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Which Brakes for Towing?

onecrazyfoo4u

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onecrazyfoo4u Enthusiast

onecrazyfoo4u

Posted
Posted

So my brakes are totally shot on my 2005 GMC 1500 SLT 4x4 crew cab.  I have disc brakes up front and drums in the rear.  The front are squeaking and the rears are making crunching sounds.  I've never changed drum brakes/shoes before (is there a good tutorial somewhere?).  I tow often in the summers, a ~6800lb loaded 29ft camper, so I need good brakes. 

 

What brands does everybody use?  I was running Wagner pads and rotors, which I've normally had success with, but these didn't seem that great.  Do you guys stick with AC delco?  Ceramic or semi-metallic?  What about the Prostop rotor/pad kits, are those a good brand?

 

Thanks for any input.

muddkatt Senior Enthusiast

muddkatt

Posted
Posted

I just went to the Powerstop drilled and slotted rotors on the 01 1500.I have ran their products before on cars with great results. So far I have about 2000 miles on this set and I LOVE them.

https://www.powerstop.com/product/power-stop-z36-kit/#y=2005&mk=CHEVROLET&mo=SILVERADO 1500 4WD&ss=with rear drum brakes

They do not have anything for the rear drums.

My 01 has 4 wheel disk brakes.

dsr611 Senior Enthusiast

dsr611

Posted
Posted
19 hours ago, onecrazyfoo4u said:

So my brakes are totally shot on my 2005 GMC 1500 SLT 4x4 crew cab.  I have disc brakes up front and drums in the rear.  The front are squeaking and the rears are making crunching sounds.  I've never changed drum brakes/shoes before (is there a good tutorial somewhere?).  I tow often in the summers, a ~6800lb loaded 29ft camper, so I need good brakes. 

 

What brands does everybody use?  I was running Wagner pads and rotors, which I've normally had success with, but these didn't seem that great.  Do you guys stick with AC delco?  Ceramic or semi-metallic?  What about the Prostop rotor/pad kits, are those a good brand?

 

Thanks for any input.

Youtube has a tutorial for everything...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRc7dF4haIE

 

onecrazyfoo4u Enthusiast

onecrazyfoo4u

Posted
  • Author
Posted
20 hours ago, muddkatt said:

I just went to the Powerstop drilled and slotted rotors on the 01 1500.I have ran their products before on cars with great results. So far I have about 2000 miles on this set and I LOVE them.

https://www.powerstop.com/product/power-stop-z36-kit/#y=2005&mk=CHEVROLET&mo=SILVERADO 1500 4WD&ss=with rear drum brakes

They do not have anything for the rear drums.

My 01 has 4 wheel disk brakes.

Thank you, I may just go with power stop then!

  • 3 weeks later...
onecrazyfoo4u Enthusiast

onecrazyfoo4u

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I've got the power stop Z36 kit on order for the fronts, thanks for the recommendation!

 

What do people normally do for drum brakes?  Do you just change out the shoes, or do you change out the drums normally too?  Any recommended good brands for the rear brakes?

Reitan Enthusiast

Reitan

Posted
Posted

Power Stop pads and rotors are awesome! I've been selling them for over 15 years now. There drilled and slotted rotors will drop the brake temperature as much as 200 degrees. But, as I always tell my customers, the pad or shoe set is only as good as the installation!  So many times I get customers who just want to 'slap' a set on without any further work. Not cool. Power Stop pads are known for "low dust and no noise", but only when a brake job is done correctly. For the customer who is just going to put pads on without turning or replacing the rotors and checking there calipers, I sell them our $16-$20 pad set. 

swathdiver Senior Enthusiast

swathdiver

Posted
Posted
On 2/16/2018 at 12:59 PM, onecrazyfoo4u said:

What do people normally do for drum brakes?  Do you just change out the shoes, or do you change out the drums normally too?  Any recommended good brands for the rear brakes?

For a thirteen year old truck the drums should probably be replaced.  Some shops might still be around to turn them if they are still within spec but it is less expensive and time consuming to get new ones.  My preference has been OEM or Bendix.  Replace the hardware too.

onecrazyfoo4u Enthusiast

onecrazyfoo4u

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks for all the good recommendations everyone!  I'll look into just replacing the full drums, shoes, and hardware.

 

Stupid question, I'm guessing when you order the drums online, it's just a bare drum right (no shoes or hardware)?  Or can I order a complete kit, like the rotor/pad kits?  I'm not seeing any drum kits on rockauto.

muddkatt Senior Enthusiast

muddkatt

Posted
Posted

Unlike your Power Stop Kit, you will need to buy it all separate. Check with your local Napa, etc before you order it online. Might be cheaper with the freight prices on the drums. And check Amazon if you are a prime member.

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