John ButlerIn any vehicle, the brake pads are an essential component. That’s especially true when it comes to vehicles used primarily for towing. When you’re towing, your vehicle needs quality brake pads to accommodate:
- High operating temperatures
- High brake application force
- Repetitive braking
- High inertia
OEM Brake Pads Aren’t Made For Towing
OEM brake pads are quality parts, but they’re not made for towing. Instead, they’re made for daily driving. In other words, OEM brake pads are reliable in normal situations: stop-and-go driving and highway driving. But when it comes to towing? OEM brake pads aren’t quite made for the job.
It’s quite easy for OEM brake pads to fade during a heavy towing session. You don’t want your brakes to fail or perform inadequately when you’re towing something. That can lead to a variety of bad situations, like:
- You or someone else getting hurt
- Your truck and/or trailer getting damaged
- Rear ending somebody
That’s why you need aftermarket brake pads.
The Best Aftermarket Brake Pads For Towing
Do you have a vehicle primarily for towing? Or are you about to do some heavy towing with your daily driver? Either way, you need a set of quality brake pads that can perform reliably even in the most strenuous towing conditions.
We wish we could tell you that just about any set of aftermarket brake pads can provide the stopping power your towing vehicle needs. Unfortunately, that’s not true. Not all aftermarket brake pads are created equal. Some aftermarket brands use cheap materials and cheap manufacturing processes so they can save money. This results in low quality brake pads that perform even worse than OEM brake pads.
As brake experts, we’re very particular about which brands we carry. Only a handful of brake pad brands have met our rigorous standards. So you have the peace of mind that any set of brake pads you order from us will perform well.
Yet, some of the brake pads we carry are better for towing than others. We rounded up the 3 very best brake pads for towing:
1. Hawk Performance SuperDuty Truck Brake Pads
Brake pads by a reputable brand? Check. Brake pads made just for towing? Check. Brake pads made for vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of over 10K pounds? Check.
Hawk Performance is one of the most reliable brake pad brands on the market. The brand created heavy duty brake pads for heavy vehicles that tow and haul. The product is called Hawk Performance SuperDuty Truck Brake Pads. It’s the perfect product for you if:
- Your vehicle has a GVW of over 10K pounds
- You use your vehicle for moderate to heavy towing and hauling
These brake pads are especially ideal if you drive downhill often. They work best with slotted rotors. The pad material on these brake pads have an extremely high coefficient of friction. That means the brakes are ultra sensitive, which is ideal for towing or hauling. They’re going to stop your heavy vehicle better than most other brake pads can.
Even though these brake pads will undergo heavy use, they’ll still last a long time. They’re fade resistant, even on steep grades. They can even perform reliably when temperatures get high.
You would be hard-pressed to find more reliable towing brake pads than Hawk Performance SuperDuty Truck Brake Pads.
2. EBC Orangestuff Brake Pads
EBC Orangestuff is another product we swear by. EBC designed these brake pads for heavy towing among other things. These pads are among the most effective ones on the market for towing and hauling. It’s because these pads:
- Create zero fade
- Have a wide operating temperature range
- Between 40 and 1400 degrees F
- Create tremendous bite
- Have the highest rated friction level out of all EBC brake pads
- Have the longest pad life out of all EBC brake pads
- Create very little noise, even during heavy braking
These brake pads are ideal for trucks, Jeeps, and SUVs.
3. StopTech 309 Sport Performance Brake Pads
StopTech 309 Sport Performance Brake Pads are more “tame” than the other two brake pads in this list. Yet, these pads work great in many towing situations. StopTech didn’t formulate this line of brake pads just for towing and hauling. Yet, these pads will perform great in moderate towing situations. It’s because these brake pads:
- Create much more stopping power than OEM brake pads
- Have a larger heat range
- That means these pads will still provide a great bite in high temperatures
- Include anti-squeal shims to minimize noise
- Don’t create as much dust as OEM brake pads
- Have a long pad life
So if you’re doing some light to moderate towing, you can’t go wrong with a set of StopTech 309 Sport Performance brake pads.
Do you have any questions about the brake pads in this list? We’ll be happy to answer them if you contact us!
