Best brake kit to buy?

[uscgnazzario]

I need to replace all my pads and figured Id probably do all 4 pads and rotors at once. I am wondering what brands you guys are using and what is the best for the money. Thanks for any help.

 

[THE YETI]

hit up CLKELLEY on here. He has the R1 Concepts rotors and Ceramic pads. Plenty of threads on this as well. Probably the best bang for the buck other than stepping up to a Big Brake Kit which will lead you into a $5K mod.

 

[JennaBear]

Had R1s on my Tahoe, they were great, but did have some rust issues and wound up warping (per the current owner). Now we have SSBCs on the SSS and just bought EBCs for the TBSS. Wilwoods going on the Nali of course!

We sell Wilwood, SSBCs and EBCs.

 

[GalaxyBlackEsky]

Look in for sale section I have some front Baer kits for sale.

 

[quattrotman]

I'd get powerslot rotors and Hawk pads. There are lots of combos out there and on ebay. If you don't wanna spend that much, look on ebay again...lots of options. None of them are really terrible. Depends on your driving style. If you just cruise around and need moderate duty brakes, stock stuf isn't really that bad. I've tried all sorts of stuff. Last setup I got was drilled/slotted front and rear package from an outfit up here in Canada...was about $300 all in with pads. Thats on the low end but I don't really need anyting crazy. They work great for me. Hawk pads are a great product though...not everyone needs to spend that though. My pads were $30...they're great. Lots and lots of options but you don't always need to spend lots. R1 concepts are good too BTW.

 

[Freedom Motorsports]

Let me know if I can help you with information concerning the R1Concepts options available, you can check the catalog by clicking the link in my signature and entering your year make and model information there.

A side note about the warping and rusting, I personally have not seen or heard of the rusting from those that I have sold to, but it IS possible that over time the corrosion protective coatings wear out/off. Possibly in climates like those around the ocean, but I have not personally seen it happen.

However, about the warping, I have to lean toward that being caused by poor fluid maintenance. Most people out there do not properly maintain their power steering and brake fluids and as a result they do not realize there is a need until there is a problem. When the brake fluid breaks down, it is possible for a caliper to get "stuck" either open or closed against the rotors, if the caliper let's say on the right side hangs up and will not clamp down when you push the pedal, this can cause excessive heat not experienced in normal braking and can cause the rotors to warp. In the end, for trucks with hydroboost, I highly recommend fully flushing the power steering fluid at the very least every six months if you travel an average of 13-17K miles a year. But the brake fluid, I would fully flush at the very least once a year before the winter months.

Especially in colder climates because the brake fluid will, over the space of a few months, build up condensation in the lines as a result of the heat cycling of the braking system and this can cause unsafe operating conditions. That condensation can freeze and leave you with lines frozen resulting in one side not braking. I am sure many out there have experienced times in the winter, especially when the vehicle is being run in the morning while cold, when you hit the brakes and the vehicle pulls hard to one side, this is usually because the OTHER side caliper is not working, normally due to a line being frozen.

Quality parts and proper maintenance of the fluids for the complete braking system can go a LONG way toward the overall longevity of whatever you decide to put on your truck.

 

[JennaBear]

Couldn't agree more. I did notice some rusting within the drilled holes and slots, but overall, no other issues. Ran them with Hawk pads and SS brake lines. We are pretty meticulous about our cars, so I was surprised to find out that the front two rotors had warped and were very rusted.

 

[Freedom Motorsports]

Now that I have heard of before, the rusting in the slots and drilled holes. I actually ordered a set for a couple of customers that when the corrosion protective coating was applied, R1 actually coated the entire rotor after the drilling and slotting machining. They did this so that the area inside the holes and slots was protected, but I have not heard from those customers as yet to find out how well it worked. neither of them have had them in the winter months yet, so this coming winter will be the true test of whether that extra coating in those areas actually works. We'll see.

I do have a question for you Jenna, of the other brands that you have sold, do you have any experience with their corrosion protection they offer? I also offer the other brands that you mentioned, but I mainly promote R1 because I have incredible personal experience with them. But I am curious to see some real world info about how the other brands hold up, I can't seem to find any real information on them that doesn't come directly from the manufacturers of the products.

 

[JennaBear]

I had the R1s on my Tahoe when living in Virginia, so I didn't think too awful much of the rusting in the holes and slots- but it was a tad disheartening that it happened within a month of having them.

We have had the SSBCs on the Silverado for some time now, with no sign of rusting, they still look brand new. We would have put them on the TBSS, however they don't offer them for that application- so we went with the EBCs. I have no experience with EBCs so we shall see how they hold up on the TBSS. Did just pull the EBCs out of the box yesterday, and they do look sharp (drilled/slotted) so hopefully they stay that way!

The Wilwoods of course, I don't have any thoughts of them having issues. When paying big bucks for a kit like that- the safety net is there should any problems arise. You can bet your butt, they will be going right back to the manufacturer if I have any problems with those!

 

[Freedom Motorsports]

I agree, the Willwoods better NOT rust quickly when paying that kind of money for them. So the R1's began rusting like that after a month? That is odd, I would have to contact R1 about that, mainly because I also live in Va and I installed the front Eline cross drilled and slotted on it this past November and then the same on the rear in February and neither have begun to rust. They still look really good.

I do know that at times R1 has formula issues when coating them, and although they catch those issues pretty quickly, I am sure that some make it through the process without being up to par so to speak. I just had a customer a couple of weeks ago that ordered slotted only and after contacting them about the delay in getting them shipped, they had been working out issues with the coating process for the Elines at the time. He wound up going ahead and getting the drilled and slotted instead to get them shipped sooner because he needed them before a trip, and I have to give them props there, because of the delay, they shipped them in USPS flat rate boxes and the rotors arrived two days later and the day before he actually sad was the cut off for installing them, so it worked out well.

I have to take the headlights apart in the Yuki this afternoon to try to clean the projector lenses so while I am out there I will see if I can get some good pics of the holes, slots and the rest...