best performing brakes

[--weezl--]

ok, so on my truck, i can't seem to stop, when i slam on those brakes, it takes for ever to slow down, i have absolutely no hope of locking up my 33's... yes i know they are big tires, lots of weight, but it's not even close...

my brakes are ok for now, so i'm not too eger to find out, but figured there's no harm in prying around, right now i've got stock rotors on, they probably should have been replaced last go around, and i've got wagner thermo quiet ceramic pads... they work better than the stock did, but not by a whole lot...

what's the absolute best, most powerful stopping power i can put on this truck, without doing surgery? i don't really want to replace the caliper, as that's money i don't have, but if i have to... i have to... what's the best rotor and pad combination, that's going to be safe to use in mud?

all suggestions absolutely MUST fit under a 15x10" rim with 3" bs

the rears will probably get upgraded to disks at some point, but not for a while

 

[badmts]

new ford rotors ,flush all brake fluid & bleed then maximum adjustment on rear brakes -I have thermo-quiets on mine as well . also my abs light is on and it stops pretty good.how is your pedal feel?do you get any pulsation or shakes when braking?

 

[clvanhorn]

i somewhat doubt its the components you have, maybe it just needs an overhaul? not necessarily more expensive parts, cuz my best friends ranger is rollin 33's and his damn near stops on a dime, and its all stock brake components...

 

[jrpdash9]

my ranger did not wanna stop there for awhile and i got 31's. i just went through and put new pads (EBC) and drum shoes, along with a fluid flush and drilled and slotted rotors. best thing i ever did

 

[--weezl--]

i've only just had the truck a year, put 37,000 km on it, since i bought it, i've replaced the pads and shoes... the shoes were done this last winter, and the pads were done almost a year ago... but they aren't any worse now, than they were when i put them on...

i haven't bled the brakes, that is something i should do, the pedal feels normal, a little softer than it should be... if i REALLY push down on it, i can bottom it out, but just barely...

when i'm pressing the brakes, there's no pulsating or shaking, though sometimes, if i tap the brakes coming to a stoplight, it turns the wheel about 90* to the left, however it's not all the time... so i have a feeling it's the road, and coincidental that it's always left...

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

did you have the drums and rotors cut before you slapped new pads and shoes on? this will cause lazy braking because the rotors have been tempered and instead of the pads breaking in to the rotor, they glaze and make it harder to stop. as far as good brands for brakes youve already got the best in most cases. thermoquiets are top of the line, and EBCs are great too, i use them on all my dirtbikes and fourwheelers, nut ive never used them on a car or truck. rotors are a topic of much discussion, but it basically comes down to money. none of them are made here, so youre really just paying for marketing and sometimes a painted finish. http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?p=898231

 

[bilzy7]

I mean bigger rotors/more powerful pads. I know il be runnin 17 rims cause that's min size on a 9.75 axle. I'm just gonna try to get the whole f150 brake system. Just throwing it out there...

 

[badmts]

did some more research -see if you have PHENOLIC or steel caliper pistons, and if so upgrade to steel,not a very expensive proposition from what i've read-so, new pads,good FORD rotors,bleed/flush,rebuild calipers w/steel pistons clean and adjust rear brakes- remember AT WEEZL AUTO REPAIR WE STAND BEHIND OUR BRAKE JOBS AND IN FRONT OF OUR TUNE-UPS

 

[--weezl--]

lol, thanks guys, no i didn't get them turned, just put the new pads on, and the new shoes on... i probably should have, but i didn't want to walk to the parts store to have them turned... my yamaha is my only other method of transport, and she's got a flat, bald tire, no insurance, and doesn't like the snow and gravel that's on the road right now...

of course bigger rotors would work a thousand times better, but i just don't have the room inside the 15's

is there a big benefit to slotted and cross drilled? what about wear on the pads, when they get muddy?

anyone use dual piston calipers?

and what are EBC's?

 

[Surrey]

of course bigger rotors would work a thousand times better, but i just don't have the room inside the 15's

is there a big benefit to slotted and cross drilled? what about wear on the pads, when they get muddy?

anyone use dual piston calipers?

and what are EBC's?

There is a benefit to drilled, slotted, or both. They both provide better evacuation of water, and more biting edges for the pad. It means your pads wear faster, but for more brake power who gives a shit... I dont have any concrete numbers or anything, but I would guess close to 15% increase for either, and 25-30% increase in brake power for drilled/slotted.

You could also look at adding discs to the back. Do you have a Ranger 8.8"? (im too lazy to check) If so, check this tread... Im sure you saw it, its about disc brakes from a mustang.
http://therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?p=996328&posted=1#post996328

Edit - Doesn't your truck already have dual piston brakes? I thought that was only an upgrade to 1st/2nd gen trucks??

 

[--weezl--]

yes, i've got the 8.8, i'm not convinced the fronts are doing as much as they are just yet, i would rather sink money into that first, then upgrade the backs... being on a pickup, 80+% of the braking is the front wheels...

so you're saying 15% more stopping power for slotted, and 15% more for cross drilled, and about 25-30 for rotors that are both? (roughly)

what do you figure the consumption increase is? if it's like 15% less mileage, i think that's a fair trade off...

 

[Surrey]

yes, i've got the 8.8, i'm not convinced the fronts are doing as much as they are just yet, i would rather sink money into that first, then upgrade the backs... being on a pickup, 80+% of the braking is the front wheels...

so you're saying 15% more stopping power for slotted, and 15% more for cross drilled, and about 25-30 for rotors that are both? (roughly)

what do you figure the consumption increase is? if it's like 15% less mileage, i think that's a fair trade off...

If you have flat rotors, the front are NOT doing as much work as they could be. Slotted, drilled, or both will definitely increase the power up front.

The wear is not an issue of mpg, it is entirely related to applying the brake pressure. If you get 30% more breaking power up front from drilled/slotted rotors then your pads will wear 30%+ faster, that is all.

That being said, unless you are running the shittiest-possible brakes, the best increase you can possibly find will be turning the rear drums into discs.

Swap a 8.8 Explorer is your best option by far - we all know the strength advantage, but not many mention about how this is the best rear axle for aftermarket mods.

edit - You say 80% plus is done by the front brakes.... I would question that. Even at stock, I doubt the front axle holds 80% of the weight of the truck.
Now, I dont know trucks, per say, but I know basic physics, and my education says 80% stopping power would front-flip a Ranger - Keep in mind, you only have to get the static load beyond the 90 degree arc... So 80% of a 3500 lb truck would be only like 2800lbs of force on the front brakes would lock up and flip the truck - pending the back brakes are doing no work....

 

[ronclark]

ok, so on my truck, i can't seem to stop, when i slam on those brakes, it takes for ever to slow down, i have absolutely no hope of locking up my 33's... yes i know they are big tires, lots of weight, but it's not even close...

my brakes are ok for now, so i'm not too eger to find out, but figured there's no harm in prying around, right now i've got stock rotors on, they probably should have been replaced last go around, and i've got wagner thermo quiet ceramic pads... they work better than the stock did, but not by a whole lot...

what's the absolute best, most powerful stopping power i can put on this truck, without doing surgery? i don't really want to replace the caliper, as that's money i don't have, but if i have to... i have to... what's the best rotor and pad combination, that's going to be safe to use in mud?

all suggestions absolutely MUST fit under a 15x10" rim with 3" bs

the rears will probably get upgraded to disks at some point, but not for a while

I have 10" drums and dual piston calipers running 30's. i can lock up all fours any time i want too with not alot of effort.
it sounds to me your drums and rotors might be glazed over, when was the last time thy were cut?
its also posable the master, proportioning valve or ABS system has a problem

 

[--weezl--]

I had a reply typed out with all of the info that you guys asked, along with another interesting quirk, somewhere between Surrey's and ron's last replies, however, my Internet connection died, I lost my 20+ minutes of typing, and proceeded to slam my hand onto the keyboard of my laptop... It no longer will turn on... I'll answer your questions tomorrow some time when I borrow my roommates computer or something... (posting this from my phone)

I didn't turn my rotors or drums when I did the shoes and pads though...

 

[jrpdash9]

from what it sounds like it seems almost like you master cylinder is just starting to go. if you pedal is hard you booster is bad if it is soft the master is. it almost sounds like fluid is passing by the master piston. but the only way to know for sure is to bleed all the brakes. if it still does it. maybe look into investing in a new master.