Your truck may of just been ordered "cheap" if the brakes don't seem as strong as other simimlar sized trucks. Regardless if Ford, GM, or Dodge, there are several optional brake packages available when you buy a new truck. Brakes get bigger and stronger as the GVRW goes up - and much depends on exactly what you have. If you have small brakes, you're not going to gain much by changing quality of the brake pads and/or shoes.
In regard to price versus quality - and getting what you pay for? I don't believe it. A good friend of mine owns a NAPA store and we've had many discussions on the subject. Some of the "econmomy" NAPA stuff is excellent quality, and some of NAPA's highest price parts are crap. Price does NOT guarantee quality.
If you buy a longer lasting ceramic or metallic pad and/or shoe - the material lasts longer, some throw off less debris, have less fade under heat, but wear the metal parts out faster (disks and drums). Buy a soft organic-based lining - and metal parts last much longer - but the brakes glaze fast if you get them hot.
If you do a lot of serious towing, and your brakes make you nervous - you need a different truck - OR - and upgrade to a better brake system.
I recently upgraded my W250 Dodge diesel truck - but mostly because Dodge made it easy for me. It came OEM as an 8510 lb. GVRW truck. Rear brake shoes were 2 1/2" wide by 12" diameter - but . . . came with 3 1/2" wide drums. So, upgrading only needed larger-bore wheel cylinders and new 3" X 12" shoes. Worked nicely.
With your truck - check you GM RPO code-decal. It will tell you what brake system your truck presently has. Probably a JC4 of JC5 unless it's a real heavy rig.
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - Third Brush Generators - by Chris Pratt. While I love straightening sheet metal, cleaning, and painting old tractors, I use every excuse to avoid working on the on the electrics. I find the whole process sheer mystery. I have picked up and attempted to read every auto and farm electrics book with no improvement in the situation. They all seem to start with a chapter entitled "Theory of Electricity". After a few paragraphs I usually close the book and go back to banging out dents. A good friend and I were recently discussing our tractor electrical systems when he stated "I figure it all comes back to applying Ohms Law". At this point
... [Read Article]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
