1996 brake pads

[iceheart]

i am getting to replace the pads on my 96 town car, and was considering going to a ceramic as opposed to a factory pad. does anyone have any feedback on the pros and cons?

[Towncar]

Originally Posted by iceheart

i am getting to replace the pads on my 96 town car, and was considering going to a ceramic as opposed to a factory pad. does anyone have any feedback on the pros and cons?

OEM Pads SUCK, avoid FoMoCo like a plague, the wear very fast and constantly spray black dust all over the place.

Ceramic on the 1996 is a bad idea since the stock rotors are very small (10") to begin with. The harder pads will prematurely overheat the rotors, warping and excessive wear comes quickly. The single piston Caliper fails more easily in overheated conditions too. Now, if you drive like me, (27/28mpg) this isn't really relevant. Pulsating pedal, shimmying steering, screeching pads... not worth it in my opinion.


Do yourself a huge favor, get the low dusting Bendix Premium pads, and if you must replace the rotors, go with the Bendix Premium as well. There's lots of inferior aftermarket pads and rotors coming from China that wear and wrap even under light duty usage. Stick with the good stuff, you can skimp somewhere else

FYI. It is possible to change the 10" / Single piston caliper to the 12" / dual caliper from 1998+ or even the 13" / dual from the Mustang Cobra. These mods are bolt on and require quite a few components from the donor vehicle.

[iceheart]

thanks Towncar, i appreciate the info you have given me. Quick questions- is that parts upgrade available to do on all four corners or just the front/back? Also, are the repair cd's I see on Ebay worth the money or should i spring for the repair manual the dealership mech's use everyday?

[iceheart]

thanks Towncar, i appreciate the info you have given me. Quick questions- is that parts upgrade available to do on all four corners or just the front/back? Also, are the repair cd's I see on Ebay worth the money or should i spring for the repair manual the dealsership mech's use everyday?

[Towncar]

Originally Posted by iceheart

Quick questions- is that parts upgrade available to do on all four corners or just the front/back?

The fronts are the only ones that matter as they do 80% of the braking work. You do have a point though, once the larger rotors are installed on the fronts the wheels need to be changed too, ours wouldn't fit. That said, the rears would have to match the fronts There's a writeup >> here << on the switch to 1998's.

Originally Posted by iceheart

Also, are the repair cd's I see on Ebay worth the money or should i spring for the repair manual the dealership mech's use everyday?

I have both, actually three revisions. One CD (set), One DVD, and the paper Shop Manual. ALL three have the exact same content, word for word. You can download your choice for free at fordcds.com (donation encouraged) rather than buying from eBay, or I could make/ send you a copy of mine. These are the ones used at the dealers.