Ford Sterling 10.25 Disc Brake Kit Instructions

If you have a Ford Sterling 10.25 Disc Brake Kit or if you’re thinking about buying one, you might be wondering how to install the kit on your truck. That’s why we put together this guide.

The Ford Sterling 10.25 Disc Brake Kit is designed for the Ford Sterling 10.25 full float single rear wheel (SRW) rear axle. These axles are well built, and they’re used in all Ford 3/4 and 1 ton trucks from 1985-97. There are two variations of the full float SRW axles:

• The 1985-92 variation
• The 1993-97 variation

The main difference is the pinion length. The 93-97 is the stronger axle.

The Ford Sterling 10.25 full float SRW axle is a great axle because it has more ground clearance than a GM 14 bolt axle. It also has about the same strength, and it still has the standard 8×6.5 lug pattern.

Below is a picture a customer sent us of their completed Ford Sterling 10.25 disc brake kit.

What’s in the Kit?

The Sterling 10.25 Disc Brake Kit comes in two boxes. The kit contains the following items:

• 2 rotors
• 1 bag of bolts (caliper bracket bolts, lock washers, banjo bolts, copper washers)
• 2 calipers
• 4 Brake pads
• 2 flex hoses
• 2 brackets (note: the brackets are hidden under calipers – remove the cardboard at the bottom to find them)

Here are the installation instructions:

Disassembly

1. Jack up the vehicle and place the rear axle on jack stands in a level area. Chock the front wheels. Do not set the parking brake.
2. Remove the wheels and tires.
3. Remove the brake drums. If there is nothing holding the drums on but rust, use of a large hammer and great force may be required. This is particularly true if the rust is bad.
4. Place an oil catch can under the end of the axle shaft.
5. Remove the 8 bolts that hold the axle shaft in.
6. Hit the end of the axle shaft as if you were trying to drive it in. It will pop out when the right amount of force is used. Another option is to use a hammer and punch to hit the backside of the axle shaft mounting flange.
7. Remove the hub. You will need a special socket to remove the lock nut. The part number for this socket is W83008 and it can be found at most parts stores. On the driver’s side, the threads for the locknut are backwards so turn it clockwise to loosen it. Once you have the locknut off, the hub assembly will slide off.
8. Disconnect the brake line and the emergency brake cable.
9. Remove the backing place with the brake shoes.

Note that the only parts you will reuse are the hub, bearings, locknut, and axle shaft.

Assembly

1. Install the caliper bracket on the back side of the flange with the new nuts and bolts. Most people put the bracket to the rear of the vehicle so the two threaded holes in the end of the bracket are somewhat vertical. Do not use the lock washers. This is a test fit, so don’t torque the bolts yet. Just snug them.
2. Put the hub back on and tighten the lock nut to 55-65 lb-ft then back off 5 clicks for new bearings or 8 clicks for used bearings.
3. Thoroughly wire brush the hub face where the rotor makes contact. Any little bit of rust scale will cause runout.
4. Slide the rotor on and install two lug nuts to hold it in place.
5. Measure the distance from the rotor to the bracket. The distance should be 3/4 to 7/8 inch. If the bracket is too close to the rotor, install the lock washer as a spacer between the flange and the bracket. (Please note: Most ‘85-‘92 models will need the washer as a spacer between the bracket and flange. Generally, the ‘93-‘97 trucks do not need them.) Remember to tighten the caliper bracket bolts after this step.
6. Put the caliper on so the bleeder is up. If the bleeder is not at the top of the caliper, you won’t be able to bleed the brakes.
7. Install the axle shaft.
8. Tighten the axle shaft retaining bolts to 60-80 lb-ft. Use “permanent” thread locker. (The axle shaft retaining bolts on this axle are known for vibrating loose over time. If your bolts are in poor condition, get new ones from your Ford dealer.)
9. Install the brake hoses with the new banjo bolts included in the bag of bolts.
10. Put a copper washer on either side of the hose fitting on the banjo bolt.
11. Cut the hard line on the axle and reflare it. Check to see if the fitting will thread into the hose first. If not, you may need to get a new fitting. Your local parts store will have them. If they can’t find just the fitting, buy the shortest 3/16 brake line and it will come with two fittings. When cutting the hard line, allow enough length of the flex hose to take the caliper on and off to replace pads.
12. Bleed the brakes and enjoy.