Performance brake pad tests?

I'm looking for tests or recommendations for high performance brake pads, something with a more aggressive compound than stock.

We tow a 5000 lb travel trailer with our girls in the Tahoe, and can't go anywhere from Portland without crossing a mountain range. So I'm looking for a pad with good fade resistance.

But I also want better initial bite since 90%+ of our driving is around town or on trips where the pads are cold. Coming out of a BMW the brakes on the Tahoe pale in comparison, but I think a more aggressive set of pads should help bring them up a notch. I've had performance pads in the past that had poor cold bite but were great warmed up. I DON'T want those.

So my priorities are:

1. initial bite and shorter stops
2. fade resistance
3. dust
4. life - changing pads is easy, I don't mind doing it every 25k miles if I have to.

I'm willing to live with dust to get better performance. But I admit I do like the low-dust of the OEM ceramic pads.

Any experience with EBC Greenstuff/Yellowstuff, Hawk, Akebono, etc?

Anybody know anyone that has actually run back to back tests on pads on a Tahoe/Suburban? Or at least a truck? I haven't found anything that wasn't 90% marketing in my searches so far.

FWIW I have already flushed all the fluid so I have good clean fluid in the truck. I will probably go with a higher performance fluid like ATE blue before our trip to Yellowstone this summer with the trailer.

Thanks!
Ian

I've found lots of good stuff on Hawk pads, and one person who used up 75" of their Sever Duty pads in 3 weeks. Plus he said those were horrible cold, so those are out.

Still narrowing down my choices if anyone has any input.

I use Hawk HPS and Powerslot rotors, I noticed some stopping distance decrease. They do feel a little weird when you mash the pedal but bite hard enough to lock the 33s on a quick tap then unlock to stop. They do give some brake dust like normal brakes but the stock GM pads hardly gave any dust.

Did you also notice a significant improvement when you went to Hydroboost?

Ideally I'd like to go with GMT900 calipers/rotors, hydroboost and upgraded pads. I'm hoping to go with the upgraded calipers/rotors and pads first, then add hydroboost later if I'm still not happy.

I know this is an old post, but I use EBC yellowstuff on my Tacoma because I tow with it, and I wouldn't even consider another pad for how I use my truck. Based on your post, sounds like a good fit for you. They will dust heavily and you will need to change them more often, but I've gotten three years/30K miles out of them.

I should probably follow up. I went with Centric Fleet Performance semi-metallic pads and I believe I ordered them from R1 concepts. They worked great with no fade or any other issues while towing.

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Jewel or Jalopy said:

I should probably follow up. I went with Centric Fleet Performance semi-metallic pads and I believe I ordered them from R1 concepts. They worked great with no fade or any other issues while towing.

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So is your intial cold bite alot better did you replace rotors also? i dont see those brake ads n their website-i put wagners best pad and power stop rotors but still have a cold bite problem,but only for the 1st or 2nd time then its all good.Putting stainless lines on all 4 corners made the biggest diff for me.

A friend of mine purchased that for Powerstop front and rear set up and put it on his Denali And I asked him what he thought. He said he noticed a difference but that’s because he was going from junk two brand new which would’ve been the same if he just put stock replacements back on it. You only reason he went with the Powerstop was because it was cheaper.
Majority of the people on these forms will lie to you and say how great they work because they’re too cheap to go buy a real big brake kit so they try to convince everybody else that what they have is all you need. I’ve learned that in the short time I’ve been on these forms. There are a whole lot of biased comments and ratings going around LOL also if you’re telling something with a Tahoe And the brakes are fading whatever you’re Towing is too heavy and you need the trailer brakes that are adjusted properly. I’ve taken my stock Tahoe with a heavy ass full steel car haulEr With a four seat monster sand limo Up the biggest longest mountains around plenty of times and never had the brakes fade on me one time. As a matter of fact the only thing I have ever in my entire life had the brakes fade on was my quad after riding on them way to much in the first few hundred miles of the Baja race. And that was my fault for writing them too hard due to my nerves

If I remember correctly the cold bite did improve. Semi metallic usually has good bite but lots of dust.

And I agree the stock brakes worked fine. I spent a lot of time adjusting the weight distribution ***** and brakes on the trailer so they were all working properly. The Tahoe was a great tow rig. Our only complaint was the 17 MPG freeway.

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Jewel or Jalopy said:

If I remember correctly the cold bite did improve. Semi metallic usually has good bite but lots of dust.

And I agree the stock brakes worked fine. I spent a lot of time adjusting the weight distribution ***** and brakes on the trailer so they were all working properly. The Tahoe was a great tow rig. Our only complaint was the 17 MPG freeway.

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You were getting 17mpg while towing? Or just by itself?