When looking for the best towing brake pads, nothing is more important than ensuring a safe and smooth stopping experience. The key to achieving this lies in selecting the right brake pads for your towing vehicle. In this guide, we will break down the essential factors to consider when buying towing brake pads and provide some practical tips to help ensure you have the safest towing experience possible.
When you increase the weight of a vehicle by towing a trailer, carrying a load, or changing to larger wheels and tires, it alters how the stock brake system performs. These changes may surpass the designed capacity of the original braking components. In these cases, it is recommended to replace or upgrade the brake parts to improve stopping power. Trucks involved in towing or carrying heavy loads require enhanced brake performance and increased stopping power due to the additional weight on the vehicle.
Brake pads for towing are typically made from a variety of materials, each with its own set of advantages. Ceramic brake pads are known for their durability and low dust production, making them a popular choice for towing.
Towing generates additional heat in the braking system. Opt for brake pads with high heat resistance to prevent brake fade and maintain consistent stopping performance, especially during prolonged downhill descents.
Consider the type of rotors your vehicle uses when selecting towing brake pads. Because towing generates additional heat in the braking system, it’s a good idea to opt for rotors that can reduce heat. PowerStop’s Drilled & Slotted Rotors are specifically designed to provide maximum cooling.
Determining towing capacity involves several factors, and it’s more complex than simply looking for a single number in pounds. The towing capacity of a vehicle is essentially the maximum weight it can safely pull, but this figure depends on various factors, such as the vehicle’s configuration, existing weight, and how the load is distributed and controlled.
Manufacturers provide a towing capacity estimate for each vehicle they produce, but this assumes the vehicle is carrying only the driver and no additional load. It’s crucial to note that if you plan to tow a trailer with family and gear, the manufacturer’s calculations may not be accurate for your specific situation.
To calculate towing capacity, you need to know the Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) of both the tow vehicle and the trailer, along with all the cargo they will carry. Additionally, you must be aware of the tow vehicle’s curb weight, which is its weight when filled with gas and other fluids.
The towing capacity is then determined by subtracting the tow vehicle’s curb weight from its GCWR. It’s emphasized that exceeding the specified towing capacity is not recommended, and for safety reasons, staying below 10% of the maximum capacity is advised to account for miscalculations and shifting loads during towing.
Terms like Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), Gross Trailer Weight (GTW), and tongue weight are essential to understand in the context of towing. GVWR is the maximum total weight a vehicle can safely operate with, while GTW is the combined weight of the trailer and its cargo. Tongue weight refers to the force pushing down on the trailer hitch by the load being hauled.
Trailer hitch classes are also a crucial consideration. They are divided into five classes, each suitable for different types of vehicles and towing capacities. Class I is for small and midsize cars, while Class V is for heavy-duty trucks and SUVs configured for towing heavy loads.
To find the towing capacity of a specific vehicle, you can refer to the manufacturer’s website, check the owner’s manual, or use online tools like towing calculators provided by truck and SUV manufacturers based on your vehicle’s VIN.
PowerStop’s Z36 Truck & Tow Carbon-Fiber Ceramic Brake Pads are specifically designed for maximum towing, hauling, and off-road performance. The low-dust ceramic formula, infused with carbon fiber, provides severe-duty stopping power for trucks and SUVs, reduces brake dust, and eliminates noise. The kit includes premium stainless-steel hardware and high-temp brake lubricant, simplifying the brake job process.
Notable features include:
Premium stainless-steel shims for improved heat dissipation and virtually noise-free braking
Positive mold technology for consistent wear
Rust-resistant powder-coated backing plate
Bolt-on, OEM fitment with no vehicle modifications required
PowerStop backs the Z36 Truck & Tow Carbon-Fiber Ceramic Brake Pads with a 60-day hassle-free return policy and a 90-day/3,000-mile warranty for dependable performance.
Even if you only use your truck for occasional towing, it’s still crucial to have the right braking system. You can make your truck’s brakes safer for towing by installing the PowerStop Z36 Truck & Tow Brake Upgrade Kit. It is specially designed to deliver maximum braking power for trucks, SUVs, and 4x4s that tow, haul, and go off-road.
The Carbon-Fiber Ceramic Formula in the brake pads ensures dust-free braking, and the Drilled & Slotted Rotors help reduce heat. With the right brakes, your truck or 4X4 can deliver powerful stops under heavy loads while maintaining excellent drivability when not towing.
Here are some reasons why you should consider upgrading to PowerStop’s Z36 Truck & Tow Brake Upgrade Kit for your truck and tow brake system:
Balanced rotors are essential for reliable operation. PowerStop’s mill-balanced rotors are carefully inspected to prevent imbalance issues, reducing vibration and noise while extending the life of your brakes.
For towing or driving a heavier vehicle, you need brake pads that can handle both cold and hot temperatures. Drilled & Slotted Rotors in the PowerStop Z36 Truck & Tow Brake Upgrade Kit increase cooling and help prevent overheating during extreme braking, ensuring reliable friction.
Properly breaking in new brake pads and rotors is crucial for effective performance. PowerStop’s thermal scorched brake pads help with this process by curing the first 1mm of friction material, allowing for faster break-in.
While a small amount of brake pad dust is normal, excessive amounts can indicate an issue. PowerStop’s low-dust brake pads, made with a carbon fiber and ceramic formula, maximize stopping power and keep your wheels clean.
For a smooth and quiet ride, PowerStop’s brake pads come with stainless steel shims to ensure reliable, noise-free performance.
PowerStop’s Carbon-Fiber Ceramic Brake Pad formula is top-notch for truck and tow brake systems. The ceramic formula, reinforced with carbon fibers, can withstand intense heat, providing the extra brake torque needed for towing, carrying heavy loads, or using large wheels/tires.
Hauling or towing a trailer can be a challenging task, especially when it comes to braking. The added weight and momentum can make stopping safely more complex than when driving without a load. To ensure the safety of yourself and others on the road, it’s crucial to follow some key tips for braking while hauling or towing.
One of the most important tips for braking while hauling or towing is to anticipate stops. Being aware of upcoming stops or slowdowns allows you to plan your braking strategy in advance. Keep an eye on road signs, traffic signals, and the behavior of surrounding vehicles to gauge when you might need to start slowing down.
When hauling or towing, your vehicle’s weight increases, affecting its braking distance. To compensate for this, plan for more braking time than you would need when driving without a load. Recognize that it will take longer to bring your vehicle to a complete stop and adjust your speed accordingly.
Starting the braking process earlier is a crucial aspect of safe towing. Instead of waiting until the last moment, gradually apply the brakes well in advance. This approach allows the brakes to work more efficiently and reduces the strain on both your vehicle and the trailer.
Avoid the temptation to slam on the brakes, especially when hauling or towing. Rapid, forceful braking can lead to skidding or loss of control, increasing the risk of accidents. Apply the brakes smoothly and steadily, giving your vehicle and trailer the opportunity to slow down in a controlled manner.
Continuous braking, known as “riding the brakes,” can lead to overheating and reduced braking efficiency. This is particularly true when hauling heavy loads. To prevent brake overheating, release the brake pedal periodically to allow the brakes to cool down. This practice can extend the life of your braking system and improve overall safety.
Staying vigilant is crucial when hauling or towing. Pay close attention to the road conditions, traffic, and any potential hazards. Being aware of your surroundings allows you to react promptly to unexpected situations and make necessary adjustments to your braking strategy.
Maintaining a safe following distance is essential, especially when hauling or towing. Tailgating reduces your reaction time and increases the risk of collisions. Leave ample space between your vehicle and the one ahead to provide room for safe braking. This extra space is vital, as the added weight can make it more challenging to stop quickly.
PowerStop is dedicated to delivering top-quality performance brakes for nearly every vehicle on the road. If you have a question about any of our products, contact us today online or toll-free at (888) 863-4415. Our customer service team is available to answer your questions Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CST). Se habla español.
By Jeff Ritter, 3/25/19
If you asked me if racing brake pads should come with an owner's manual fifteen years ago, I would have definitely laughed at you. How complicated could those little blocks of metal possibly be? However, after twenty years of track driving and talking with thousands of brake customers, I can tell you that brake pads are incredibly complex. The automotive forums for every popular sports car are littered with questions about racing brake pad usage. "Why are my pads tapering or cracked? How long will they last? When should I get rid of them?" In this article we'll look at the common issues track enthusiasts face while managing their brake pads.
Let's review some standard terminology associated with brake pads:
Backing Plate- The steel plate to which a friction puck is bonded.
Bedding-in- The process of heating a brake pad to a desired temperature, at which a thin layer of pad material adheres to the disc face. The process causes chemical changes in the brake pad material.
Burnishing- A mechanical process during which the surface of the brake pad and the surface of the disc face are rubbed together until the faces of both are leveled and mated together. Because bedding-in and burnishing frequently occur during the same processes, the two terms are often used interchangeably.
Friction Puck- The pad compound or friction material itself, which is bonded to a backing plate.
Shim- A thin plate attached to back of the backing plate, designed to reduce NVH (Noise/Vibration/Harshness). It's extremely rare for a racing pad to use shims, since noise abatement is a very low priority for track use, and they can cause increased pedal travel at track temperatures.
Pad Length- The distance from one end of the pad backing plate to the other. Pretty obvious, right?
Pad Width / Height- Things get a little less obvious after length. Our team typically doesn't use the term 'width' when discussing pads. We use the word 'height' to describe the distance from the top edge of the pad backing plate that is visible from the top of the caliper, down to the lower edge of the backing plate that sits closest to the wheel hub.
Pad Radial Depth- Related to height, a pad's radial depth is the height of the friction puck itself, and is a key determinant of whether a pad will rest properly on a given brake disc. A brake disc's radial depth is the distance from the disc's outer edge (OD) to the disc's inner edge (ID). Ideally, the pad's radial depth will match the disc's radial depth. If the pad's radial depth is too small, it will leave an unswept ring on the disc face near the hat attachment point, potentially causing a temperature gradient and premature cracking. Conversely, if the pad's radial depth is too tall for the intended disc, the bottom of the edge can interfere with the disc hat and/or attachment hardware. Like thickness, many manufacturers offer the same basic pad shape in multiple radial depths, so be sure to carefully evaluate all a particular pad's specs before choosing one for your calipers.
Pad Thickness- Thickness is the distance from the friction surface that contacts the disc, to the part of the backing plate that touches the caliper pistons. Most manufacturers list the combined thickness of both the friction material and the backing plate when quoting thickness, not just the thickness of the friction puck. When we say 25mm thick pad, we mean the entire pad including the backing plate is 25mm thick. Many pad manufacturers offer the same pad shapes in multiple thicknesses. Make sure that the caliper and disc you're using can accommodate the pad thickness you're considering.
Pad Volume- Length x Height x Thickness of the friction puck (approximately). The larger the pad volume, the more heat that pad can absorb. That said, pad volume can come in different forms, and is dependent on the specific goals of the overall brake system. For example, because carbon ceramic (CCM) brake discs don't conduct heat well, they are designed with a large surface area to spread and radiate heat. As such, the corresponding pads tend to be very tall, but, typically not very thick (14-16mm is typical). Conversely, the complex internal vane patterns and superior material heat conductivity of iron racing brake discs are more adept at pumping air and maintaining lower temperatures. They can therefore use a shorter radial depth on both the disc and pad. Pads mated to iron discs can increase volume and heat capacity via thickness. In endurance racing situations where pad longevity is important, pad thicknesses of 25-30mm are the norm.
Pad Surface Area- Length x height of the friction puck surface. Many people mistakenly place too much emphasis on a pad's surface area, rather than its volume. As described above, in some applications a large pad surface area is used to spread heat out across the pad's face. In most cases however, overall pad volume is the more important consideration when determining a pad’s heat capacity, potential lifespan, etc.
Now that you know a little bit more about race pad construction and preparation, let's move on to how you can get the most out of these interesting little hunks of metal.
Brake pad compounding is a bit mysterious. You can think of the engineers who formulate pad compounds as part scientist, part artist, and part chef. Manufacturers combine an incredibly wide array of raw materials to create their friction materials, always with a specific goal in mind. While street pads are usually designed with low noise and cold bite in mind, race pads are designed for stability and consistency at extremely high temperatures.
Racing brake pads frequently contain up to 35 ingredients, adhesives, fillers, friction modifiers, resins, and lubricants. In professional-grade racing pads, such as the Ferodo DS series of pads, the primary pad compound sometimes sits atop a thermal underlayer. The thermal underlayer is a thin mix of material pressed between the backing plate and the friction material. The underlayer helps ensure proper binding of the pad compound to the plate, but is specifically designed to prevent heat penetration through the backing plate and into the caliper pistons and brake fluid.
The vast majority of racing pads use some type of adhesive to bond the friction material/underlayer to the backing plate. Top-tier race pads typically also use some form of mechanical retention as an added safety feature to prevent the friction puck from de-laminating (falling off the backing plate). As an example, the brass stud mechanical retention system below is employed by Ferodo.
Racing pads also frequently have vertical grooves cut into their face. Just like your driveway or the highway, these expansion grooves provide space for the materials to expand and contract without fracturing as the pads are repeatedly heated to, and cooled from, track temperatures.
One of the final processes in race pad manufacturing is called “scorching”. When pads are formed in a press, some quantity of binders or resins remain on the friction surface of the pad. During scorching, the friction surface is blasted with flames in an oven to burn out some of those surface resins. If those surface resins are not removed via scorching (and a proper bed-in), those resins can melt or vaporize during any initial hard braking events, leading to an unstable friction level. This phenomenon is frequently referred to as 'green fade' (green as in “new”). One can think of scorching as an incomplete form of bedding, or the step prior to bedding the pad on a brake disc. Scorching improves the likelihood of a successful bedding process by reducing the chance of uneven pad deposits on the disc face. Many race pads today are being marketed as "pre-bed," but unless the pad has literally been run on a disc face, they are only scorched.
One of the first questions enthusiasts ask when shopping for track pads is, "How long will they last?" Due to the laundry list of factors involved, that's an impossible question to answer. Vehicle power and weight, weight distribution, tire choice, track configuration, driving style, brake disc material and groove pattern…the list of factors that contribute to pad wear is lengthy.
Something most people don't consider however, is that they may not actually want the hardest, most abrasive, longest-wearing brake pads available. While tires grip the tarmac and slow the car, your brake system's primary function is to convert the energy of the spinning disc into heat. That is accomplished via the friction generated by your brake pads rubbing on your brake discs. When heating two hunks of mostly metal to 1500°F and rubbing them together vigorously, something is going to wear. The softer of the two materials being rubbed together will wear more quickly. An incredibly hard, abrasive brake pad is going to devour gray iron brake discs, particularly when run cold. If you're running a $300 set of pads, on a $1000 set of discs, which one would you like to burn through more quickly? Always remember that both brake pads and discs are consumables.
A complicating factor when considering pad and disc wear is the pad transfer layer. A pad transfer layer occurs when a brake pad is heated to a certain temperature, and an ultra-thin layer of friction material transfers to the disc face. The goal is to gradually bring the pad to that temperature and build an even transfer layer on the disc face in a controlled manner. That is accomplished through the bed-in procedure (see our video on that topic here). When heated, pad material is constantly being transferred back and forth from the disc face to the pad face.
As a rule of thumb, the less pad material you have remaining, the faster they will burn. Pads wear at a faster rate the closer they get to the end of their service life. A full depth pad has more mass/volume. As such, it can absorb more heat than a thinner pad. For example, let’s say that when you start with brand new pads you’re using up 1mm of friction material per track session. By the time 80% of the friction material is gone, you may be wearing 1.5-2.0mm of friction material per session. Pad wear accelerates as the pad gets thinner. The closer you get to the backing plate, the more frequently you need to be checking them.
Inner pads tend to wear more quickly than outer pads for the typical HPDE, time trial, or club race car. That's because there tends to be less airflow to the inner pad area. A factory brake debris/splash shield is sometimes left in place, which holds heat against the inner disc face and blocks cooling air. If brake ducting is being employed, it frequently isn't properly implemented. In many cases that is simply due to packaging issues at the front of the car. There's no room to implement a professional-grade duct solution that flows adequate air. because of wiper washer bottles, oil coolers, etc., or the marketing team just wanted an air inlet in the wrong pressure zone! As such, you need to keep an eye on both the inner and outer pads, because they will wear at different rates. The inners typically wear faster than the outers, so just peeking through the wheel spokes to assess pad wear doesn’t cut it, particularly when the pads are getting low. It’s very important that you look on the inside of the caliper as well.
Looking through the wheels at the outer pad doesn't get it done. You need to watch the inner pads as well!
You’re always going to have some taper, and a few millimeters of taper is quite low and completely normal. In racing situations, we see as much as 10mm of taper, and the taper is not equal from pad to pad. Again, pad taper is completely unavoidable. We see it on every car, with every brake kit, from every manufacturer. We see it both radially (top-to-bottom) or longitudinally (end-to-end). We almost always see slightly different wear characteristics on the left and right side of the car based on track configuration. We see it all levels of racing, including NASCAR Sprint Cup. One reason it occurs is because of uneven temperatures at the leading edge of the pad and the trailing end. The leading edge will always run hotter and wear faster than the trailing edge. The trailing edge floats a bit on pad material that is torn from the leading edge and pulled back towards the trailing edge. The longer the pad is, the more pronounced the taper tends be. If you look at a short four piston pad vs. a longer six piston pad, the six piston pad will always have more taper all else held equal. The pistons in our AP Racing calipers have differential bores (pistons are different sizes) designed to combat this issue. The piston on the leading edge is smaller to apply less pressure, while the trailing piston is larger to apply more pressure, which helps even out the wear. It’s pretty much impossible to completely eliminate all taper however. The solution to get more even wear out your pads is to occasionally flip the pads in the calipers from inner to outer, so that the edges that were leading last time are now trailing, and vice versa. Doing so occasionally also gives you a chance to inspect the pads and make sure they aren’t getting too thin.
Below is a good example of longitudinal pad taper. Rotate your pads to squeeze the most life out of them.
Just about every high-tech sports car today employs some form of driver aid that attempts to keep your car on what it believes is your intended path.Every manufacturer uses their own unique acronym to describe these systems, and some examples would be AYC (Active Yaw Control), DSC (Dynamic Stability Control), DPC (Dynamic Performance Control), PTV (Porsche Torque Vectoring), Active Handling, Drift Mode, etc.If you use any of these driving aids (frequently referred to as nannies), you will see greater brake pad wear than if you were driving with them completely disengaged.Why?Because these systems leverage your vehicle’s brakes to adjust your car’s direction of travel.They use a sensor array to measure items such as steering angle, yaw-rate, individual wheel speeds, and lateral acceleration, and then the car selectively applies individual front or rear brakes to alter the vehicle’s path.The result can be hyperactive braking, which can generate a tremendous amount of heat and accelerated brake wear.
The most common manifestation of this technology we see is extreme pad wear on the inside rear brakes. In this case, inside means the side of the car closest to the apex of the turn.In a right-hand turn for example, the car would drag the passenger side rear brake to help the car pivot (yaw) through the turn.The more active or intrusive the system is, the greater the resulting pad wear. The result is that the brake pads in one caliper wear out much more quickly than the other three corners of the car.
If you want the least and most even pad and disc wear possible, learn to drive your car on track without driving aids.It may slow you down a bit initially, but it will ultimately make you a better driver, and your brakes will thank you! If you drive with aids engaged, be prepared to see uneven brake wear on one or more corners of your car.
A general rule of thumb for determining when to replace a track pad is when the pad friction material thickness equals, or just less than, the thickness of the backing plate. At that stage, you should remain extremely vigilant, because the pads will start burning at a faster rate. If the inners are burning faster than the outers, or if a large amount of pad taper is present, you may be shooting sparks when your hard steel backing plate makes direct contact with the soft iron brake disc. The safe bet is to always have a spare set of pads on-hand, so you don’t miss any track sessions.
This pad was worn down to the backing plate, and then some!
It’s not unusual to see some edge crumbling with race pads. Small chunks of material breaking off from the pad edges is not a crisis and does not indicate a product failure. If large pieces are coming off, or if the pad material separates completely from the backing plate, then you have a problem. That said, when you get down to a few mm of pad material left after repeated track thrashings, all bets are off. Sometimes you'll see crumbling, cracking, etc. Repeated heat cycles make them more fragile than they were when new. If you took them down that far, they’ve already done what they were designed to do. Calling the pad manufacturer for a refund after ten track days is poor form, and it isn’t fair to the pad manufacturer or seller. Brake pads are a consumable, just like tires and gasoline.
Some edge crumbling like this isn't a problem:
Track pads are not designed to be silent. They’re designed to generate friction at extremely high temperatures, and NVH is not a concern. If you want a silent pad, go with a mild street compound, and save your race pads for the track. If you are switching between track and street environments on a regular basis, check out our videos titled, “How to Swap Between Street and Race Brake Pads” for some helpful tips on pad noise management.
If your brake pads are slightly loose in your aftermarket caliper, you shouldn’t be surprised. That allows the pads space to expand when they reach searing track temps. A little bit of rattle or pad movement with racing calipers is completely normal. Some aftermarket caliper manufacturers provide some form of spring retention to prevent pad movement and noise, while others do not. Also note that when shifting from forward to reverse and back, the pads may also ‘clunk’ against the abutment plates when they shift from one end of the caliper to the other.
One final note, which may not even apply to your situation. Be careful when handling pads, particularly after they've been run on the track. We have a lot of customers who frequently swap pads when going from full track use to AutoX, etc. I've seen them drop their race pads on the asphalt, use them to lever their caliper pistons back into the bores, etc. They aren't indestructible. As pads are cooked over and over on track, some of the binding agents, adhesives, fillers, etc. in the pads start to break down. As such, they need to be handled carefully and not used as tools!
Hopefully this article provided you with some insight on how to better manage your track brake pads. These seemingly innocuous little lumps of metal can provide their owner with either great frustration at the track, or great joy. Our hope is that you're now armed with the knowledge to pursue the latter!
For more information best type of brake pads for towing, please get in touch with us!