Brake Fluid Specifics?

[burnthefurniture]

I have done several searches that didn't yield the exact results I'm looking for. If this is discussed in another forum, please direct me to it.

 

I realize this is overdue but would like to replace my brake fluid in my 2006 silverado 1500, and then be able to maintain a better service interval. The cap on the master cylinder says DOT3. I've read all kinds of discussion about brake fluid recommendations in general, but what particular brands are best/worth spending money on/worth saving money on/etc. Sure, if its a race car, high wet and dry boiling points might be more important. In my daily driver truck that sees rare moderate towing duty on flat Louisiana ground, perhaps not. Is there a need to get a more expensive name brand or will most any DOT3 work? What about the DOT3 vs DOT4 discussion? Just looking to get some real world expertise with these specific brake systems.

 

Thanks

[txab]

Dot 3 is fine imho

[burnthefurniture]

Dot 3 is fine imho

Thanks for the response. Would you suggest I can't go wrong with most anything from a shelf of any autoparts store in regular Dot 3?

[txab]

4 is backward compatible of course. Dot 4 has about a 20 degree higher boiling point. Nothing wrong with switching from 3 to 4. Little higher cost. Some will have a different opinion. Whenever I flush my 800 series rigs I just use D3.

 

Yeah just about any of them are fine. Stay with a name brand. I've used Wally's brand. I flush regularly to keep brake system clean

[amc31b]

For the most part brake fluid is brake fluid, just get what ever is cheap. However, Prestone makes a "synthetic" dot 3 with a slightly higher boiling point. It is cheap and sold almost everywhere, including wal-mart. Valvoline also makes a synthetic DOT 3/4 Fluid that is compatable with both 3 & 4 fluids and has an even higher boiling point. Buy either one of those if you want something "better" than just regular DOT 3. Personally, I buy the Prestone DOT 3 synthetic at wal-mart every few years. It only costs like .50 cents more than the wal-mart brand fluid and has always worked well for me.