Tow Rig Brakes

01tj

01tj

#notoffroadsc
Joined
Mar 12, 2008
Location
Greenwood Sc
Its about time to put some new brake pads on my 06.5 Duramax. On other cars I haven't had very good luck using the "best" brake pads they sell at the parts store. Usually have a ton of brake dust, and squeek like crazy. Are you guys using anything special on your tow rigs? I've been looking at some of the EBC pads, but wondered if there was any other options.
 
Interested in the same thing so gonna watch this thread. In addition to brake pads, I also need brake shoes for the rear of my old 96.
 
I've had bad luck with ceramic pads on two different vehicles. The squeaking sucks. I won't buy another set.
 
Fleet duty Carquest front and rear.
 
I've heard good things about Performance Friction pads, but never personally run them. I believe Advance Auto carries a lot of them, but its been a few years since I looked.
 
I had Napa severe duty pads on my f250 and they sucked. They started out decent but after about 30000 miles with over half a pad left, no dust or squeaks, but they apparently didnt work! I noticed they stopped no better the harder you pressed the pedal, panic brake pressure and normal braking pressure stopped about the same. After I almost totalled my truck the second time because of that I switched to hawk LTS pads. They're dusty, sometimes they squeak, but it'll throw you out the windshield if you he-man the brake pedal. Its the best my truck ever stopped.

Also the Napa and auto zone park brake shoes sucked. My driveway slopes about 3" over 50' and they wouldn't hold the truck so I'd have to shut it off and put the six speed in gear if I had to run back inside for something. I put ford shoes on the park brake and it holds like it did new again. The ford shoes are soft enough to dig into with a fingernail.
 
jeepinmatt said:
I've heard good things about Performance Friction pads, but never personally run them. I believe Advance Auto carries a lot of them, but its been a few years since I looked.
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I had those on my old 5.0 many years ago. They worked AWESOME, but squeaked unless they were hot (ie driving hard almost like in an autcross or something). The squeaking drove me nuts, and I eventually changed them out to some kind of standard pad.
 
Ebc pads are great if you get the better non metallic ones. Those are Kevlar fiber.

I've ran ceramic pads in the past and loved them. Better stopping and little to no dust and no noise.

I've heard good thinks about the hawk ceramic but haven't tried them.

I will never use a severe duty metallic pad again. Too much noise dust an fade.
 
drkelly said:
I had those on my old 5.0 many years ago. They worked AWESOME, but squeaked unless they were hot (ie driving hard almost like in an autcross or something). The squeaking drove me nuts, and I eventually changed them out to some kind of standard pad.
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They have many different compounds, so I wouldn't rule them out based on a sports car targeted pad.
 
Good question.. I've ran ThermoQuiets from advance on every car I've install pads on and when I worked as a mechanic that's all we installed unless we got them for the dealer.. The PO installed some from car quest, idk what kind, and they are starting to get annoying so I may change them.. But curious to see what other options are out there
 
I have been extremely happy with these pads. http://www.ctbrakes.com

Carbotech is a small brake pad manufacturer in Concord NC just above the speedway.

I used their pads on my corvette when I was running track days. I had no problem out braking other cars from GT3's to Miata's. I tried Ebc pads in the vette, Carbotechs were a lot better.

I use Carbotech 1521 pads on my TJ. I run 35's and have better brakes then when my TJ was stock on 31's. Their ax6/autocross pads are better but wear out alot faster.

I never used their pads on a tow rig. Can't believe you would be unhappy with them.
 
My 98 Z-71, was like most Chevy Trucks; the brakes & Master Cylinder, suck! I had the pads & shoes replaced once, by 1 of those "lifetime" deals. Made No difference. 4 Wheel Parts, starting advertising their Power Stop Rotors & Pad kit, & I gave it a shot. Lot less expensive than EBC or Hawk. I Can, Feel the difference! Not much effect on the Soft Master Cylinder, but less pedal effort, & I can feel them Dig in. Now, that IS using the cross drilled & slotted rotors, + their Pads. I don't know how just the pads would do. I put very little mileage on the truck, but most of it is Towing or Hauling. I have no idea how long they will last.
 
I have been running ebc greenstuff pads and powerstop drilled/slotted rotors on my work truck. I tow heavy alot (10k plus a 3k trailer quite often) and run it hard on country roads and interstate (70 on country roads most of the the time) to and from jobsites). This is on a 2000 f250 witch is discs fromt and rear with an auto (so its not like i engine brake it often). Honestly i tow way harder than i should but w/e....when your self employed time is money.
Now on to the brakes. The greenstuff pads have been awesome. They ARE dusty as a mfer but damnit they stop great. When i put everything on the damn truck (around 8k+ loaded with work tools etc) stopped like a damn sportscar. The drilled slotted rotors dod their job quite nicely.
The bad is that i did not opt for the cryo treated rotors. The way i tow heats them up quickly so there was a little brake fade initially...not a whole lot. My trailer brakes finally gave out ( new ones on the way from etrailer finally) a couple months ago. Now ive been towing equipment etc without trailer brakes it has hotspotted and cracked the rotors pretty damn bad. But honestly they still stop a 5k tractor on a 3k trailer plus an 8k truck. So i cant complain much at all.
Did i mention that this is only greenstuff pads on the front with severe duty bs on the rear and powerstop drilled/slotted rotors all around? I still have the rear pads sitting in the box in the bottom of my toolcart, never got around to putting them on.
I have put 40k miles on this brake setup if anyone is wondering.
 
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