I had bought these 6 or 7 weeks ago, but life got in the way before I was finally able to install the Timbren BES Brake Kit for my 2024 F350. I was debating between Powerstop brakes and the new Timbren brake kit for the Super Duty, and decided to give the Timbren a try. I only did the front brakes so far, still debating if I just upgrade the pads in the rear or go full rotor/pad replacements (which would be Powerstop as Timbren only make pads for the rear).
Tropical storm Rachel (almost hurricane Rachel) was approaching the San Diego area today, but the forecast gave me enough time to get this done. I have never done a brake replacement before, and I was calculating about 2-2.5 hours per side, which was spot on, but for reasons out of my control. There are a couple of really detailed YouTube videos about brake replacements on the newer Super Duty and they were really helpful, but there were some significant differences in my truck, and that added extra time. The biggest challenge was the removal and installation of the brake pad bracket. All videos showed two 21mm bolts per bracket, but truck had four bolts and they were a b*tch to loosen and remove. I think there was so much Loctite being used at Ford that it turned a 5-minute job into 30 minutes each. It was so difficult to loosen and install the bolts, even my DeWalt Impact Driver could not get the bolts out after they were loosened. A ratchet, breaker bar, and a lot of grit/muscle power were needed to get these bolts out (or back installed).
There was a lot of rust and I am wondering if that is partially due to the brake dust that the OEM brakes are known for. To remove the rotors, I had to get the good old WD40 to help me. Just hammering the rotors loose was not enough. Needless to say, I had a lot of rust removal to do and then used a lot of anti-seize when putting everything back together.
The initial test of the Timbren BES Brakes was very good. They do not require the "complicated" steps that the Powerstop brakes need, but I kinda followed some of the steps. I would assume even new OEM brakes would perform better compared to the OEM brakes I swapped out, but I have to say, so far the Timbren brakes felt better compared to the OEM brakes even when the truck was newly married to the Rossmonster Baja habitat. The only thing I was not able to test today, was extended downhill driving and braking with the 12,000+ lbs of permanent weight in the back. The Timbren brakes are supposed to be really good with high temperatures from weather and extensive braking on down hills, but that test will have to weight.
Tropical storm Rachel (almost hurricane Rachel) was approaching the San Diego area today, but the forecast gave me enough time to get this done. I have never done a brake replacement before, and I was calculating about 2-2.5 hours per side, which was spot on, but for reasons out of my control. There are a couple of really detailed YouTube videos about brake replacements on the newer Super Duty and they were really helpful, but there were some significant differences in my truck, and that added extra time. The biggest challenge was the removal and installation of the brake pad bracket. All videos showed two 21mm bolts per bracket, but truck had four bolts and they were a b*tch to loosen and remove. I think there was so much Loctite being used at Ford that it turned a 5-minute job into 30 minutes each. It was so difficult to loosen and install the bolts, even my DeWalt Impact Driver could not get the bolts out after they were loosened. A ratchet, breaker bar, and a lot of grit/muscle power were needed to get these bolts out (or back installed).
There was a lot of rust and I am wondering if that is partially due to the brake dust that the OEM brakes are known for. To remove the rotors, I had to get the good old WD40 to help me. Just hammering the rotors loose was not enough. Needless to say, I had a lot of rust removal to do and then used a lot of anti-seize when putting everything back together.
The initial test of the Timbren BES Brakes was very good. They do not require the "complicated" steps that the Powerstop brakes need, but I kinda followed some of the steps. I would assume even new OEM brakes would perform better compared to the OEM brakes I swapped out, but I have to say, so far the Timbren brakes felt better compared to the OEM brakes even when the truck was newly married to the Rossmonster Baja habitat. The only thing I was not able to test today, was extended downhill driving and braking with the 12,000+ lbs of permanent weight in the back. The Timbren brakes are supposed to be really good with high temperatures from weather and extensive braking on down hills, but that test will have to weight.
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