I have yet again another question about brakes for a first gen.

I’ve been doing some digging and reading, as I for some period of time may be towing a relatively heavy trailer (around 4000 pounds max, enclosed 6x10 cargo trailer), with my 92 SCLB. I do have the benefit of having a mild 5.9, so pulling the trailer isn’t a problem for the truck. Stopping is.

I do have the benefit of having the factory 10” drums in the rear, but i am planning at some point to redo the entire braking system at some point as my booster is going bad, and the brakes feel really inconsistent. I’m planning to pull the rear axle out for a full overhaul. (Posi, rebuild the diff, new springs, RAS suspension, etc). I figured, while I’m in there, would 11” drums from a second gen make a noticeable difference over the 10”? I know discs are an option, but I’ve read that in terms of stopping power they really don’t do much, it’s more thermal control. I’m looking for more bite, the trailer will have brakes of its own so thermal issues isn’t as much of a concern for me.

I am also looking at doing the second gen booster conversion from hipotek, allowing me to use the smaller style booster (I know this will not help with total braking, just brake feel, and it also gives me more room to pull the valve covers off the engine for rocker adjustment and whatnot). This is my primary motivator in redoing the whole brake system.

Please give me any input you have, even if it is to just stick with the 10” brakes. I’m open to any and all input

 

Rear brakes only do about 30% of your braking, if you want improved braking, without the rears constantly locking up if you so much as look at them cross-eyed, upgrade the fronts....... Don't know what's available for that though.....

 

It seems like front brakes for a first gen are hard to find an upgrade for. I’ve “upgraded” them, as in I have standard rotors with powerstop z23 pads, carbon ceramic or whatever they are. It made somewhat of a difference, but I think that’s really as far as I can go in terms of the brakes. I do know that once I get different tires my braking will be slightly better as well.

Right now I’m running Dextero DAT1 tires (Walmart tires, they’re some cheap AT). I’m planning to eventually swap over to BFG trail terrains, which are a much more quality tire so I’m sure the traction compound will change braking characteristics to a point

 

Is your truck 2 or 4 wheel drive? Could you upgrade to 2nd gen rotors/calipers? Are they any larger? Or maybe the R/T rotors? Are those larger??

 

The truck is a 4wd. Looking at RockAuto, the second gen RT front rotors if I'm not mistaken are 11.3~ inches, as are the first gen rotors. Really the question is can I put bigger brakes on the front without going up in wheel sizes lol. I'd really like to keep the 15s, but that does limit big brake options a lot.

 

Hhhmm.... Better pads (that you already have) may be as good as it gets. Generally, the more pricey compounds, have better fade resistance, not necessarily better stopping power. Just need to lean into the pedal a bit harder.

Is it just the trailer that is 4K pounds? Or is that the total of trailer and load?

 

It's going to be at most 4000 pounds. Most likely a little less. I'm eventually going to be pulling an enclosed 6x10 ish cargo trailer, most likely with a 6'6" interior, and maybe lowered to have less of a brick wall effect behind the truck. From my research so far, those trailers seem to land around 1800 pounds empty, but I'm going to be converting it into a fiber splicing trailer, so there will be some windows, a generator, RV AC somewhere, toolbox, work bench, misc equipment, etc. I'm not entirely sure what the end weight will be, but at most it will be probably 4000 pounds, maybe 3500 as I believe most single axle trailers are rated at that due to the axles. Regardless though the trailer will have brakes. I do think that I will have better braking once I redo the brake system and replace all the lines, hoses, cylinders, etc and I'm thinking about bypassing the RWAL and getting a manual proportioning valve (unless I can have both) to fine tune the brakes.

 

2 or 4 wheel ABS?

 

Just the rear, if it even does anything lol. All I know is the anti lock light turns on in the dash, then I hear a clink and it turns off. Never experienced whether or not it actually does anything

 

Just leave it in place then. It might actually work.... and you've just never needed it.