Heavy Duty Brakes?

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

ScottG wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:
I don't know what you mean by heavy duty?

All OEM brakes are programed into their ECM for the type of pad material they have. IOW's it's best to stay with OEM material.

I'm sorry but that is absolutely false. The computer has no idea what pads your using nor would it care. It only monitors the rotation of the rotors and adjusts accordingly.
So the computer working with better brakes is a non-issue.

Also, brake pads are made to a price point. That's why it's easy to find better brakes.
Finally, if you go to the dealer service counter and buy a set of pads, unless they are special ordered, you are getting service replacement and not exact OEM's.

I've replaced brakes long before they needed it just to get superior performance. Started doing that with my 3/4T Chevy with a TC. I could just about stand it on it's nose. Came in real handy when an accident happened right in front of me on the freeway.

There's absolutely no down side to have better brakes.

Sorry, but if you think that BMW is the only manufacture that pairs their pads to their ECM you are sorely mistaken.

Here is what one manufacture says about the subject: "Last but not least, there is one more reason why we recommend using genuine brake pads. All models come equipped as standard with VDC and other similar stability control systems. VDC and ABS help control the movement of the car, and have been designed to suit genuine brake pads. Using non-genuine brake pads can result in different friction coefficients and braking characteristics, and may prevent VDC or ABS from performing at their best level." (this is where the pairing of the ECM comes in)

Now, can the OP bolt a set of pads on his truck that out performs an OEM pad for lets say extreme heat? Sure! BUT it will be lacking in other fields such as cold braking or wear or many, many other fields.

Braking balance is the trick to having good brakes on the street. If someone races like I do, I can tailor pads and even the complete brake system to what I'm doing. But for the street (towing) you need to have tradeoffs and build a balanced system.

Here is more on the subject from a manufacture: "We have to determine whether the trade-off between great braking performance and fade-resistance is balanced appropriately with the level of noise and dust generated. We are the ones who determine the performance levels that we provide to customers, but the biggest obstacle is trying to figure out the balance that delivers the required performance at the highest level. Increasing the brake's friction coefficient improves braking performance and pedal feel, but in turn affects quality in other areas. The ideal balance might be achieved with the brake pad requirements, but the calipers and disc rotors can also play a key role. All this is part of the enjoyment of developing genuine parts.

Pretty much exactly what I have been saying in this thread! All of these parts are part of a "system." If you change one part of the system that was not developed with the system in mine, bad things or unintended consequences "can" happen. They might be minor, like more brake dust, or more major like poor cold brake performance. But they will happen.

Pure BS.
All manufacturers have legal speak to keep you using their OEM parts. ALL of them.

You can watch hours of video's of enthusiasts and even BMW dealers installing better brakes on YouTube. They never have to do anything to the computer.


Why on earth do some people take it so personally that others want to have better brakes?