Aftermarket front brakes - HELP
 

Ok I have a 1998 2.5L Reg cab 2WD - 2 wheel ABS ( rear ) with COIL SPRINGS. All of the aftermarket brakes I look up want to sell me rotors without the threaded studs attached to the rotor. To get the threaded studs, i have to get the torsion bar version. I dont understand what does having a torsion bar suspension have to do with brakes and is my Ranger some special 1998 edition as to why I can't find the correct rotors? And on top of that, they are all 4 wheel ABS versions. Well I don't have that.

I'd like to add that i'm looking for rotors that do not warp! Every Ranger i've ever owned has warped rotors. So i'm looking for slotted aftermarket rotors that come with brake pads as a complete kit.

2WD Rangers had coil springs the whole time, a few models like the EDGE and SPORT 2WDs had torsion bar from 1998 and up

The 4x4s all got torsion bar, 1998 and up

Rotors with studs are the whole wheel hub, not just rotors.
And would most likely only come with ABS, since it can be used on either model, same as most radiators only come with transcooler built-in, can be used on manual or auto

So yours currently has rotor and hub as one piece?

Rotor doesn't come off unless you take off hub nut and pull the whole hub off the spindle?

My search shows separate rotors for 1998 2WD Rangers, and you can get slotted versions



Rotors warp from being over heated, if you have a manual transmission use lower gears when going down hill to slow you down
If you have an automatic do the same thing, down shift and use engine compression to slow you down on long grades
Or use the brakes and slow down more than needed, then let brakes cool off as speed increases before using them again to slow down more than needed
If you ride the brakes you warp the rotors, simple as that, on any vehicle
Brakes are there to stop you in traffic or at a stop sign, other than that brake pedal shouldn't be used

I have done alot of front brakes for other people and replace warped rotors, but none on mine since my Grandfather gave me the above advice

Now you can get a bad caliper, and that can overheat a rotor, but you should feel a slight pull to one side when that is happening.

Yes my rotor does not come off unless I take the whole hub off the spindle. Now, to get this setup, I have to say I have a torsion bar suspension. I do not have a torsion bar! But I want to know why they even ask that? What does that have to do with brakes?

This person on Youtube is doing a brake job on the exact truck I have. 2X4 no front ABS., no torsion bar. As you can see it's all one piece, rotor n hub.

I disagree about warped brakes. I had a two brand new 2000 Rangers back in the day. 1st panic stop on the freeway they were warped. Good luck driving without a panic stop ever for the life of that vehicle. I've never had warped brakes on other make n models that were not Fords. I also have a Kia that I had an extreme brake test on the freeway recently and the brakes work like new still. It's not always the driver nor faulty brakes. It's more like poor design or inadequate brakes for the size of the vehicle.

Not sure what the confusion is, if rotor and hub are one piece then get that model.
The coil spring 2WD probably had separate rotor "normally", yours has the torsion bar version, "normally" used on Rangers with torsion bars, so just a description
And ABS hubs would be standard, only difference is built in tone wheel, no reason to keep making non-ABS hubs since ABS works with either

Never ran into that myself

Saw these: https://www.1aauto.com/brake-rotor-pair/i/1apbr00296?f=1065608&y=1998&utm_campaign=gb_csv_br &utm_content=PBR&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIi_mvk6HA3QIVhMV kCh0XPAFAEAQYBCABEgJ76fD_BwE

slotted non-ABS rotor/hubs for 2WD Ranger

I have read posts on people going to larger rotors, but I think besides the parts you would need to go to 16" wheels as well