If you're willing to spend an hour on this yourself, take the wheels off, take the calipers off and remove the pads. Clean everything out really well and put everything back together. Sometimes there's a metal tab that you can hammer over to the caliper into a little slot that's made to keep the pad from moving (on some older GM cars I've worked on in the past). You might also find a product in the parts store you can put on the back of the pads to help stop squeaks. That's almost always does the trick for me. This is assuming the squealing isn't coming from the pad-to-rotor contact for some reason. Many times it's simply the pad moving around that causes the squeak. If you're willing and able, give that a shot.

 

These brakes just keep getting louder and louder. Next oil change, they're getting looked at. From what I can see, the pads and rotors seem to be fine. But I feel so belittled when they guy in his new Dodge pulls up and mine squeaks and squeaks after I just get done telling him how much better my truck is than his.

I now keep thinking, "What if?"

What if I had bought the '03 when I had the chance? Less money. All the kinks worked out.

What if I hadn't been so stubborn about looking at Dodge?

What if I hadn't been so impatient waiting for the Tundra?

What if Chevy didn't make the Silverado so ugly. Same with Nissan and the Titan.

What if I bought the GMC Sierra after I test drove it?

What if? What if? What if?

 

Put my truck to work this weekend. Nothing to tough, I thought. Helping a friend move and was doing alot of back and forth trips (maybe 10 miles round) and after the second trip the brakes started to squeal and progressivley got worse. I couldn't take it anymore and just threw in the towel. A little work and all it does is complain!!!

You spend this much on a vehicle at least they could get the brakes right. At least Ford got the engine right...no wait. They did at least get the transmission correct...no wait. At least there is no drive line related problems...no wait. The squeaks, rattles, shakes and don't forget the whistle. Oh, the lovely whistle. What did they get right. Well, at least my air coinditioner works....ya that doesn't friggin' work right either.

But at least the inside is pretty. It did get excellent safety ratings. It would have too. Spends so much time up on the rack that I can't drive it. No danger there.

Ok, I'm done. Just had to vent!!!

 

Thankfully I haven't had any major mechanical problems as of yet. Just a lot of little annoyances. But these annoyances really add up after a while. I keep seeing people put that "This is the best truck they've ever owned." Guess they haven't owned many trucks. Is it so hard to make a friggin vehicle work properly in all areas? I've got to believe that the manufacturer's know these things are going to go wrong when they put them out on the market. But they do it anyway.

 

My brakes were squeaking at my last check up. Dealer de-glazed the pads and rusurfaced the rotors. Squeak is now back 2 weeks later.

 

Yea, I had mine into the dealer to replace the fuel door and I asked about the brakes. I got the same old line too. "They are the new compound, so it's normal". Well then Ford screwed up with the "new" compound. My '98 never squeeled! The only thing I can figure is Ford and other mfg.s are mandated by enviromental regulations and are using compounds that are more environmentally friendly but not as good?? Bring back the Asbestos!

 

Mine don't squeak but I had the rotors turned/machined at 9000 miles because they were warped. Warpage was causing the steering wheel to shimmy when applying the brakes. They are doing it again at 15000 miles. Guess I'll just have them machined every oil change. Wonder how many times they can be machined before they have to be replaced....

 

Unfortunately Ford rotors are not as thick as they used to be. These days you will get one turning and the next time it would be replacement. Otherwise, they become too thin and warp even quicker. Once they are out of warranty, they are expensice too. If they are like the older ones, the rotor is part of the wheel hub. Someone correct me if the 04 is different. Brakes have never been a strong point on F150s. All quiet here so far.

 

"There are a few post where the brakes needed repairs at very low miles. I think it was under 5000 ."

mine "feel" (and sound) like they need changing now - 3500 miles! i'll find out tuesday when i have these and the litany of other stuff addressed on this 4 month old truck.

 

new pads, whether on a new ford or new replacement pads, must be broken in gently. Three slow and steady braking stops from about 25mph, then three to five more from low 30 mph. Then let the truck cool for at least one hour. Your pads could have been glazed by someone stopping it too hard before you even had a chance to drive it. Good news is your squealing brakes is almost certainly caused by the pads and they arent that expensive to replace. Unless of course someone drove it so hard as to also warp your rotors but that's not so likely.

 

It will probably come and go every 10k miles...this is normal for all brakes that are metallic. No more asbestos brakes.

Every vehicle I have ever had has squeeled at some point.

 

Well heres my imput: My dad had to get new pads and have his front rotors resurfaced at 8000 miles on his 04 supercab XLT. AT 80 MPH, the slightest pressure on the brake make the whole truck shake. There was also a slight squeak.

 

I don't have this problem at 17,000 but I did receive a letter from my dealership telling me to come in and get my brakes inspected. I took the letter as a way to get me to bring it in for service which i do myself. I did take the truck in for minor TSB work and they never said anything about it but I did use a different dealer. Maybee I should have mentioned it to the SA. The brakes on my truck have always made a noise here and there but never progresivly louder squeeling every time I hit the brakes. If I wash the truck and don't drive for a day or two, they will squeek the first few miles. Good luck