Experienced BAD brake fade...

[vvv90]

...Yesterday, while doing a quick jaunt to about 90 on an empty road (yes, Nowwhat, I am cool ) and I noticed REEEALLY bad brake fade. I'm kind of a newbie and this is the first high speed threshhold braking I've done.

I was slowing down for a left turn and thought I had plenty of time....Well, luckily I did, but just barely.

Mind you, this was NOT after repeated braking or after the rotors/pads were hot. This was just after normal street driving and my quick jaunt.

I applied the brake at ~90MPH to near threashold braking and almost immediately I felt them just give out. The same feeling you get when the pad temperature is just too hot to brake effectively.

As far as I know they're just stock '05 brakes. (No extra weight in the truck at the time.)

IS this normal? I know this is no "race car" but considering these huge 4 piston brakes and no heat I should have been able to feel a very confident/near lock up brake experience, but like I said, it felt like I had been doing hot laps at the track! :dontknow:

What gives? I'm very disappointed in the high speed braking ability of this truck so far. At speeds around 40mph give or take I've stomped on the brakes hard and have always been able to slow down like a race car.

P.S. The brake pedal has always felt VERY VERY firm, almost TOO firm compared to my Vette and SRT8. I don't think air in the system could be the problem. No mushyness or pumping the pedal required to get a firm pedal AT ALL.

 

[shade]

Interesting.

I had the stock pads in and they slowed me down from 70 to zero real quick wen I had to get on them hard one day. Definately no fade at all.

Switched to the posi quiet pads and same thing hard stops and no fade.

 

[Silverback]

Not what I would consider normal, and I tend to be hard on brakes.

 

[AWDisuzu]

mine fades badly with the EBC pads, but I never had a problem with the stock ones. (other than brake dust)

if you have a ton of brake dust on your wheels after a short trip, you probably still have stock pads - which should not fade at all!

if they are stock, maybe they are worn down??

good luck!

 

[JTS VENOM PERFORMANCE]

...Yesterday, while doing a quick jaunt to about 90 on an empty road (yes, Nowwhat, I am cool ) and I noticed REEEALLY bad brake fade. I'm kind of a newbie and this is the first high speed threshhold braking I've done.

I was slowing down for a left turn and thought I had plenty of time....Well, luckily I did, but just barely.

Mind you, this was NOT after repeated braking or after the rotors/pads were hot. This was just after normal street driving and my quick jaunt.

I applied the brake at ~90MPH to near threashold braking and almost immediately I felt them just give out. The same feeling you get when the pad temperature is just too hot to brake effectively.

As far as I know they're just stock '05 brakes. (No extra weight in the truck at the time.)

IS this normal? I know this is no "race car" but considering these huge 4 piston brakes and no heat I should have been able to feel a very confident/near lock up brake experience, but like I said, it felt like I had been doing hot laps at the track! :dontknow:

What gives? I'm very disappointed in the high speed braking ability of this truck so far. At speeds around 40mph give or take I've stomped on the brakes hard and have always been able to slow down like a race car.

P.S. The brake pedal has always felt VERY VERY firm, almost TOO firm compared to my Vette and SRT8. I don't think air in the system could be the problem. No mushyness or pumping the pedal required to get a firm pedal AT ALL.

it sounds like the ABS system kicked in, dodges system really sucks and feels awefull when engaged

 

[Westxsrt10]

I agree with Stinker..it's the ABS system. I've expermented with my brakes doing some really hard stops at higher speeds and had the same responce as you.

 

[vvv90]

Well on one hand I'm glad you guys say it's not normal, on the other it shows a potential problem.

I will check the pad thickness. It looks like my rotors are worn down pretty good so it might be time for a change.

I don't think it's the ABS at all. There was no pulsation whatsoever. It's just the feeling of no friction. So bad that I think the ABS didn't even kick in at all because there was no lock up of the wheels at all.

The only other thing I can think of is that my front tires are pretty bald. (swapped from the rears.) and it could be possibly the tires but I would still think that It seriously felt like the brakes. No tire hopping, screeching, or ABS pulsation. No matter how much I pushed the pedal it didn't get any better.

Anyway, I'll stop theorizing, order my damn tires, and go check the pad thickness before I worry anymore.

I'll keep you guys updated.

Thanks for all your responses.

 

[Silverback]

Well on one hand I'm glad you guys say it's not normal, on the other it shows a potential problem.

I will check the pad thickness. It looks like my rotors are worn down pretty good so it might be time for a change.

I don't think it's the ABS at all. There was no pulsation whatsoever. It's just the feeling of no friction. So bad that I think the ABS didn't even kick in at all because there was no lock up of the wheels at all.

The only other thing I can think of is that my front tires are pretty bald. (swapped from the rears.) and it could be possibly the tires but I would still think that It seriously felt like the brakes. No tire hopping, screeching, or ABS pulsation. No matter how much I pushed the pedal it didn't get any better.

Anyway, I'll stop theorizing, order my damn tires, and go check the pad thickness before I worry anymore.

I'll keep you guys updated.

Thanks for all your responses.

It won't be the tires.

For those race classes that are required to run on stock tires they shave them (less tread) for better traction.

 

[BigRed460]

...I know my brakes will through you through the windsheild. I have had several very hard stops from 80+ and they are always fine...

 

[shade]

Isnt there a brake booster? Maybe that went bad....?