austinado16
Full Access Member
- Joined
- May 25, 2012
- Posts
- 611
- Reaction score
- 222
- Location
- Central Coast, CA
- First Name
- Todd
- Truck Year
- 1990 w/307k miles on the clock
- Truck Model
- GMC V1500 Suburban SLE
- Engine Size
- 5.7L TBI/4L60/3.42's
Thought I'd pass this on, incase it helps someone avoid an oh **** moment.....or worse.
Installed a set of ceramic front pads about 7 weeks ago. They've been fine driving the 'burb locally, and just about zero dust, with a nice firm pedal. I was very pleased..........until this past Friday night, towing our 2,200lb Starcraft pop-up tent trailer, in the Sierra Mountain of central CA.
Topped out over the mountain pass into Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon NP, at 7,500'. Just a couple miles down the steep backside, and I'm feeling a spongy pedal that's getting closer to the floor with each application of the brakes. By the time I got us pulled over and stopped, the pedal was against the floor mat.
The front brakes were just smoldering hot.
A little background info.......we've been going to this part of Kings Canyon for 6 seasons, hauling the same camper, over the same road, loaded the same, and for the first 3 seasons, I didn't even have brakes on the camper. Previously, I've always run semi-metallics on everything, including the 'burb. Never an issue. Decided I'd try the ceramics this time, thinking they'd do even better than metallics.
Oops.....shoulda done my homework a little better. Apparently (as I'm reading tonight via a Google search) these things don't disappate heat well, and once hot, well, you know the rest of the story.
Anyway, wound up getting down the 20mi grade in 1st and 2nd, with the trailer brake controller set on maximum output, and did similarly today, coming home.
These POS's will be on the counter at NAPA, first thing in the morning.
Here's a partial view of the road down into the canyon....
Installed a set of ceramic front pads about 7 weeks ago. They've been fine driving the 'burb locally, and just about zero dust, with a nice firm pedal. I was very pleased..........until this past Friday night, towing our 2,200lb Starcraft pop-up tent trailer, in the Sierra Mountain of central CA.
Topped out over the mountain pass into Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon NP, at 7,500'. Just a couple miles down the steep backside, and I'm feeling a spongy pedal that's getting closer to the floor with each application of the brakes. By the time I got us pulled over and stopped, the pedal was against the floor mat.
The front brakes were just smoldering hot.
A little background info.......we've been going to this part of Kings Canyon for 6 seasons, hauling the same camper, over the same road, loaded the same, and for the first 3 seasons, I didn't even have brakes on the camper. Previously, I've always run semi-metallics on everything, including the 'burb. Never an issue. Decided I'd try the ceramics this time, thinking they'd do even better than metallics.
Oops.....shoulda done my homework a little better. Apparently (as I'm reading tonight via a Google search) these things don't disappate heat well, and once hot, well, you know the rest of the story.
Anyway, wound up getting down the 20mi grade in 1st and 2nd, with the trailer brake controller set on maximum output, and did similarly today, coming home.
These POS's will be on the counter at NAPA, first thing in the morning.
Here's a partial view of the road down into the canyon....
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Last edited:
I as waiting for the front wheels to lockup but she did good. 
