Couple questions:

1. My rear drum brakes have never been changed. At how many kilometers or miles should you get them serviced for the first time?
2. My front brake pads are almost done so I'm going to be replacing these myself very soon. Anybody have a link to the OEM pads or better quality brake pads they have personally used and can vouch for?

Any special notes to take while servicing the front brakes myself? (Outside of what the guides say)

My truck has 55,000km or 34,000mi

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2007 Ford Ranger XL 4.0L V6
Magnaflow Catback Exhaust,
6000K Bi-Xenon HID,
Anzo G2 LED Tails
Toyo Open-Country AT2 on 16" XD Series Hoss

my rear brakes are stock iirc. never been changed in 14 years & 157k miles

edit: the still grab hold like new & are quiet - so i'm not worried ATM lol

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on the front brakes: after you decided on a particular set of pads, when you take the brakes apart, be sure you check the caliper's slider pins for rust, sticking, torn dust cover, etc... add grease to them if they are dry.

and apply brake grease to the back of the new pads where they rest against the clips...

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1999 xlt 2.5l 5-speed Supercab 159k
83 diesel 2.2l na
06 F250 6.0l psd
{click for lol}

Thanks man

__________________
2007 Ford Ranger XL 4.0L V6
Magnaflow Catback Exhaust,
6000K Bi-Xenon HID,
Anzo G2 LED Tails
Toyo Open-Country AT2 on 16" XD Series Hoss

anytime!

__________________
1999 xlt 2.5l 5-speed Supercab 159k
83 diesel 2.2l na
06 F250 6.0l psd
{click for lol}

Use only a tiny bit of grease on those critical spots! You sure don't want any to get onto your friction surfaces. And be sure to use a high temperature "disc brake" grease.

yeah, they sell those little packs of it at the parts counter usually... pretty cheap.

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1999 xlt 2.5l 5-speed Supercab 159k
83 diesel 2.2l na
06 F250 6.0l psd
{click for lol}

So a little grease on the caliper pins, but what substance is put on the brake pads?

Whats the directions for using brake cleaner?

__________________
2007 Ford Ranger XL 4.0L V6
Magnaflow Catback Exhaust,
6000K Bi-Xenon HID,
Anzo G2 LED Tails
Toyo Open-Country AT2 on 16" XD Series Hoss

nothing on the pads...... brake cleaner dries fast so just spray it on and unless you have debris on it just let it dry... dont try to wipe it off or anything and reinstall pads and caliper bracket.

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Most places I've looked suggest to put an anti-squeek substance on the back of the brake pads.

How would I know if I need the rotors re-surfaced?

__________________
2007 Ford Ranger XL 4.0L V6
Magnaflow Catback Exhaust,
6000K Bi-Xenon HID,
Anzo G2 LED Tails
Toyo Open-Country AT2 on 16" XD Series Hoss

yeah, just a tad of the brake grease on the back of the pad where it floats against the clip. not necessary to do, and it may not squeak without it idk...

you can tell about rotors by how the old pads have cut into them. or whether they pulse as you apply the brakes to slow down. that means they could be warped.

__________________
1999 xlt 2.5l 5-speed Supercab 159k
83 diesel 2.2l na
06 F250 6.0l psd
{click for lol}

So what brand of brake pads do you guys recommend? Im looking at Hawks now

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3 using FRF App

__________________
2007 Ford Ranger XL 4.0L V6
Magnaflow Catback Exhaust,
6000K Bi-Xenon HID,
Anzo G2 LED Tails
Toyo Open-Country AT2 on 16" XD Series Hoss

You said your truck has 34,000 miles and already needs front brakes I would say you may have sticky calipers or a heavy foot and then slam on the brakes. My truck is a 2000 and I just replaced the pads for the first time at 128,000.

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2000 XLT Ext Cab 2door, 3.0 V6 Flex, 5 speed manual,2WD Kenwood aftermarket stereo Many mods planned just not able now on crutches for 8 more weeks

I always get my rotors resurfaced. That said, run your fingers across the rotor surfaces, anything other than glass smooth you need to resurface. Ever feel any pulsing while stopping? If so then resurface.

As for pads I go with a ceramic, low dust pad. I hate cleaning that dust off the wheels.

As far as a brand goes consider this, if you keep the truck for another 110,000 miles at 34,000/pad replacement you're going to do this three more times. So consider you local auto store's brand that has a lifetime warranty. Your next thee pad sets are free.

For tips:
- definitely service the caliper slide pins.
- Consider flushing the brake fluid ( bleeding all four cylinders/calipers until all old fluid is replaced). It's cheap and brake fluid loves to absorb moisture.

For the rear brakes as long as they work and are quiet you are good to go. You should be able to inspect the thickness without pulling the drums.

Good luck

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128,000 miles on one set of pads is unusual. I'm guessing your's are mostly highway miles and you do not routinely haul anything heavy.

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2009 Mazda B2300 2WD 5 Speed Manual
COMPLETED: Headache Rack, HAM Radio, Radar Detector, iPod
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FUTURE: 2 Mini Light Bars, Bed Work Lights, Aux Backup Lights, Aux Driving Lights, Fog Lights, Brake/Turn/Flasher lights on Headache Rack

My truck is a 2007, lots of stop and go city traffic. Very low mileage for a 6 year old truck but it's used quite a bit for short distances.

When I bought it from the dealer they said the pads had 4mm left on it and should be replaced within a year.

__________________
2007 Ford Ranger XL 4.0L V6
Magnaflow Catback Exhaust,
6000K Bi-Xenon HID,
Anzo G2 LED Tails
Toyo Open-Country AT2 on 16" XD Series Hoss

You could change the brake fluid. Perhaps before changing the pads, to avoid pushing old fluid back into the lines when the caliper pistons are pushed back.

Short trips / city-driving / stop-and-go = severe service schedule.

While you've got the wheel off, check the tie rod ends, ball joints (for play), and the cv joint boots to ensure in-tact, no tears.

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2011 Supercab Sport 4x4, 4.0L, Auto, 3.73LS.