I have heard some say then when towing the brakes are the factor as to how much you can tow. Some have suggested adding larger brakes. What is meant by that? A different shoe or changing the calipers?

 

Probably larger rotors and/or drilled & slotted rotors (for heat dissipation), better pads.

 

It's funny Black Rose and Silent Thunder have the same avatar

 

IMHO brakes aren't the weak link for towing. Transmissions (especially automtics) are the weak link... haul > 1000lbs with your stock auto and you'l shred it.

You can replace rotors and pads with performance/slotted for under $200 quality cross drilled rotors are going to be much more because the average 'cross drilled' rotor isn't actually engineered to be drilled, they just are, so it actually weakens the rotor. A good slotted rotor will make a day and night difference when the rotors are wet, or hot. Cross drilled on an HHR will do little more than show value.

 

CrashMan is correct, towing is based on the tranny and driveline, along with the frame.

When was the last time you saw a Duramax with cross drilled rotors? Nuff said on that part.

 

Actually brakes matter mostly on small trailers that are not equipped with electric brakes. As far as transmissions go Automatics usually are rated for more weight when towing. The gears in a manual tranny are not the weak link. It is the clutch that can't handle the extra load.

 

dbfruth, I love your avatar that is the coolest ever. Thats excactly how I feel about toyota.

Sorry don't mean to hijack the thread but I saw it and had to comment.

 

Thanks, I threw it together one day when I was bored. I had to express my opinion of Toyota and the Media's apparent love of them

 

I do agree, just saying in a round about way that upgrading the brakes won't upgrade your towing capacity. Aproaching it from a tangent I guess.

Joe

 

Joe if I am understanding everyone here it will. If I am towing a 1100 pound trailer and my brakes are the weak link and over heating I can no longer tow that trailer. Now I go and have my brakes up graded and now I am towing 1100 pounds with no problem. Brakes did up my towing capacity.