How do you remove the front brake rotor on a 1997 F150 4X4?

Remove the caliper bolts, and then you have to remove the hub and bearing assembly. It's under the dust cap. After you remove the dust cap, you'll see a cotter key holding a washer in place. Remove this and that will grant you access to the nut that you need to remove to get the bearing and hub off. Once you do that, the rotor should come right off. If it's really rusted, you might need to use a puller.