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New 2013 Ram Braking Performance

3K views 21 replies 14 participants last post by  NumberCruncher 
#1 ·
I picked up a new 2013 QC Big Horn about a week ago and so far I love the truck. I switched from a 2011 F-150 with the 5.0 and what a difference in torque between the two. All in all I am very happy with the new Ram with the exception of one area. My F-150 had much stronger brakes, or at least so it seems. With minimal pedal effort I could bring the F-150 to a screeching hault. The Ram seems like it needs a lot more pedal effort to get similar stopping power but I only have 500 miles on the truck so maybe they are not broken in yet.

Today I had Destination AT's installed and while watching the work get done, sized up the rotors and they do look a little on the small side. Of course with 20" wheels anything less than a 16" rotor will look small.

So is there a consensus in the Ram world that the brakes are plenty strong and I just need to get used to pedal actuation or have others felt this way as well? I don't want to shell out money right now for a big brake kit but it would be nice to know if I may be imagining this. I'll see if I can find a braking comparison test somewhere online.

The truck is pretty well loaded with options and I really like the Max-steel color. In the right light you can catch the blue but much of the time it is more of a dark metallic gray. The metallic paint is much more metallic than a pearl coat and I think that works great on dark colors like this. I'll get some pics with the Destination AT's (white letters out) after I wash the truck again. This is my first dark vehicle and I have new appreciation for keeping a dark color clean. I do enjoy washing/waxing so that is cool with me.

Thanks.



NC
 
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#5 ·
Beautiful truck....My dad works on the line at ford and I totally agree...It is a totally different feel...You will get use to it...I still take a ton of heat for buying a RAM but I have to tell you... I would buy another one again.....
 
#6 ·
Rams Front discs are 13.2 x 1" and the F-150's are 13.78 x .55" -- The Fords are a bit larger (by about a 1/2inch), but also thinner.

Also, ford brake pads are are a different beast all together. I freaking HATE ford brake pads. My Wife has an Explorer now, and cannot wait to replace them. They squeal like a whore, and are completely unpredictable as they heat up/cool down. They remind me exactly of old mustang pads, and if you ask any Mustang guy what they replaced first, 75% will tell you the brake pads.
 
#8 ·
Also, ford brake pads are are a different beast all together. I freaking HATE ford brake pads. My Wife has an Explorer now, and cannot wait to replace them. They squeal like a whore, and are completely unpredictable as they heat up/cool down. They remind me exactly of old mustang pads, and if you ask any Mustang guy what they replaced first, 75% will tell you the brake pads.
+1 I HATE Ford brakes. After 13 years of driving Fords, I seriously developed a flinch from their squealing brakes.
 
#7 ·
I read somewhere (Allpar?) that they had slightly changed the braking on the new rams to make them feel more responsive vs. the previous 4th gens, But here is what I can say from my experience driving my 2013 lone star vs my dad's '09 SLT (keep in mind he has about 50k more miles on his truck than I have on mine):

His seems to brake quicker, but the pedal must be pushed down farther for the truck to start braking. Mine starts to brake as soon as I hit the pedal but it doesn't brake as hard. I believe if you were to measure how far the pedals were depressed on each truck, the pedal on my truck would not have to be depressed as far to get the same amount of braking. In my opinion this makes his feel more responsive, but the '13 feels like it is more sensitive i.e. you have a bit more control over how much brake you apply. Like I said though, I'm not sure how much of this is due to my brakes not being quite broken in yet.

Beautiful truck btw. I really like the maximum steel, almost like a gunmetal color.
 
#10 · (Edited)
I was waiting to wash it again but I'll go grab a quick photo. The edgy look of the Destination AT along with the white letters looks awesome in my book. I love this truck. Braking concerns are long gone.

Here are two hasty, contrasty images. I'll get better ones in a few days when I can wash it and take it somewhere other than my driveway.





NC
 
#11 ·
I picked up a new 2013 QC Big Horn about a week ago and so far I love the truck. I switched from a 2011 F-150 with the 5.0 and what a difference in torque between the two. All in all I am very happy with the new Ram with the exception of one area. My F-150 had much stronger brakes, or at least so it seems. With minimal pedal effort I could bring the F-150 to a screeching hault. The Ram seems like it needs a lot more pedal effort to get similar stopping power but I only have 500 miles on the truck so maybe they are not broken in yet.

So is there a consensus in the Ram world that the brakes are plenty strong and I just need to get used to pedal actuation or have others felt this way as well? I don't want to shell out money right now for a big brake kit but it would be nice to know if I may be imagining this. I'll see if I can find a braking comparison test somewhere online.

The truck is pretty well loaded with options and I really like the Max-steel color. In the right light you can catch the blue but much of the time it is more of a dark metallic gray. The metallic paint is much more metallic than a pearl coat and I think that works great on dark colors like this. I'll get some pics with the Destination AT's (white letters out) after I wash the truck again. This is my first dark vehicle and I have new appreciation for keeping a dark color clean. I do enjoy washing/waxing so that is cool with me.

Thanks.



NC
Sharp looking truck:smileup:

I haven't driven a Ford lately, lol, but I will say, imo, that my 13 Ram brakes much better than what my 09 Sierra did.
That is one of the things I noticed right away, it didn't take much foot pressure at all to activate them, they were right there instantly.

If your's are not the same, I would let the dealer know as maybe the proportioning valve is set incorrectly or maybe you have one brake that is holding up? (Long shot but you never know?)

LOL on the Black truck comment, I almost bought the exact same color but decided to go white and I am loving it as it definitely doesn't show the dirt near as bad imo as what my last 3 black trucks did.
Wish I had of went white at least 2 trucks ago.:doh:
 
#14 ·
I just switched up from an '11 to a '13
even after almost 100k the '11 was as "stop on a dime" strong as it was from the day i drove it off the lot
i've got a little over 2000km on the '13 and the first time i had to do a "slam on 'em" i just about shyt myself they were so soft. i thought for sure i was gonna taste rear bumper
 
#17 ·
The '13 F150 had an easier brake pedal for sure, mostly due to a much stronger power assist it seemed. Pads may have been more agressive as well, the Fords weigh more and rotor size is similar so stopping power should be similar.

I went right from the F150 into the Ram the same afternoon and yes it feels like the Ram is heavier coming to a stop. A lot of is the Ram seems to coast a lot longer with no throttle, the Ford would scrub mph a lot quicker when off the gas and coasting down.

It takes a different driving style for sure, but its not like the Ram cant get stopped, just have to push the pedal harder.
 
#18 ·
Agreed.

I am trying to get 1,000 miles on my RAm before I trailer this weekend. I'll only pull a jet ski but technically it will connect to the wiring harness and I wouldn't be surprised if the computer reads a trailer connect and compares it to mileage and stores a code for the future. We'll see.

NC
 
#19 ·
I only have two complaints on my Bighorn but love everything else.

1. Brakes - It really does take a while to get this sucker stopped. Last week I got to test out the anitlock brakes and was surprised at how long it took...almost was too long. :wow: Ever driven a newer Tundra? ...now that truck has brakes.

2. Torque management / traction control - I mean, for f#@&s sake, I have 400hp and can only use a portion of that when I need it in some situations. Heaven for bid the tires break loose. I can actually feel the truck pull power out on occasion. That isn't the best feeling when you are trying to pull out in three lanes of traffic barreling down on you at 60mph.

Other than that, I am really happy with the truck.
 
#22 ·
All the modern vehicles I have driven have traction control and most of the time I am okay with it. Making a tight right hand turn to pull into traffic on a rainy day is a guaranteed way to get it to come on. Thankfully we have that little button to turn it off. I have never had any traction control hurt me when I needed power but maybe this Ram is different. I will say in my last truck, the F-150, I was on a near sheer sheet of ice and traction control wouldn't let any wheel get torque and I couldn't move. Turning traction control on again got me moving.

Have you had the TC cut in on dry pavement while accelerating in a straight line? Now that would be odd.

NC
 
#20 ·
I have to say my 13 ram brakes better than my 06 sierra did as well. but it is a different feel completely.

I will also say, that the stock SR-A tires are about as much help aiding short stopping distances as black ice is. Never driven a stock tire with such poor traction. It is quiet, and I'm sure it's engineered for eeking every last iota of mileage out of the powertrain to help the epa ratings. but I think it does so at the cost of everything else. It's only comparison to real tires is that it's made of rubber, and round.
 
#21 ·
ACCIDENT AVOIDANCE
For optimum control, Ram 1500 combines Electronic Stability Control+ (ESC), Trailer Sway Control+ (TSC) and four-wheel Antilock Brakes (ABS). ESC senses trouble and automatically performs brake and/or throttle corrections. TSC performs similar automatic corrections upon sensing sway in a trailer. And ABS helps improve braking and control on slippery surfaces.
 
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