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Old 11-05-2013, 05:49 AM   #1
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E250 Brake Upgrade Finished Now With Photos!

Had been long planning to swap out my '03 E250 EB cargo/work truck for the '08 versions, time wasn't an issue originally. As fate goes I discovered the ball joints, tie rod ends etc would benefit from being renewed so the schedule was moved forward a bit. Completed this past weekend on a lovely day here in the midwest; overcast, 30% chance of rain and a balmy 50*!

I have numerous photos of the process as well as a list of parts used. If anyone is really interested I could do a write up. This swap has already been successfully accomplished by a few members here so its a known doable thing. My process was slightly different in that I assembled all necessary parts but others who've done this same swap/upgrade purchased entire new front suspension take-off assemblies. The price for those take off parts is great making that approach a bit more simple than my process here. The upside for me was selecting and sourcing nothing but top quality parts for very good price and from that aspect I'm not at all disappointed with my final cost.

If there's any sincere interest or definite plans to do this same swap I'm happy to contribute as best I can. Otherwise know this swap is entirely possible and virtually trouble-free regardless how or from whom the parts are sourced.

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Old 11-05-2013, 09:43 AM   #2
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Re: E250 Brake Upgrade Finished!

Congrats on finally doing it, and welcome to the "club."

A write-up is always a good idea if you have the time, as it creates a great resource for folks. At the very least, might be helpful to post exactly the parts you got for the swap.

What did the parts end up costing you a la carte? I'm guessing ~$2,000?

The newer brakes are definitely stronger and a nice upgrade. And if you had to do the other stuff anyway, seems logical to do it all.
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Old 11-05-2013, 01:42 PM   #3
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Re: E250 Brake Upgrade Finished!

OMG no Brian----no where near $2K----we must shop different places!

Just for the brake upgrade a la cart I'm into this for about $658. Labor added $360 for everything done that day, have since replaced radius arm and axle pivot bushings with urethane parts. Labor for that bit was $182, alignment and Michelin LTX's are all that remain for completion of this upgrade.

I'm in process of writing this up, parts list with correct numbers included. I will include my source of parts as I did find a few crazy good sites that could benefit anyone owning an E-Series van.

Stay tuned---I'm slow at all this!
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Old 11-06-2013, 04:01 AM   #4
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Re: E250 Brake Upgrade Finished!

Ah, I thought you did the full front swap, not just brakes. Buying all the suspension parts, arms, etc., would easily push $2k I assume.
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Old 11-06-2013, 05:59 AM   #5
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Re: E250 Brake Upgrade Finished!

I'd bet you're 100% correct Brian----everything might exceed that $2K!

The new take off packages are an incredible bargain and had it not been a logistical nightmare to obtain one I too would have taken advantage of them. One seller pointed out the cost for new rotors and calipers alone far, far exceeded the asking price. Factoring in the packages also included new ball joints the savings add up almost exponentially. Sadly that option didn't work out for me.

Assuming the radius arms, I-Beams and/or steering knuckle don't need replaced this swap can be done with brake parts alone. My way certainly takes the long way around but as mentioned the complete package option wasn't available to me for various reasons.

I'm just about ready to post the complete write up---should be today yet--if all goes as planned!
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Old 11-06-2013, 07:23 AM   #6
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Photos, Text Etc Etc

Beginning model year 2008 E-Series vans received a significantly more powerful front brake package. Larger diameter and thickness rotors, appropriately sized calipers and pads all contribute to this increased braking power. Those of us with earlier year chassis can add that package relatively easily. There are no difficult or complex modifications necessary since the steering knuckles or spindle assemblies have remained very similar over the years. Honestly the most difficult was/is handling the heavier-than-stock rotor assemblies!

There are several sellers of complete front suspensions, new take off parts that include steering knuckles already fitted with rotors/calipers/pads, radius arms and all tie rod/drag link parts too. Special note should be made that the knuckles with these packages include new OEM ball joints along with radius arm/axle pivot bushings too. Since these packages were simply removed from zero miles chassis anyone lucky enough to have bought these received a great deal in so many ways.

As a caution to those who have purchased one of those packages check the front bearing grease for a proper amount. My new take-off rotor/hub assemblies were very light on grease which if not corrected leads to early bearing failure. This important step would be easy to miss.

My re-fit grew to include new ball joints and all tie rod ends too. Worn to the point replacing them was best there was no better time to wrap it all into a single procedure. I did replace the stock OEM axle pivot and radius arm bushings with urethane parts from Energy Suspension of San Clemente, CA, another thing I do to assure reliability over the longer term.

Because this swap can be done without replacing ball joints ect I won't spend much time describing that unless its pertinent to the brake swap. I did replace front shocks which is highly recommended unless the installed ones are very new.

So onward we go.................

Parts used:

Code:
1	8C2Z-2B120-CR		Rt Caliper, OEM/Motorcraft equivalent
1	8C2Z-2B121-CL		Lt Caliper, as above
2	8C2Z-2B292-C		 Cali Bracket, OEM (New Take Offs)
4	N811625-S101		 Cali Bracket Bolts, OEM
2	8C2Z-2C150-C		 Cali Hardware Kits, OEM/Motorcraft equivalent
1	8C2Z-2078-BR		 Rt Flexible Hose, OEM
1	8C2Z-2078-BL		 Lt Flexible Hose, OEM
2	386493-S439		  Flexible Hose Clips
1	UP-8440-M		    NAPA Ultra Premium front pads
2	Take Off's			Rotor/hub assemblies  (Details Upon Request)
2	33-187563			 Bllstein Heavy Duty Front Shocks
2	N806085-S441		 Shock Mount Nuts, OEM
All these parts totalled about $658 not including labor or any other parts used. My prices for new parts might vary to some degree due discounts and lucky discoveries. For example the rotor/hub assemblies were $165 for the pair shipped, caliper brackets were $99 shipped, also as a pair. Suppliers for those parts will sell to anyone so those discounts could be enjoyed by most anyone. PM me for those contacts if interested.

A few preliminary photos;

All brake parts in one shot:


Showing new '08 rotor/hubs and calipers fitted to a loose wheel:


Showing same as above with “07 & earlier rotor/hubs and calipers:


Physical differences:

'07 dimensions:


08 dimensions:


Diameter increased just about 1/2” while both friction surfaces received healthy increases both in overall thickness as well as the individual friction surfaces too--FWIW these weigh about 55 lbs each.

Installed:






This swap isn't at all difficult assuming there's some DIY experience with servicing front disc brakes and/or rotors, bearings etc. For me timing was made perfect as my original brakes have about 177K miles on them, the rotors and calipers pretty much worn past the point of having a reliable and safe brake system.

Having planned on this swap since first learning of it allowed me time to source parts for the best prices. Apart from caliper brackets and rotor/hub assemblies it all came direct from a local Ford dealer. I enjoy a trade discount on new parts so I could use premium parts at lesser quality prices.

There are other pads from Carbo-Tech Engineering that are said to be very vast improvements over most everything else---at almost $300 for the front set I can't yet wrap my head around that cost. The upside to those is they're extremely easy on the rotors, tend to last well over 100K miles which is a huge selling point. For now I'll run with the NAPA Ultra Premium parts, checking them frequently to gauge their performance.

I have other photos and can discuss ball joint installation from the DIY POV including how to set toe-in until the van can be properly aligned. Please feel to comment or ask any questions---glad to help any way I can!
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Old 11-06-2013, 07:32 PM   #7
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Re: E250 Brake Upgrade Finished Now With Photos!

So these are E-450 brakes on 16: wheels?
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Old 11-06-2013, 07:45 PM   #8
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Re: E250 Brake Upgrade Finished Now With Photos!

Quote:
Originally Posted by daveb
So these are E-450 brakes on 16: wheels?
They are. All the vans get E450 brakes up front now. I'm pretty sure most aftermarket 16" alloys would not fit. Its tight with the steelies (I have 17" so I'm good)
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Old 11-06-2013, 07:46 PM   #9
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Re: E250 Brake Upgrade Finished Now With Photos!

PS - don't forget to bed-in the brakes to get the most out of them.

http://www.stoptech.com/technical-su...ake-pad-bed-in
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Old 11-06-2013, 07:58 PM   #10
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Re: E250 Brake Upgrade Finished Now With Photos!

Quote:
Originally Posted by carringb
Quote:
Originally Posted by daveb
So these are E-450 brakes on 16: wheels?
They are. All the vans get E450 brakes up front now. I'm pretty sure most aftermarket 16" alloys would not fit. Its tight with the steelies (I have 17" so I'm good)
Damn, I thought Paul (oldbonesclimber) was able to do on 16 alloys. Looks like I'm screwed.
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