Front rotors on the Dana 44 TTB Bronco are 11.72" diameter with a 0.96" discard thickness. The 1987–1992 trucks use tension-pin calipers and the 1994–1996 trucks use two-bolt calipers — buy the right caliper hardware kit for your year. Pad/rotor jobs on this truck always include a wheel-bearing repack, because the rotor and the bearings come off as one assembly.
This is brake work, and brake work is safety-critical. Take the warning labels seriously: brake dust contains material you don't want in your lungs, brake fluid attacks paint, and a caliper bolt that's not torqued correctly will let go on the highway. If anything during this job feels wrong, stop and double-check torque values and bleed condition.
The Dana 44 TTB hub is the key complication. On most modern vehicles, the rotor sits in front of the hub and pulls off independently. On the 1980–1996 Bronco, the rotor is sandwiched between the inner and outer wheel bearings — meaning to pull a rotor, you also pull the hub. That means you're touching the wheel bearings every time you do front brakes, and you should treat every pad-and-rotor service as a bearing-repack service. Buying new bearings is cheap insurance; the L68149/L68111 (outer) and LM67048/LM67010 (inner) bearing-and-race sets are well under $60 for both sides.
Calipers come off easily once you support them. Don't let a caliper dangle from the soft brake hose — hang it from the spring with a bungee or coat hanger. If the slide pins are seized (they almost always are on a 30-year-old truck), replace the slide pin kit. Seized slides cause uneven pad wear and pulsing brakes that look like warped rotors.
Bearing preload is set by feel after torque. Tighten the inner spindle nut to 50 ft-lb while rotating the rotor back and forth — this seats the bearings. Back the inner nut off about 45 degrees so the rotor turns freely with no end play. Install the lock washer, then the outer nut, and torque the outer nut to 150 ft-lb. Pulling this preload too tight is the #1 cause of premature bearing failure on rebuilt Dana 44 hubs.
Pad slap (pulling old pads, throwing in new ones, ignoring rotor condition) is not a job on this truck. Measure the rotor with a vernier caliper; if it's at or below 0.96" thick, replace it. Resurfacing rusty Dana 44 rotors usually pulls them past discard.
| Part | Vendor | Est. price |
|---|---|---|
| Front rotors (Dana 44 TTB, 11.72" diameter) | Power Stop / Centric / Raybestos | ~$90 |
| Ceramic front pads | Wagner / Akebono | ~$32 |
| Caliper slide pin kit | Carlson / Raybestos | ~$14 |
| Wheel bearing grease (high-temp) | Mobil 1 / Valvoline VV614 | ~$8 |
| Inner / outer wheel bearings + races (if repacking) | Timken / SKF | ~$60 |
Written and maintained by an AZ wheeler and driveway wrencher. Always cross-reference your factory service manual — modifications affect vehicle safety and warranty. Work at your own risk.