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My truck is a 2009 Ford, F-150 XLT, 5.4L, 4X4 that I’ll be pulling a tow behind 26' RV trailer, (rough weight empty 5K pounds).
Had my truck in to be serviced and my mechanic said I should have the brakes and rotors replaced (starting to chip and crack at edges) before towing or hauling anything heavy. This is not only my first full size truck but also will be the first time towing anything of length/weight like this. With that said…not sure what parts are available for my vehicle given the application I’ll be using it for. So, was hoping to get some advice from those with more knowledge then I have about this.
My question is before ordering brake replacement parts:
Should I stick with the stock brake parts, (OR), is there such a thing as heavy duty rotors and brake pads given what I will be using them for? I just want to get the proper parts to help prevent as much as possible: warping, overheating, and premature wear while trying to stop when needed with a heavy trailer attached.
Forgot to mention earlier the RV trailer is equipped with trailer brakes and I’ll be using the brake controller that came with the truck.
I just ordered from R1 Concepts. First time doing so. I am tired of the rotors I get from the chain auto stores warping etc. Even on my 2015 Buick Encore they never seem to last as long as I would think they should. I bought drilled and slotted rotors that are treated for rust with nice pads and hardware for not much more than at the store. Also they had a 10 percent off code when joining email. If I like them, will buy for my other cars as well down the road.
If the trailer brakes are properly setup and functioning well, why would you need to upgrade the truck? Hauling heavier loads my pedal feel is close to the same with or without the trailer.
That said: Couldn't disagree more on the whole drilled and slotted thing, especially drilled. With current technology it is nothing but a marketing gimmick, and no truly heavy duty brake rotor is drilled.
Quite frankly the easiest (and sometimes cheapest) way to get a true brake upgrade is to buy more truck. The Brembo brakes on my hot rod were about five grand for the cheap ones.
I know the Powerstop Z36 rotors and pads are a pretty popular choice and reasonably priced. People seem to rave about them. I have not tried them on the F150 as my pads still have a lot of meat on them, but I did just order them for my Jeep and will be installing those once they arrive.
If the trailer brakes are properly setup and functioning well, why would you need to upgrade the truck? Hauling heavier loads my pedal feel is close to the same with or without the trailer.
That said: Couldn't disagree more on the whole drilled and slotted thing, especially drilled. With current technology it is nothing but a marketing gimmick, and no truly heavy duty brake rotor is drilled.
Quite frankly the easiest (and sometimes cheapest) way to get a true brake upgrade is to buy more truck. The Brembo brakes on my hot rod were about five grand for the cheap ones.
I do agree. If your brake gain is set right it shouldn't even feel like you are stopping the trailer with the truck.
I do agree. If your brake gain is set right it shouldn't even feel like you are stopping the trailer with the truck.
I beg to differ, I can tell you with the gain set well on this trailer I can still tell it's back there when stopping. It weighs 20k loaded so no way it's going to stop the same as no trailer.
The front rotors on these 09-14 trucks tend to Warp causing brake vibration. Upgrading is definitely worth it. I have an '11 Lariat supercrew. I tow a custom built 7x14 V-nose enclosed trailer for my Polaris Ranger. Somewhere around 43,000 miles mine developed a light vibration when braking. It slowly got pretty bad. Had the front rotors replaced, rears turned. Sometime later it started vibrating again when I hit the brakes pretty hard. Decided to upgrade to a Brake Performance Premium Slotted and Dimpled rotor kit with pads. Complete front/back was around $425.00 I think. The Powerslot has a nice kit too. Did it back in April of '16 and they are still performing flawlessly. www.brakeperformance.com.
I know the Powerstop Z36 rotors and pads are a pretty popular choice and reasonably priced. People seem to rave about them. I have not tried them on the F150 as my pads still have a lot of meat on them, but I did just order them for my Jeep and will be installing those once they arrive.
I have, and once bedded well, they are F'n Awesome in stopping power! Going to get the set I have trued up and some new pads, and if no place near me will turn them, just get another full set. They reduced my braking distance by at least 10-20 feet, and the pedal feel is nice and firm, unlike the stock where if feels a little soft at the end. They stayed nice and cool going down I-70 from the IKE tunnel both ways too.
Wow, that is great to hear on both posts about the performance. To me, if the drilled reduces heat for race cars, I would assume it would for me. I have read up on this and seem to hear the same about performance gains with better stopping and less warpage from regular people with no marketing interests. Just got mine in today for my little Buick Encore and just the quality alone on the rotors and pads from looking at the craftsmanship seem much better quality than the ones at the big box stores. For me, time will tell. Appreciate everyone's input.
Wow, that is great to hear on both posts about the performance. To me, if the drilled reduces heat for race cars, I would assume it would for me. I have read up on this and seem to hear the same about performance gains with better stopping and less warpage from regular people with no marketing interests. Just got mine in today for my little Buick Encore and just the quality alone on the rotors and pads from looking at the craftsmanship seem much better quality than the ones at the big box stores. For me, time will tell. Appreciate everyone's input.
The reason some hate upon drilled rotors is that excessive heat can cause cracks to occur at the holes. On cheap rotors, yes, this will happen. The Powerstop rotors are chamferred to prevent cracking and are also treated to take more heat and not crack. They do stay cooler, and the slots help evacuate any gas that builds up when braking hard. The pads lasted me ~70K miles before one stuck in the slide and got chewed up. There should be enough meat on them that I can have them resurfaced.
03-29-2019, 12:49 PM
Brakes: Towing/Hauling heavy loads
