2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Increasing stopping power

[GQuigley]

I have a heavy 30' 5th wheel which I tow with my 2001.5 2500 CTD w/a Dana 80 4:10 rear end. I have a Pac Brake for going down those steep hills but I am looking for a way of increasing my stopping power of my 16" disc brakes. What is the best way of doing it? I am thinking more of the emergency stopping that happen once in a while. I am aware of keeping a safe distance between myself and another vehicle and also keeping the speed within reason in traffic. There was once a panic stop by a car in front of me and I just barely was able to stop in time. My 5'ver has electric self adjusting drum brakes and I have a Brake Smart controller. I'm just hoping there are very good disc's and pad's out there that are much improved over stock parts. Anybody know of such an assembly available. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Gary

 

[MLee]

Stock disc pads? Look into heavy duty type pads for the truck. Enough adjustment to the trailer to help stop the rig, more gain? more leadin when applied?. At 20 mph with the brake controler can you lock up the trailer brakes? one test for the trailer.

Be safe and keep your distance.

 

[GReed]

To do this, you would have to go to 17" wheels. Convert to 3rd gen brakes. You would need 3rd gen rotors, pads and caliper mounting brackets. The calipers are the same. I believe the rear mounting brackets are the same. This conversion is supposed to give about 30% better braking. This is for 4wd. You should be able to find numerous threads regarding this conversion.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Change to disk brakes on your RV!

 

[RustyJC]

Change to disk brakes on your RV!

+1! You'll see (feel) much more difference moving from electric drums to electric-over-hydraulic discs on the RV than any change you can make on the truck.

Rusty

 

[Regcabguy]

Do the truck first.
Edit: Do them both but you can't have enough stopping power on these trucks.
I'm looking at enhancing the stopping power on my present truck.

 

[RustyJC]

Do the truck first.

With all respect, if I were carrying a truck camper like you, I'd take your advice. Instead, I'm towing a 19,000 lb GVWR 5th wheel, and I'll stand by my statement since it has electric over hydraulic disc brakes and stops an order of magnitude better than the previous 16,000 lb GVWR 5th wheel that had electric drums. My recommendation is based on firsthand personal experience, as is the recommendation of Cummins12V98.

Rusty

 

[Larry Willard]

I have to agree with Rusty and 12V98. I traded trailers when I still had the '08 to a bigger and heavier 5er with discs and the added stopping power over the old one with drums was huge.
Larry

 

[JMcCoy]

Do both. You should probably be able to get them both done in less than a day. I know all the way to 2010 brakes will fit, but maybe later and larger will fit too.

 

[GQuigley]

To do this, you would have to go to 17" wheels. Convert to 3rd gen brakes. You would need 3rd gen rotors, pads and caliper mounting brackets. The calipers are the same. I believe the rear mounting brackets are the same. This conversion is supposed to give about 30% better braking. This is for 4wd. You should be able to find numerous threads regarding this conversion.

I was wondering if it is possible in changing to 17" wheels and disc's if I could also change to 3500 single wheel disc and pads. Presently I have a Dana 80 rear end off a totaled 2002 2500 high performance ram. I would really like to have the 3500 braking system but I don't know if it would be possible to put the 1 ton rear end disc's on my Dana 80 rear end. Don't know if I'm making any sense but my truck carries and handles my 30' Arctic Fox (13,000 lbs max) fine. I have air bags but I don't need them for keeping my rig level. I am over pin weight by a couple of hundred pounds and I'm guessing what I'm asking is it possible to make my brakes into a 3500 SW braking system. I also asked a mechanic friend of mine who has a similar size TT as my 5'ver about changing to disc brakes and he said he had investigated it and found the cost out weighed the benefits and he decided it wasn't worth it. Here's hoping!!!
Thanks
Gary

 

[PDM]

I think you could convert the rear to disc brakes, but yes, it would be expensive. I would agree with your mechanic friend that the benefits would be marginal.

In a truck without a trailer the rear brakes only do about 35% of the work, weight transfer puts most of the available braking traction at the front.
With a trailer you may get some beneficial weight transfer from the trailer to the truck rear axle, but some of this is dependent on how well the trailer brakes are working. One thing you can do without cost is to properly adjust your trailer drum brakes. Properly adjusted drum brakes will have a better contact pattern against the drum, more surface area in contact will result in better braking. Better braking at the trailer will give more beneficial weight transfer to the rear truck axle.

EOH trailer brakes are well regarded, but until you can write that check try adjusting your drum brakes, trailer (and truck rear axle). You may find quite an improvement!

 

[JMcCoy]

The third Gen brake upgrade is for the front, not the rear. I have not heard of a rear upgrade, other than quality pads and rotors (stay away from ceramic pads). I've never heard of the "high performance" model. I assume you meant high output. 2500s and 3500 have the same disk brake system. If you have a hight sensing proportioning valve, remove it. I did. Good luck

 

[GReed]

The 3rd gen upgrade does work on the rear. On one of the other forums someone had a complete write-up on the conversion. IIRC, rotors & pads were all that was needed. Calipers & mounting brackets were the same.

 

[SnoKing]

I have a heavy 30' 5th wheel which I tow with my 2001.5 2500 CTD w/a Dana 80 4:10 rear end. I have a Pac Brake for going down those steep hills but I am looking for a way of increasing my stopping power of my 16" disc brakes. What is the best way of doing it? I am thinking more of the emergency stopping that happen once in a while. I am aware of keeping a safe distance between myself and another vehicle and also keeping the speed within reason in traffic. There was once a panic stop by a car in front of me and I just barely was able to stop in time. My 5'ver has electric self adjusting drum brakes and I have a Brake Smart controller. I'm just hoping there are very good disc's and pad's out there that are much improved over stock parts. Anybody know of such an assembly available. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Gary

When was the last time the trailer brakes were service and checked for grease cantamination? About 75 percent of trailer brake issues are grease on the drum and shoes. Also rewiring the axles in a star configuration with #12 wire is a big improvement, as the wire in the axle tubes in quite small gauge. New shoes, star wiring and Max Brake gave me great trailer brakes.

SNOKING

 

[PDM]

Also rewiring the axles in a star configuration with #12 wire is a big improvement, as the wire in the axle tubes in quite small gauge.
SNOKING

Snoking, what is a "star" configuration? Always looking to learn something useful, Thanks!

 

[SnoKing]

Snoking, what is a "star" configuration? Always looking to learn something useful, Thanks!

The wires to the brake come down the frame on one side and in my case that was number 14 wire I believe. The two brakes on the side and connected to those wires along with even smaller wiring inside the axle that goes across to the brakes on the other side.

I had installed three 2x2x.125 square tubing as part of the frame crack repair from side to side at the spring hangers. So I ran #12 wire to the center of the center tube and then four pairs of equal length wire one to each brake from the center of the "star" make a flex loop between the frame and the axle/backing plate. Brakes were greatly improved. I could never really lock them up even on gravel. Between that and Max Brake controller I now have really good brakes!

SNOKING

 

[PDM]

Thank you, that sounds like a real improvement. Now that I think about it, I'll bet my trailer is wired like yours used to be. I do know that once I adjusted my trailer brakes they were much better than new, looks like I should have payed some attention to the wiring!

 

[JMcCoy]

The 3rd gen upgrade does work on the rear. On one of the other forums someone had a complete write-up on the conversion. IIRC, rotors & pads were all that was needed. Calipers & mounting brackets were the same.

I looked it up, and I stand corrected. Just great, another project. DAMN TDR AND ALL THEIR INFORMATIVE MEMBERS.

 

[GQuigley]

JMcCoy & GReed
I also found another write-up on another forum titled "Big Brake Update" that really covered many of the questions I had.
Snoking
Thank you on that update on your trailer brake wiring. I don't know my trailer wiring size but it is worth the effort in checking it out. I would have never thought about the resistance by a smaller wire as being a problem. That is an easy check and fix if needed with greater stopping power!
Gary