Heya guys and gals, can anyone give me insight into the best brakes for an '05 Ex 4x4 diesel?
I do a massive amount of towing with it, about 10k of trailer, and I'm finding the stock brakes to be barely enough. During a recent trip from Bakersfield into Death Valley I definitely over heated the brakes and warped a front rotor. So I will be replacing the rotors and pads, for certain. If I'm under there doing brakes, I may as well look at new calipers while I'm at it.

This beast is the ultimate towing machine, almost, and stronger brakes just make a whole lot of sense to me.

I'm currently running 18" rims, but I have he original 16's that I'd like to keep and use as winter tires when I get back into Canada. Having said that, if I have to get rid of the 16's because the new brakes are too big... Oh well. Goodbye 16's!

So... What kind of brake equipment do I want?

 

Upgrade to braided stainless lines, Russell 696490.

 

Dittos on the Russell Brake Lines. However, throw away the aluminum washers they supply with the kit and get some good copper seals.

I have DBA front rotors. They are the ONLY rotors I have not been able to warp. I have been through two sets of OEM rotors and a set of the Powerslot Cryo rotors. Back in mid summer I replaced the OEM calipers with Callahan reman calipers and a new set of Hawk brake pads. Last week I replaced the rear rotors with Hawk rotors. Have been through two sets of OEM rotors previously. Installed Hawk brake pads in reman calipers from The Tire Rack. Got loaded remaned calipers and frames for $95 each.

I pull a 6000 lbs. boat and a 10,000 lbs. dump trailer. Both are dual axle trailers. Of course I have single axle disc brakes on the boat trailer and dual axle disc brakes on the dump trailer that help with braking. With good quality rotors and Hawk brake pads, you should have no problem stopping your X. Have 122K on the clock.

I have no problem stopping the X loaded or not and there is hardly any brake dust.

Ed

 

I have not yet made the switch to the braided brake lines, but I have ordered EBC rotors and EBC Yellow Stuff pads for the front of my EX. They will be replacing NAPA Gold rotors and HAWK LTS pads.

My towing may or may not include +12k lbs...

Gonna have to run the brake lines by the other half of the budget committee, if you know what I mean.

 

I'd start with a good thorough check of the trailer's brake system because it isn't working properly or you don't have the brake controller setup correctly. I pull our 12k lbs travel trailer all over the East with the stock brakes and have never had an overheating issue or brake issues of any kind. With the trailer brakes setup correctly the rig should stop nearly as well as it does when running solo, I've had trailers that actually improved my braking performance when hitched to them!

 

Don't mean to imply anything negative personally, but this question reminds me of another thread recently where the OP asked aboot the same question. BUT, it sounded like he did not know if his trailer brake controller was even working!!! I almost thought that maybe he didn't even have a controller!!!

My '03 towing a 7200# travel trailer has never had any braking problems during a tow, and brakes are great unhooked. We tow in mountains on almost every trip. There is one hill that we are on 2-4 times a year. It averages 14%, and is near 20% on some parts and is a 3+ mile down or up tow. Never had any fade, yes, some heat and odor, never have gotten near any bad situation.

Is it possible that your trailers brakes are bad, out of adjustment, controller needing to be adjusted higher, grease seals out??? If surge brakes (yuck!!), do they need attention?? Trailer brakes should lead the truck slightly, and provide at least 50% of necessary braking power (IMO!). Not picking on you or your equipment, just basing my thoughts on my experiences with my Ex and trailer.

I know you will need brake pieces now, but just suggesting that there may be other problems lurking "behind" you!!!

Just saw post Toms post, and looks like he has the same ideas!!!

 

Ben, I would stay away from the ebc pads. Mine started warping the new rotors in less than a month, and give off the WORST brake dust I have ever seen! All with zero seat of the pants braking improvement. Just my experience.

 

Ed, where do you get the DBA rotors?

 

I went with Hawk pads IIRC and the dust was insane. The stopping power is horrible and I'll be pulling it all apart soon to see what the deal is. They were installed with brand new rotors (drilled) at the same time.

 

I wondered that too...

DBAUSA | Dealers

 

I expect bad dust, as their own site rates them as very dusty.

Generally, what is referred to as warping is actually a buildup of pad material on the rotors. This is due to heating up the pads and rotors pretty hot, then leaving the brakes fully depressed while everything is still hot. Like when descending a long steep grade to a stop light, and holding the brakes until it turns green. This is something I learned many years ago, and ever since, I have not had issues with "warped" rotors. However, I will keep an eye out and won't hesitate to rip off a bad product and return it.

 

I have the Hawk LTS pads and power slot cryo rotors. Seemed to work pretty good when I towed around 6k and one side of the trailers brakes didn't work.

 

One of the reasons you all are getting insane dust with your slotted and drilled rotors is that you are running your pads against what is essentially a cheese grater. I work with the major OEM/Tier 1 suppliers and the first thing they warn against is slotted or drilled rotors. They really have no place off the track or show field. A good set of premium friction pads and good quality non-gimmick rotors is all you need, that and maybe the braided brake lines, those always help.

My primary rotor manufacturer bought a cryo plant to service the wants of it's customers, but actual braking efficiency is only increased by less than 2% (+/- 3% error) according to their internal testing. and High Carbon?? All quality rotors are high carbon.

You just need to know what you are buying. I have seen some horrible pictures of some of the lesser manufacturing plants. Some of the worst were this year at AAPEX. The molten steel being poured into nothing more than holes in the floor, air cooled, poor sand castings, holes in the castings being filled with metal and re machined. It's nasty some of the quality differences you see there. And it is more commonplace than you think.

 

Archion- I went with what was suggested from here and other forums. What I didn't know is when I bought my truck used it had the slotted cryo rotors. I noticed you mentioned the high carbon and how all quality rotors have it. When purchasing rotors for my civics on tire rack I noticed the centrics were more expensive with the high carbon option. How does it help compared to a non high carbon rotor?

 

At the track, most of us run cheap rotors and race pads. Overheat of drilled/slotted rotors = cracks. The big time teams run them, but they can afford to replace rotors. You can feel brake fade. If it's happening you either have to change to a pad that works at higher temperatures or drilled or slotted rotors. Pads would be my first recommendation. The slots/holes actually cause cool spots when the brakes heat up and lead to cracking.

Transfer layers are a big deal when you move to performance pads. Performance brake pads have to be properly bedded on a clean rotor, that is one without a transfer layer from some other compound. If the rotor is pretty smooth, you can use a scotchbrite pad to remove a transfer layer. Sometimes the transfer layer from the old compound is incompatible with the new and will cause inconsistent transfer or buildups that will feel like a warped rotor. Previous poster talking about being careful with hot brakes is also correct. You can burn performance pads into a rotor and cause an issue (may be repairable with a scotchbrite and rebed). Whenever someone says their new performance pads caused warped rotors right away I wonder how they prepared the rotors and bedded the pads. Hawk is probably the only company that provides a good set of bedding instructions. EBC I think claims they put a bedding compound on their pads so you don't have to do all that, but I have no personal experience with that brand. A rep from Carbotec told me about incompatible transfer layers. Carbotec puts that in their literature, but he said it applies to most performance pads when replacing standard compounds.