Brakes for towing

[92k2500454]

I was driving the 92 k2500 doing a dump run going down hill with a load in the back of bed (no trailer) and the truck did not want to stop when I wanted it to. I plan on doing some towing with this truck (dump trailer and possibly short runs with a compact skid steer).

So where should I start rotors and pads ? Calipers ?… etc And what do you recommend brand wise ?

Trying to make this a nice towing and occasional off road rig so any help is much appreciated!!

8 lug

 

[stutaeng]

Well, an inspection of working brakes, replacing worn pads and shoes, etc. seems like a good start. Does your truck have hydroboost?

For trailering, definitely recommend a trailer brake/brake controller setup.

 

[92k2500454]

I’m going to check out the pads and rotors on Saturday. If I change them out any recommendations? I don’t know anything about the hydro boost unfortunately little bit of a rookie here.

 

[Supercharged111]

Like stutaeng said, everything should first be in working order. Next if you're not hydroboosted, you need to be. After that, there are pads and shoes that will get you stopping a lot better. Power Stop semi metallic rear shoes are aggressive for an empty truck but work wonders on getting a loaded truck slowed down. Raybestos makes an aggressive front pad as does Hawk, but I know from experience Hawks are dusty and hard on the rotors.

 

[1998_K1500_Sub]

I don’t know anything about the hydro boost unfortunately little bit of a rookie here. I’m going to check out the pads and rotors on Saturday.

"Hydroboost" is a brake power assist method that uses the power steering pump (and fluid) to provide the brake's power assist feature. Hydroboost is used on some (not all) GM trucks because it provides (what's generally considered to be) superior power assist, instead of the vacuum power assist alternative.

Since yours is a K2500, I would assume it has hydroboost but that's not an absolute.

If your brake power assist is the vacuum style (and I assume you know to look for the telltale vacuum canister adjacent to the master cylinder, if not... no shame there, just reply and we'll clarify), then it's not the "hydroboost"; if it's missing the vacuum canister and instead has hoses / hardlines plumbed from a valve assembly (located between the master cylinder and the firewall) to the power steering pump, it's a hydroboost.

The RPO codes in the glovebox will tell you which system the truck got from the factory. JB5/JB6/JB7 codes indicate vacuum assist, JD5/JD6/JD7 (and similar) indicate hydroboost.

ANYWAY, you may have hardlines that are leaking on a truck that age, particularly if it's seen salt at sometime in its life (I see you're in CA, so perhaps not). Regardless, give them an end-to-end inspection... look for wet spots indicative of leaks, or rust / deformation.

Clearly the master cylinder may be in need of replacement. Ditto for the hoses (two in front, one in rear).

All the other usual stuff (friction materials and slave cylinders / calipers), ditto, as was noted by others prior.

A proper bleed procedure is appropriate after you've finished replacing parts.

Others will add more details on these topics, I trust.

 

[AuroraGirl]

without knowing much about his truck or situation, iassume He just acquired it. Parts are prob original or worn replacements/and or not properly done. the fluid is probably old and due, and the truck probably has junk in the rear lines near wheel cylinders if the fluid is nasty

I do not advise putting a trailer on your truck unless you have trailer brakes that are really good and even then i would be careful.
My f150 when the rear brakes were pitiful and not doing almost anything compared to fronts, my truck was getting jackknifed by this:

You must be registered for see images attach

Albeit its a 3/4 ton back half of a truck with a topper on it. it has a 14 bolt ff rear with 3.73 or 4.10 and 10 ply wide tires with AT tread
My truck had some weight over the rear axle , the trailer is very nice and level with how it sits. But unloaded (like as you see), down hill coming to a stop sign, it was about jackknifing the truck lol. Albeit its a f150 with 3.08 and smaller tires.. its still the idea of it. loaded, on level ground, it was fine. But that downhill (I suspect maybe pulling the truck off the ground partially with the "objects in motion tend to stay in motion" ideas?

Anyway, I say you should make sure you have proper braking before trailer of any kind, ESPECIALLY with a skidsteer. that kind of weight + your current situation I would worry about how dangerous it could become even tho its a 3/4 ton truck. My solution was pulling the axle shafts and capping the axle and then fixing the trucks brake BS, but hopefully Its not too much to get the truck in good shape so you can be safely pulling your trailers

 

[letitsnow]

Since yours is a K2500, I would assume it has hydroboost but that's not an absolute.

Just to back up this statement - I have an 8 lug (wheeled) k2500 that has vacuum boost brakes.

 

[Rock Hard Concrete]

Do not tow heavy, these trucks were not meant for it. 10k max if you want to be able to stop safely.

 

[Schurkey]

I was driving the 92 k2500

Still has the Kelsey-Hayes RWAL? Do the rear brakes even work?

Make a hard stop from highway speed, and then check the temperature of the brakes with an infra-red thermometer.
Both front brakes should be about the same temp, both rear brakes should be about the same temp, and they all need to be HOT.

I plan on doing some towing with this truck (dump trailer and possibly short runs with a compact skid steer).

Is that trailer weight within the towing limits of your vehicle? If you're towing an illegally-large load, your insurance company may disown you; and the police won't be very happy either. And if you kill or injure someone, good luck explaining to the judge why the collision wasn't your fault.

So where should I start rotors and pads ? Calipers ?… etc And what do you recommend brand wise ?

As said, find out what brake option code you have. My K2500 has JD7 brakes; fairly stout but there's two or three levels of braking power above that.

Main thing is to assure you have proper fluid pressure to all four wheels--no pinched brake tubing, no plugged hoses, no defective ABS. Assure that the caliper pistons move freely--common for them to be partially-seized. The calipers need to be floating on the mounts. Again, common for them to be sticky or even completely stuck.

Fluid needs to be fresh in the whole system. The most-contaminated fluid tends to be in the lowest part of the brake system--calipers and wheel cylinders. And those parts tend to get HOT. If that gets hot enough to boil, your brakes are "gone" until they cool off.

AFTER you have all the hard-parts in proper working order, you can play games with friction material--looking for aggressive material. But there's no friction material on Earth that's going to work right if the hydraulics are defective.

And don't forget about the park brake. Common for the cables to seize.

 

[92k2500454]

"Hydroboost" is a brake power assist method that uses the power steering pump (and fluid) to provide the brake's power assist feature. Hydroboost is used on some (not all) GM trucks because it provides (what's generally considered to be) superior power assist, instead of the vacuum power assist alternative.

Since yours is a K2500, I would assume it has hydroboost but that's not an absolute.

If your brake power assist is the vacuum style (and I assume you know to look for the telltale vacuum canister adjacent to the master cylinder, if not... no shame there, just reply and we'll clarify), then it's not the "hydroboost"; if it's missing the vacuum canister and instead has hoses / hardlines plumbed from a valve assembly (located between the master cylinder and the firewall) to the power steering pump, it's a hydroboost.

The RPO codes in the glovebox will tell you which system the truck got from the factory. JB5/JB6/JB7 codes indicate vacuum assist, JD5/JD6/JD7 (and similar) indicate hydroboost.

ANYWAY, you may have hardlines that are leaking on a truck that age, particularly if it's seen salt at sometime in its life (I see you're in CA, so perhaps not). Regardless, give them an end-to-end inspection... look for wet spots indicative of leaks, or rust / deformation.

Clearly the master cylinder may be in need of replacement. Ditto for the hoses (two in front, one in rear).

All the other usual stuff (friction materials and slave cylinders / calipers), ditto, as was noted by others prior.

A proper bleed procedure is appropriate after you've finished replacing parts.

Others will add more details on these topics, I trust.

First off sir you know your stuff and are good at explaining it. Thank you

I’m not sure how to tell the difference between the vacuum and hydro boost but from what I researched it and sounds like the vacuum has the bigger round piece with the diaphragm? I wasn’t able to check my truck today but I came across a picture I took when I was changing the spark plugs. Maybe you can tell, to me it looks like vacuum?

You must be registered for see images attach

Also I haven’t noticed anything leaking but I will go over it and look for leaks. I’m my opinion the truck has been pretty well taken care of as I bought it from original owner.