Brake Upgrade 2012 F250

[travisgsf]

I want to upgrade my brakes for better stopping power and better feel. Any thoughts as to what's the best route? I'm willing to change whatever I need to not just the pads. Thanks

[shepstone]

The Super Duty went to larger brakes in 2013 maybe the parts are interchangeable?

[jfritz_drfritz]

travisgsf wrote:
I want to upgrade my brakes for better stopping power and better feel. Any thoughts as to what's the best route? I'm willing to change whatever I need to not just the pads. Thanks

Suggest that you read thru this thread lots of good info here
http://www.thedieselstop.com/forums/f122/brake-pedal-soft-spongy-299471/

[travisgsf]

RWDIII wrote:

nohurry wrote:

When I went from an F150 to my F250, the brakes are one of the things I was most pleased with. Granted I'm not pulling the weight you are, but mine work very well, solo or towing. Good luck

That's the first thing DW and I noticed when we went from F150 to new F250,that the brakes where so much better

I agree but I feel like I've lost all that

[RWDIII]

nohurry wrote:

When I went from an F150 to my F250, the brakes are one of the things I was most pleased with. Granted I'm not pulling the weight you are, but mine work very well, solo or towing. Good luck

That's the first thing DW and I noticed when we went from F150 to new F250,that the brakes where so much better

[coolbreeze01]

Link to one solution: http://www.8-lug.com/tech/1405_ssbc_upgraded_brakes_for_your_lifted_ford_f_250_super_duty_install/

[All_I_could_aff]

If brake pedal "feel" is the main issue, consider looking into a set of performance/ heavy duty flex hoses and then a fluid flush. Some trucks had considerable amount of swell on the lines under pressure which gives a mushy pedal. GM trucks from 10 or so years ago were particularly prone to this

[ib516]

Get some good quality slotted rotors and a good set of pads.

[travisgsf]

Yes always use my trailer brakes and exhaust brake. I feel as if it's I've lost all the brake feel when not towing but I think it's from all the towing use.

[coolbreeze01]

Do you use your exhaust brake?

[nohurry]

I'll throw in another vote for upgrading the brakes on the fiver. Yes, do change fluid, and bleed the truck's brakes, but a trailer should for the most part be stopping itself. As was alluded to in an earlier post, changing to high performance rotors, calipers, pads etc brings with it cooling challenges. Not a good thing when towing down a mountain pass!

When I went from an F150 to my F250, the brakes are one of the things I was most pleased with. Granted I'm not pulling the weight you are, but mine work very well, solo or towing. Good luck

[time2roll]

+1 for new Ford fluid and pressure bleed.

[carringb]

Golden_HVAC wrote:
Hi,

I would start by changing out the brake fluid, and get the Ford 24,000 GVWR motorhome brake fluid, it has the very highest 'wet' boiling point of any brake fluid.

This is good stuff. It used to be labelled "Super-DOT-3" but has been relabeled DOT 5.1

[Golden_HVAC]

Hi,

I would start by changing out the brake fluid, and get the Ford 24,000 GVWR motorhome brake fluid, it has the very highest 'wet' boiling point of any brake fluid.

IF the brakes feel 'mushy' it can be that there is to much moisture in the brake fluid, and it sometimes boils a little bit, and steam is compressible, not brake fluid. So once the moisture boils inside the brake fluid, then it becomes steam that is compressible. New brake fluid solves this problem.

With 30,000 miles on the truck, it might be time for new and thicker brake pads. They are not that expensive (less than a tank of fuel cost - say less than $75 per axle) if you or a buddy can change them in your driveway.

You can check with Napa auto parts, and they might have a stronger brake pad. However the 'stronger' brake pads are likely to warm the rotors more, and wear away more rotor material between brake pad changes. So it is a trade off. Ford designed the brake pads, and probably spent $1,000,000 testing various brake pad materials, checking them out on the race track and Arizona test track. Hot braking tests, and at 45,000 miles measuring the rotors to see how much wear is on them.

Why change the well engineered Ford product? It is not like the Ford brake pads are a known problem. Stronger than stock parts will wear out the rotors quicker.

Good luck!

Fred.

[Rich1961]

Bedlam wrote:
FYI: The F350 DRW and chassis cab DRW use larger brakes, but none use tires taller than 33".

I should have been more clear, the Chassis Cab I drive is an F350 SRW.

[rhagfo]

travisgsf wrote:
I am running slightly larger tires on the 5th wheel. BFG Commercial TA. Also running an inch larger on my truck. 35" tires. Only reason I assumed upgrade the trucks brakes is when not towing my truck brakes feel really mushy. I only have 30k miles on the truck

Sounds like you need a a good break bleeding!!