Brake upgrade

Hi all,

So I have in mind to upgrade my brakes before doing any serious towing this season -- my current line of thinking is drilled or slotted rotors (for cooling) and upgraded pads for better braking and better heat tolerance. Frankly, the OEM pads leave a lot to be desired (Toyota, and therefore a bit spongy, although YMMV...)

Here's my question -- any pad/rotor recommendations? I've seen a lot of good feedback on EBC pads (green and yellow stuff) and Hawk, but I'd feel better if I heard from people who tow what I tow...

Thanks,
John

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by HappyWDWCampers

Hi all,

So I have in mind to upgrade my brakes before doing any serious towing this season -- my current line of thinking is drilled or slotted rotors (for cooling) and upgraded pads for better braking and better heat tolerance. Frankly, the OEM pads leave a lot to be desired (Toyota, and therefore a bit spongy, although YMMV...)

Here's my question -- any pad/rotor recommendations? I've seen a lot of good feedback on EBC pads (green and yellow stuff) and Hawk, but I'd feel better if I heard from people who tow what I tow...

Thanks,
John

Be careful about buying "High Performance" brake parts. Most are designed for racing, not towing or hauling heavy loads.

Remember, race cars are light, TVs are generally heavy (both by nature). Drilled and slotted rotors are designed for dissipating heat but when they are used by heavy vehicles, they have been known to warp and/or crack because of the lack of material (strength).

Carbon metallic brake pads are good in HD use. However, they leave a lot of mess on your wheels.

Be cautious of ceramic pads. Most state right on the package, "Not for towing". I'm not sure why that is but I have a feeling that it is because they have superior friction and heat dissipating qualities but they may have an adhesion problem under "heavy" use (remember the whole, tiles falling off the Space Shuttle, thing).

I know that a lot of people use ceramic pads on their TV but I am a bit suspicious because so many manufacturers label them "Not for towing".

Thanks for the advice -- after doing a bit more reading on the rotors, I think I'm going to avoid drilled/slotted and stick with OEM. However, the pads are a must, given the cheapos put on by my local chain brake joint exert themselves _without_ the trailer in tow (I still stop fine in both situations, but I sure as heck would appreciate a bit more... confidence...).

Now I just have to either find a decent shop (i.e. not Midas) in Northeastern Ohio for brake work, or order the pads myself and take them to a qualified mechanic... I'm leaning toward the latter...

Thanks again!

[mcgyver210]

We have Drilled & Slotted on our Land Rover that was installed before purchasing our TM. So far they have not warped & are the best rotors I have ever used IMHO. I can't remember what kind of pads we have but they were expensive & they have very little brake dust. I changed away from the Land Rover OEM because I could clean the wheels & after one short trip in town my wheels would be covered in brake dust. As for the rotors I went by research on LR specific boards since Rovers are deceivingly heavier than they look.

Again for my Land Rover they work GREAT but I know this could be different for a different vehicle.

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by mcgyver210

We have Drilled & Slotted on our Land Rover that was installed before purchasing our TM. So far they have not warped & are the best rotors I have ever used IMHO. I can't remember what kind of pads we have but they were expensive & they have very little brake dust. I changed away from the Land Rover OEM because I could clean the wheels & after one short trip in town my wheels would be covered in brake dust. As for the rotors I went by research on LR specific boards since Rovers are deceivingly heavier than they look.

Again for my Land Rover they work GREAT but I know this could be different for a different vehicle.

You hit the nail on the head........The thicker rotors may have a more positive experience with drilling & slotting.

Toyota is not known for particularly thick rotors.

There are also a lot of "CHEAP" rotors on the market. Some guys are taking these cheap rotors, drilling them and selling then as "High Performance" rotors. It's a risky business when you move away from OEM brake parts. Pads are one thing but rotors and calipers can be risky.

If you had a lot of dust from the OEM pads, they were probably a metallic combo of some sort. IMHO, it's safer to have dirty wheels then risky pads (I'm not saying that yours are).

I have written to several manufacturers of ceramic pads to get an answer on why the "Not for towing" label is on there. The only reply that I have received is that they are not designed for towing. I can't get any specifics. They could be just CTA or there could be a real issue. I suspect that the towing market is small enough that they are willing to let it go rather than risk legal problems.