New Brake Recommendations

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PbE55

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Hello All,
New to the forum here so I'll provide a quick intro. In 2014 I purchased my 2014 Ram 1500. It has the hemi engine, 4WD, and crew cab and it has been a pleasure to drive, giving me next to no issues over the past 9 years. The odometer just hit 95,000 miles and all that I have had to do this truck is fluids, filters, and tires so now it is time to start putting some money into it. First up, brakes. The stock brakes did pretty well overall, the only complaint that I have is that sometimes when I placed a lot of demand on them, they would fade. Nonetheless, I contacted the local stealership for a price for brakes all the way around and they quoted me a whopping $997 just for parts! The labor quote was 2 hours at $160/hr, so probably around $1350 for a brake job out the door.
Looking for replacements outside of Ram, there are endless options. Summit Racing is offering EBC stage 3 brake/rotor kits for about half the price of the factory parts. EBC is a higher end brake manufacturer right? Most of my driving is on the backroads, and I do very little towing and hauling. I am interested in a set of brakes that gets rid of the fade, however I also need my brakes to bite even when cold. There are lots of deer on the roads around here, I've hit one, and countless other times I've had to slam on brakes to avoid other deer. That being said, I believe I'll start looking into the semi metallics.
Please let me know of any positive or negative experiences that you've had with aftermarket brakes on your Ram. Like I said before, I am interested in brakes that won't fade, that aren't spongy when cold like ceramics, and something cheaper $997. I would also appreciate the sharing of any articles, or any other threads that you may have found useful when shopping for your brakes and rotors.
Thanks,
Patrick
 

CanuckRam1313

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I'm at 116,000km's on my 19' 1500 and have 4mm left on my pads. The stock brakes have done really well for me, and I'm impressed at their longevity. But I'm also not a brake happy driver either, and know how to regulate my throttle input according to road and weather conditions, so that helps too.

As for brakes, I'm thinking of something like R1 Concepts with their slotted rotors and a quality pad for increased bite. Then head right out after installation and do a proper new brake bedding in process. https://www.zeckhausen.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=6446_6443

I do recommend you flush the old DOT3 stock brake fluid when doing your brake job and upgrading to a high quality DOT4 fluid.

I have done this on every vehicle I've owned and it does make a nice difference on helping to thwart fading in heavier braking conditions.

Also make sure you do a really good caliper and slider pin/boot service too. This also helps to ensure things move freely and provide optimum braking ability.
 

ThunderMug95

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I did R1 Concepts Geomet rotors and ceramic pads all around in 2019. They performed excellent. I just in the past few weeks replaced the R1’s with Hart Black series rotors and ceramic pads for just over $400. Brake jobs are easy. This is a must if you have oversized, heavy tires. Slotted and drilled rotors and good pads make a HUGE difference in performance.

Hart Black from 12/2022
1671824039769.jpeg


R1 Concepts from 2019
1671824158814.jpeg
 

Burla

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Two most popular on the board are power stop and wagner oex. I like wagner oex, incredible performance over oem and NO dusting, like zero. They even have channels to prevent heat related brake fade. They have a great rotor as well, e coated so it wont weld to anything in the snow. If you towed very heavy you could make the argument for power stop metallics, but I like wagner oex will run them on every vehicle I have to put brakes on, pretty budget friendly as well.

OIP.jpg
 

Burla

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I like r1 concepts as well for calipers, no core charge when I bought mine and they were very budget friendly for the oem replacement. We have them on for a couple years now, no issues.
 

Burla

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I think @Hemi395 runs the same pad in snow country if you are worried about ceramics as oex are ceramic. maybe he will chime in, and he tows heavy. plus he ran e coated rotors as well.
 

Hemi395

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I have Powerstop Z36 pads/rotors on my truck and they're amazing. I ran the OEXs before that and they were great too. The Z36 pads are better tho and the rotors are actually holding up well to the New England winters
 

Nick@GotExhaust

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We offer a great package that consists of R1 geomet drilled and slotted rotors with posi quiet pads. This package offers improved stopping power, while being low dust and providing quiet and smooth operation. This package is a reliable long lasting setup that is good for daily driving, towing, and for having some fun! We have many members here running this package.

We are offering this package for 20% off with promo code NPR1NY20


 

ThunderMug95

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We offer a great package that consists of R1 geomet drilled and slotted rotors with posi quiet pads. This package offers improved stopping power, while being low dust and providing quiet and smooth operation. This package is a reliable long lasting setup that is good for daily driving, towing, and for having some fun! We have many members here running this package.

We are offering this package for 20% off with promo code NPR1NY20


Dang! I complete forgot those images of mine were used! Im famous LOL!
R1 held up very well. I had a state inspection a month ago and the pads all measured 3-4mm, so they lasted prob 40,000mi. Never a squeak either, low dust.
 

t0ymach1n3

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Don't forget to change that brake fluid! A lot of people forget about that and get new brake systems and they still perform like ****. Brake fluid should be changed every other year or so.
 

Nick@GotExhaust

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Dang! I complete forgot those images of mine were used! Im famous LOL!
R1 held up very well. I had a state inspection a month ago and the pads all measured 3-4mm, so they lasted prob 40,000mi. Never a squeak either, low dust.


yessir, those pics you provided were too good not to share with the world lol
 
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PbE55

PbE55

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Don't forget to change that brake fluid! A lot of people forget about that and get new brake systems and they still perform like ****. Brake fluid should be changed every other year or so.
Yeah, I have definitley been neglecting the brake fluid. Several years ago I did the flush on my 2001 Mustang. I had an assistant continuously pump the brakes while I opened the bleeder valve until the fluid turned clean, and refilled the reserovoir as necessary. Is it that easy on our Ram's?
 
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PbE55

PbE55

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I'm at 116,000km's on my 19' 1500 and have 4mm left on my pads. The stock brakes have done really well for me, and I'm impressed at their longevity. But I'm also not a brake happy driver either, and know how to regulate my throttle input according to road and weather conditions, so that helps too.

As for brakes, I'm thinking of something like R1 Concepts with their slotted rotors and a quality pad for increased bite. Then head right out after installation and do a proper new brake bedding in process. https://www.zeckhausen.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=6446_6443

I do recommend you flush the old DOT3 stock brake fluid when doing your brake job and upgrading to a high quality DOT4 fluid.

I have done this on every vehicle I've owned and it does make a nice difference on helping to thwart fading in heavier braking conditions.

Also make sure you do a really good caliper and slider pin/boot service too. This also helps to ensure things move freely and provide optimum braking ability.
I appreciate the advice and bedding process link. I will certainly perform the flush and ensure that caliper's/pins/boots all look good as well. Just now, I watched a video on youtube about someone who failed to install new hardware and it led to premature pad/rotor failure. Certainly do not want that to happen. My goal is to complete a successful shadetree mechanic brake job.
 
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PbE55

PbE55

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Dang! I complete forgot those images of mine were used! Im famous LOL!
R1 held up very well. I had a state inspection a month ago and the pads all measured 3-4mm, so they lasted prob 40,000mi. Never a squeak either, low dust.
Your advice is appreciated ThunderMug95. The stock brakes have impressed me because of their longeveity, but I certainly be willing to swap them out every 4 or 5 years instead of every 8 or 9 years for much better performance.
 

t0ymach1n3

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Yeah, I have definitley been neglecting the brake fluid. Several years ago I did the flush on my 2001 Mustang. I had an assistant continuously pump the brakes while I opened the bleeder valve until the fluid turned clean, and refilled the reserovoir as necessary. Is it that easy on our Ram's?
I use an old Gatorade bottle, filled with fluid, and a rubber hose to slide on the bleeder to do mine. Bit of a slow process, but gets the job done with relative ease and can be done solo.
 

BadHemi2014

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I'm a huge fan of PowerStop. I have their brakes on my Ram, my Beetle, and husband's Lincoln. No dust, no fade, no problems in the cold (-20 windchill tonight!).
Some guys pooh pooh the drilled/ slotted rotors but I prefer them. I have standard rotors on the Lincoln and wished I had gotten the drilled/ slotted for it too.
 

ThunderMug95

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I use an old Gatorade bottle, filled with fluid, and a rubber hose to slide on the bleeder to do mine. Bit of a slow process, but gets the job done with relative ease and can be done solo.
I bought a little kit a few years ago to accomplish this solo. I might make the teenager assist. I have never exchanged brake fluid (deliberately at least) on my vehicles.
 

danielmid

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I bought a little kit a few years ago to accomplish this solo. I might make the teenager assist. I have never exchanged brake fluid (deliberately at least) on my vehicles.
I grabbed the Motive power bleeder and man does it make bleeding and fluid change a piece of cake.

Motive Products 0103 Power Bleeder Fits Late Model Chrysler Vehicles https://a.co/d/85beeEE
 

pcwizard2600

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I've been happy with the powerstop we put on our 2013 RAM. If you go powerstop, definitely go with the Z36 package. I had the Z23's on my Tahoe and the z36 are much better. Excellent performance, no dust and survives Vermont winters well.
So far, so good......
 
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