Upgrades to brakes for towing

jthelman · June 21, 2015

Hey guys,

I'm currently towning around a 6x13' single axle cargo trailer. My 2008 SLE with the towing package pulls it fine, but stopping is a PITA. The trailer probably weighs 3000 lbs loaded up, and since this is for boy scouts, we tend to end up on twisty road with lots of elevation changes. They could use some of my trips as a GMC advertisement for toughness.

The trailer does not have brakes, and can't be fitted with them. I'll work on adding that for the next trailer.....

I smoked the OEM disc setup in the front. Warped the rotors/nuked the pads. It's OK, because they were close to done anyway.

My current setup is Autozone Duralast Gold rotors and ceramic pads. They work OK, but eventually they do get a lot of fade.

I searched the forums, but the brake threads were old. Looking for advise on how to beef up the braking. Bigger rotors/bigger brake kit? The kits I'm seeing are drilled/slotted, which I don't think is the way to go for a towing rig.

Anyone tow a lot and run into this? I have the OEM 17" wheels.

Thanks,

John

intheburbs · June 22, 2015

I pull a 6x12 single axle cargo trailer that weighs ~3500 lbs and has no brakes. But my truck has the 8600-lb GVWR braking system. I just rotated the tires and everything looks fine - plenty of meat left on the pads. All four rotors are nice and smooth. No discoloration from heat.

Forgive me if I'm stating the obvious - but make sure you use tow/haul mode, and use the tap shift to manually downshift for even more engine braking. Leave the transmission in a lower gear so you don't have to ride the brakes when descending long grades. I lived in Colorado for ten years, so I had plenty of practice working on my hill climbing/descending skills. I also pull my 7,000-lb trailer through the Rockies.

The holes/slots in the rotors are supposed to increase cooling - something I'd expect you want when towing. I would expect that most of the larger aftermarket sites have the capability to tell you what will and won't fit in your truck. Best upgrade would be larger rotors, if they'll clear your OEM wheels. Four or six piston calipers would also be a good upgrade.

ETA: pic of my rig. Just because I think it looks badass...

jthelman · June 22, 2015

I pull a 6x12 single axle cargo trailer that weighs ~3500 lbs and has no brakes. But my truck has the 8600-lb GVWR braking system. I just rotated the tires and everything looks fine - plenty of meat left on the pads. All four rotors are nice and smooth. No discoloration from heat.

Forgive me if I'm stating the obvious - but make sure you use tow/haul mode, and use the tap shift to manually downshift for even more engine braking. Leave the transmission in a lower gear so you don't have to ride the brakes when descending long grades. I lived in Colorado for ten years, so I had plenty of practice working on my hill climbing/descending skills. I also pull my 7,000-lb trailer through the Rockies.

The holes/slots in the rotors are supposed to increase cooling - something I'd expect you want when towing. I would expect that most of the larger aftermarket sites have the capability to tell you what will and won't fit in your truck. Best upgrade would be larger rotors, if they'll clear your OEM wheels. Four or six piston calipers would also be a good upgrade.

ETA: pic of my rig. Just because I think it looks badass...

Good advice. Yes, I use the haul mode, and I'm doing more of the downshifting. Your trailer looks identical to the one I'm pulling.

I probably have to slow a bit, and work the compression braking more. I won't buy bigger rotors if I can't fit them inside the OEM wheels because new tires + a brake package is just too much $$$.

Thank you for the feedback!

dard6555 · June 22, 2015

Why can't the trailer be fitted with brakes? It seems that might be cheaper than a mod to your truck.

jthelman · June 22, 2015

Why can't the trailer be fitted with brakes? It seems that might be cheaper than a mod to your truck.

Two reasons:

I don't own the trailer....

1) Technically, the trailer is past it's service life, I believe it to be close to 10 years old, with a large amount of mileage. I can't see putting funds into it that can be saved for a new one. I'd estimate the trailer is worth ~$1500 or less, and trailer brakes would be anywhere from $500-$1000. Although I do my own automotive work, I would not feel comfortable with the liability of working on a trailer that belongs to an organization. I'd have to have a shop put the brakes on, and so far my impression of the shops that work on trailers would be "professional wallet rapers". I actually had a quote for fix a small, dime size leak in the roof for $1000.

2) I would also have to argue for spending money on the added maintenance costs/year.

It's Boy Scouts, and there isn't a whole lot of extra cash. The trailer is a luxury to begin with.

It's a really cheap trailer model, and the company that makes it, Pace, isn't even in business anymore. I will lobby for brakes on the next one. Updating the GMC seems like an easier move.

intheburbs · June 22, 2015

One word of caution about downshifting manually - I did that on my '01 half ton when pulling a trailer with poor brakes. I ended up grenading the pinion beariing, which left me stranded on the side of the road in 100° heat and a $1800 repair bill.

Make sure you're on the gas to help the engine revs match the lower gear.

POS VETT · June 22, 2015

Other than going with very expensive options like an aftermarket brake upgrade kit with 15-16" rotors (which requires 20" or larger wheels), I would try good rotors and pads with a higher operating temperature. Adding cooling ducts would also alleviate some of the thermal problems. Next economical solution is to retrofit the trailer with electric brakes or to buy another trailer with electric brakes already installed. Or, if the frequency of trailer use is small, rent one; rental trailers almost always have brakes.

JBones4 · June 23, 2015

I pull a 19' Ski boat that with trailer included obviously weighs in very close to 3,000lbs. I upgraded all 4 rotors to EBC slotted with yellowstuff pads. Im happy with them. They are factory size so fitment isnt a problem and EBC sells a rotor pad kit specificly for towing. I upgraded for performance preference. Just search ebcbrakes.com or search and buy from summitracing.com

sahls01gmc · June 23, 2015

How much are you looking to spend? I'm gonna 2nd POS VETT's explanation. I'd look into a new trailer. A couple of fundraisers should raise sufficient funds to get a new trailer. Besides, safety first! If you don't feel confident with what/who you are hauling, then you shouldn't be doing it.

kstruckcountry · June 23, 2015

3000 pounds isn't much, I'm kinda surprised you even had an issue c

servantsalesmen · June 24, 2015

Powerstop makes full kits to upgrade the rotors and pads to drilled and slotted rotors and ceramic pads. Have them on my HD and love them. PS, I'm an eagle scout so I completely understand the situation you're in. Troop may not have funds for a new trailer and the places the trailers go can get dicey! Best of luck to you! And keep on those boys about becoming an eagle cause let me tell you, it is so worth it!

jthelman · June 25, 2015

Powerstop makes full kits to upgrade the rotors and pads to drilled and slotted rotors and ceramic pads. Have them on my HD and love them. PS, I'm an eagle scout so I completely understand the situation you're in. Troop may not have funds for a new trailer and the places the trailers go can get dicey! Best of luck to you! And keep on those boys about becoming an eagle cause let me tell you, it is so worth it!

I'm getting the gist that the slotted/drilled rotors are used by enough people that they look like the solution. I'll check on the Powerstop and EBC.

Congrats on Eagle. Yes, I spend a fair amount of time explaining to Scouts the fact that life speeds up when you hit 16 (job, girls, school, college prep...), so don't procrastinate advancement.

asilverblazer · June 27, 2015

I would never argue with upgrading brakes, but I don't think the size trailer you are pulling would be enough to cause serious problems. My technique is to use the transmission to hold speed low. If I need to I use a brief firm step on the brakes to manage speed further.

CapitalTruck · July 2, 2015

If it gets too bad just have the boys go Fred Flintstone style out the door.

Hutch65 · August 18, 2015

I went with EBC Utilmax slotted rotors Greenstuff & 7000 series pads. Quiet straight strong stops even pulling 3400lb travel trailer thru the Rockies of Colorado. Stop after stop and no heat fade. It is really important to bed them and break them in as per EBC instructions...many neglect this and never realize the full potential of this set-up. For extremes you might prefer the Yellowstuff but I didn't need them so I chose Greenstuff for long life and low dust.