piston back in to the caliper.

On this 2013 Taurus, the side with 2 "nubs" or pegs fit the best.

Move to the right rear area of the engine bay (closest to the driver's seat) and twist off the black plastic brake fluid reservoir cap in the counter clockwise direction.

Attach the piston tool to the extension bar and a ratcheting wrench.

Slowly turn back the caliper piston in the clockwise direction until it is flush with its rubber dust boot.

Replace the brake fluid cap as soon as possible since brake fluid is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture from the air).

I usually buy the Wagner ThermoQuiet QC1377 brake pads since they have great reviews on Amazon. I also like how they don't require any backing plates, shims or disc brake quiet gel due to the built in insulators.

In order for the caliper to work smoothly, the two caliper slider pins need to be well lubricated.

Pull the upper and lower caliper slider pins out of their rubber dust boots on the back side of the bracket.

Apply a thin layer of brake parts lubricant to each pin before pushing them back in to their rubber dust boots.

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 may be carcinogenic (causes cancer) if inhaled.

If your Taurus previously exhibited shuddering, pulsating, or vibrations in the rear end 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 rear brake job and the rotors appear to be in excellent condition, you should be able to just change the pads with great results.

To remove the existing rotors and install new ones, remove the two bolts on the rear of the caliper bracket that attach it to the steering knuckle. Then loosen the old rotor with a rubber mallet, pull it off, and slide the new one in its place.

Apply a thin layer of brake caliper grease to any area where there is metal to metal contact such as the outer lip of the caliper pistons. Do not apply brake parts grease to the friction surface of the new pads or to the face of the rotor.

If you haven't done so already, replace the brake fluid reservoir cap by twisting it on in the clockwise direction.

Line up the bolt holes in the caliper with the corresponding holes in the caliper slider pins within the bracket.

Spin in the two caliper bolts in the counter clockwise direction by hand a few turns to prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

Tighten the two caliper bolts by turning them counter clockwise (as seen from the outside of the vehicle) with the 13mm socket and ratcheting wrench to just past hand tight or about 25 ft-lbs of torque.

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.

The brake fluid bleeder valve is located underneath a rubber cap on the back side of the caliper near the upper caliper bolt.

Lower the vehicle from the jack stands using the floor jack until the tire holds enough weight to keep it from spinning.

Continue progressively tightening the 5 lug nuts in a "criss cross" or "star" pattern to about 1/4 turn past hand tight or about 100 ft-lbs of torque. It would be best to use a torque wrench or an impact wrench with a torque stick to properly tighten the lug nuts.

Sit in the driver's seat of the vehicle and firmly press the brake pedal a few times to restore the brake line pressure. Check the brake fluid in the reservoir and verify that it is at the proper level. If it is low, add some new DOT 4 fluid.

To break in your new 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 pads and cause them to be noisy and/or not perform as well.

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 verify that the lug nuts are still tight.

For more, please check out my other Ford Taurus DIY Repair Guides.