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Ceramic or semi mettalic pads for towing?

Don't know what to tell you Bill. My one and only experience with ceramic was less than impressive. I was driving a half ton Ford van for work that was loaded with tools heavy enough to really need a 3/4 ton van. I'd go through front brakes about once a year. I decided to try ceramics and my pedal pressure went up for the same braking that I got out of semi-metallics. They got me a new box van for working out of before I had a chance to see how long the ceramic pads would last.

Don
 
Ceramic pads don't like to be over heated. When towing or hauling you the brakes will get hotter due to the increased weight they have to stop. I'd never run Ceramic's on anything that tows or hauls a heavy load. Both my rigs get Semi-Metallics. Some companies now make a "Severe Duty" Semi-Metallic brake pad. Those are designed for trucks that do a lot of towing and hauling.
 
It's wierd because most new trucks come with ceramic pads for the reduced brake dust on the wheels, but hey are so oversized to begin with they tend not to overheat. My experience with them was less than thrilling(it was actually scary), but the RAYBESTOS HD semi metalics work great.
 
Semi Metallic tend to squeal.
They do a very good job.

RAYBESTOS rear shoes that cost around $100.00 also help get you stopped. The brakes on my 1993 are a lot better with the shoe change out. Popped axle seal to need em. RUN if the price is $20 or so for them at the zone, cardboard pressed junk!
 
I personally will never use ceramics again. They plain out sucked, they overheated severly and actually dug grooves into my brand new rotors. Semimetallic is all I will ever use again
 
Decision made! Due to all this input I am going with top of the line Napa semi mettalic. Got good rotors off a junk truck but need tires, the ones at my buddies are too wide for my truck. Ghey would tend to touch between the duals. So going to the tire place, used of course tommorrow and get tires and rotors and pads put on for The Trip.
 
Circle track Mag had an article on ceramic pads. Some of the companies that sell them are really sticking it to the customers. Turns out all pads have some ceramic in them. The better companies are selling higher loaded ceramic and some just sell regular pads as ceramic! Then there actual tests showed even more bad news for ceramics. A good semi metallic should do you well.
 
Got the tires put on but the pads look good. Thinking about not putting new on for the trip....way over half the outside pad left n back side pad looks brand new. I dont know when the PO put them on but I have driven the truck 10000 miles since I got it last year. What yall think?
 
x2.

The GMT 400 hydroboost braking system is well designed, and underworked, especially in the duallys. my boss had a 98 C3500 BBC 4L80E and he routinely towed a tandem dually gooseneck loaded with tractors, definitely over 20K combo. he owned that truck for a year or two and never bought a brake controller, he said the brakes on this are way better than his dodge/cummins' so he never saw the need to run trailer brakes on that truck.

my PS pump is going out on my 99, and we are still running it, and the brakes are adequate.

we did feel like we needed more brakes one time on the 92 HD, but we were closing in or possibly over 30K with no brakes other than the truck.

I would say run it!
 
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