Recently I replaced my truck's brake pads at 129k miles. This was the second time the pads were replaced with no rotors resurfaced/replaced nor calipers rebuilt/replaced. I still don't have 130k miles on it. I went boating/fishing today. After I backed the boat into the water and launched it, I got back into the truck to park the truck and trailer and my brake pedal went to within about 1/2" of the floor. I drove out of the water, parked and we went boating. Then I backed it back into the water with very little braking power and pulled the boat 10 miles back home with only two wheels braking. It was risky but I got away with it. I could have launched my truck as well as the boat into the salt water! When I got home I looked under the truck and saw that the left front caliper had dumped its fluid. So, I'm looking at rebuilding/replacing some calipers now. I'm 70 yrs old and this is the first caliper I've ever had fail like this. I've had only one freeze up before or rather it was frozen when I bought the Escort for my son.

 

You're preaching to the choir. I just hot 100k and I'm on my second set of rear calipers and 3rd, yes 3rd on the front. Horrid quality. Someday I'm doing a big brake kit. Its just flat out unacceptable.

 

Yep had the same problem at about the same miles on my 02. Front driver side caliper literally blew up.
I found out I had no brakes when i was out two tracking and taking a corner a little fast and the brakes went to the floor. Luckily the corner was sandy and I was able to actually drift the truck around it. Or else I was going into the trees.

 

Where did you buy your calipers? Somebody on this site posted a while back that you would be better off rebuilding the ones you have since the rebuilds typically still have pitting in the cylinders and they don't hold up.

 

I checked around today and nobody stocks caliper rebuild kits and most don't even offer them. Advance still can order them and of course rockauto has them for order. I think I will see if my bleed screws can be turned without wringing them off and if they turn I will buy rebuild kits. Rebuilding them will save about $200 on all four and since I am retired I have more time than money!

What I really want is the Brembo Big Brake Kit but it costs $3643 at Tire Rack. I called and confirmed that I don't have to replace my wheels to install them. But, like I said, I'm retired....

 

It turned out to be a ruptured brake line to the front wheel. So all I'm doing is to replace the one line.

 

That is a pretty easy fix for you! Make sure you bleed out the whole system now.........but I didn't really have to tell you that, did I? Haha

 

I have had to replace both front calipers on both of the F-150s I have owned. Motorcraft brakes are junk. One caliper locked up on each side so I just replaced them in pairs. That's the curse of buying pre-owned though. Both trucks were roughly 70k miles. I hope the 2009+ brake failure rate has declined from the 2008-.