A pickup that tows wears brakes like a much heavier vehicle
An owner-operator's pickup, or a support truck pulling a parts trailer, is often specified for the work it does but serviced as if it were a commuter vehicle. The brakes notice the difference first.
Brakes turn movement into heat. The heavier the combination, the more heat each stop produces. A pickup that regularly tows is stopping its own weight plus the trailer's, and a trailer without working brakes of its own leaves the truck's front brakes to do most of that work. Pads go faster, rotors run hotter, and brake fluid ages faster because heat is what breaks it down.
None of that is a fault. It is the job. The mistake is servicing those brakes on the interval meant for a vehicle that never tows.
A practical routine for working pickups
- Inspect more often than the manual's normal schedule. Most manuals have a heavier service schedule for towing. Use it.
- Check the trailer's brakes as well. If the trailer has its own brakes and controller, make sure they are doing their share. A truck doing all the stopping wears out early.
- Change the fluid on time. Fluid that has taken repeated heat is worth replacing on schedule rather than when the pedal feels soft.
- Pay attention to pulling. A pull under braking on a towing truck often means one side is working harder than the other.
Other stores nearby
The Salt Lake City commercial and consumer store and Orem also repair brakes.
About this store
This is the Truck Tire Center listing. It shares 2910 W 2100 S with Distribution Services, which handles tire supply only. See the Salt Lake City page for all four listings.
See the national brake repair page for all 33 locations.