farm truck brake question

maxwell99

Well-known Member
I have to pull my Ferguson Tractor TO-35 about 50 miles next week on my 4 wheel trailer, the trailer does not have trailer brakes.

so my old 2005 dodge 2500 diesel 80K miles must be on top of its game brake wise.

Question:

I had the brake pads replaced the other day
rear pads were about gone, front had more pad left, so they must have been replaced before I got the truck at 40K

we did not replace or turn down the rotors: truck had no brake vibration before pads were replaced.

after replacing the pads, the truck started having a vibration when stopping like the rotors were warped, so my mech replaced the front rotors and dressed down the new front pads.

still picking up a some vibration when applying the brakes.

The mech thinks it may be the rear rotors are warped.

I ask my auto parts supplier about this, he said that many of the trucks that pull heavy loads like campers, equipment trailers, cattle trailers, most all will also replace the rear rotors along with the front when doing a complete brake job.

He ask, is the vibration in the steering wheel or the body of the truck, I said body of the truck, then he said that was the rear rotors!!!!!!!!!!
if front rotors were warped the steering wheel would be going back and forth.

I am not so sure at this point what to do as the rear rotors are about 1/3 more cost than the front rotors.

have any of you heard of this before ?????????
having to replace the rear rotors to stop a brake vibration.

Thanks for any input,

Just want to be safe, *****really need to add trailer brakes to at least one axle on the old 16ft trailer.
 
Replace the rotors. Aftermarket rotors are not the same quality as oem. So turning them makes them warp twice as fast. I pull heavy loads with my 1 ton dually with my goose neck with brakes and when I do the brakes I replace EVERYTHING at one time. The 200$ it cost is well worth the peace of mind when I have to stand on the brakes to keep from hitting a texting,make up putting on,news paper reading idiot that has no clue.
 
Front rotors that are warped are usually felt on the pedal..it feels like an up and down motion on the brake pedal. Rear rotors can be turned and trued up but the shop where I worked did not recommend turning rotors. The boss always figured that the rotor had been hot to warp and it would have hard spots on it and it would always vibrate or make a moan as the brake was appied..a proper brake job is always new rotors with the new pads. We also recommended medium priced rotor and a top quality pad,that combination was the most economical bang for the buck.
 
Thanks for the input,

Bought new rotors for the rear brakes this afternoon. Will be installed on Thursday.

Hopefully this will take care of the brake vibration problem.
 
I find it hard to believe anyone changes pads without changing rotors anymore... Drums... yeah, I'll re-shoe without necessarly changing the drums, but never rotors.

Rod
 
When you tighten the lug nuts, make sure you use a chris/cross pattern, and don't over tighten. You should use a torque wrench , probably about 100 lbs of torque. Don't buy the cheap rotors or you will have to do it again soon. Don't ask how I know.
 
Your last line says it all. Don't know exactly which roads you intend to use, but in MOST states any trailer with gross weight of over 3000 pounds brakes are required on ALL WHEELS.
Enough said.
Willie
 
Here's a link to the trailer brake laws in the different states. Safe (and in most states, legal) trailering with the kind of weight you're talking about means having working trailer brakes, regardless of the condition of the brakes on the towing vehicle.
Trailer brake laws
 
If you are any where the northern area of the country I would be concerned about the brake lines on your truck pulling a trailer or not.
 
I am all ears on this one tom,

is there some kind of problem with the brake lines on my 2005 dodge 2500 truck.

I am getting all new rotors installed with my new brake pads, hoping that was going to do the job on my brake work.

please explain further on the brake line problem?
 
Rod,
I hear you loud and clear on this one,

I do not put that many miles on a truck, so my last brake experience was with my 2000 model, old style, chevy 2500.
I bought the pads and shoes the mech recommended to buy (med grade) from napa and they installed them. 75K miles.

I do not remember if they turned the front rotors or not, but I did not have to replace the front rotors, I would have remembered that. The old chevy brakes worked fine after the pads and shoes were replaced, no pulsing brakes like I am having now.

I am scheduled to have the rear rotors replaced on Thursday, hope after that my brake problems will be over for a while,
leaving out on sat for a trip pulling my camper to AL, so I need my brakes to be in top condition.

again, as you said, my parts dealer said most tow vehicle trucks, owners just replace the rotors when they do a brake job.
 
I agree with you 100%. I pull cars up and down the east coast. When I have to hit the brakes i dont want to have to worry about my brakes not working. So pony up and buy the OEM parts its well worth the headache youll get if you dont.
 
will check the torque on the lug nuts

I always check all lug nuts torque levels on my truck and trailer before I pull out on a trip.

have learned anytime you have work done at a shop, most have the gun air pressure turn up so it tightens to the max.

That can be too much for a small car or not enough for a large truck.
so it is not right for anyone.

when my father in law bought tires, he would never let them tighten the lug nuts with an air wrench, he brought out his 4 way and made them tighten the lug nuts with that, as he watched them making sure they cross tighten the nuts.

old school, but it worked for him and he never had a lug bolt stripped or wheel come loose.
 
The guys are right if you feel it in the body or seat of your pants then it"s most likely something in the rear end of the vehicle. The front will almost always transfer to the steering wheel. Which means you probably didn"t need those front rotors. Personally I"ve never seen rear drums warp but maybe rotors are more likely. I"d have those replaced but don"t forget that a after market set of cross drilled and slotted rotors may actually be cheaper then oem rotors and will stop better. Now will they last as long, no but it will help cool down your pads and reduce brake fade when trying to stop with a load. Also don"t forget to have the brake fluid flushed in your lines. It will help remove water, acid and sludge from your lines, master and brake cylinders. Remember dot 3 brake fluid has a boil point of 350 degrees where as water is 212. So removing water and gunk will help ensure a hard pedal when you need it. Also make sure your rear wheels aren"t caked up with mud. if so the shop might have nocked some off to cause a imbalance. Those newer alum. wheels with the flat inside radius sure like to hold the clay/gumbo off my road and cause one heck of a shake.
 
Every so often I get the idea that I don't need new rotors... and it always bites me in the as$. Usually need calipers too on mine. Salt is a bugger on them here.

Rod
 

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