Disc brakes for 2015 Bigkhorn

uncledon

uncledon

Her chauffeur
Well I've decided to look seriously at replacing the drums with discs. I've done some looking online, but I'd like to hear from those who have gone before me on the subject. I'm not needing convincing so save your breath on that. I am wondering since Kodiak and Titan are now under the Dexter umbrella, is there any significant advantage one over the other? Other makes that warrant attention? What specifications do I need to supply in order to get the correct package. I plan on installing them myself. Thanks.
 
Gary521

Gary521

Well-known member
Kodiak and Titan are identical ( or were ) so no difference. I believe that the Kodiak brand has been kept for the brakes themselves. There are still some Titan components that can be had ( brake controller ). I am pretty sure that for a Bighorn they take the 7000-8000 lb brakes. If your are ordering, make sure that you get the ones with the 9/16" studs. I did not get a kit but most people do. I wanted to custom run the brake lines and use the cu/ni lines as they are easy to bend and flare. I have the Kodiak brand brakes but a Titan Controller. I also saved a couple bucks by ordering components from different places. I also got Timken bearings as I think ( not sure ) that you do not get these with a kit. I also did my wiring job so I did not have to run wires to the junction box by the pin although you still need to reconfigure a couple wires in that box. I made a switch with some long wires so I could turn on the controller to bleed the brakes for a one man project.

If you are not a person who does some research on your own, going with a kit is the easiest. There are a few YouTube videos with folks that have done this job.

Dexter does offer a brake under their own name but these are more expensive and are of a different style of brake caliper. ( non-floating ). I also found a brand that is primarily used on boat trailers, will fit our trailers, is a bit cheaper but I found no reason to buy.
 
R

rnewk52

Active Member
I ordered my kit from Performance. In the kit you get everything needed except for the brake fluid.
I did mine myself, took me two days. It went very smoothly. One advantage with performance is there is a
phone number to call if you have questions or problems.
You will not regret your decision to upgrade to disc brakes !!
Good Luck
 
Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn

Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn

Well-known member
I believe the Titan pads you can get from any parts house but the Kodiak you have to order from them.
That is a big benefit for me.
Titan all the way !!

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D

david-steph2018

Well-known member
We had our switched out this year at the national rally. I had Performance Trailer Braking do the brakes for us. We also had the wet bolt kit installed when they did the brakes.
It took the guy almost 8 hours to do the brakes on our triaxle toy hauler. It does make a difference with this big thing in stopping.
 
Gary521

Gary521

Well-known member
With the company that I bought the disk brakes from, they specified the wrong outer bearing. As a result, I lost a wheel bearing and an axle. To clarify the situation in my mind, I called Dexter and spoke to the engineer responsible for brakes. He told me that, at the time, he was responsible for the Kodiak and Titan and was just getting up to speed as they just purchased Kodiak. It seems that a few of the former sellers were specifying the wrong bearings and he did not know why. He told me that the Titan and Kodiak were identical and the whole thing was just a marketing thing by the former owners. At the time, he was unsure a how everything would be branded going forward. It now appears that the Titan name has gone away as far as the brakes are being marketed. The Titan name appears to stay on the controller as many folks like that controller better than some of the others. Who knows how the naming will go in the future.I did some searching and found an old Titan sales Catalog. The 250 model brake caliper calls out the --D215 pad. I also checked the Kodiak spec and they also call out the same pad. ( this is so you can buy a set of pads at the auto parts store - both Kodiak and Titan had a different part number for the pads that they sold ) Some pads have some different letters before the D and these are to designate the different pad materials ( semi metallic, ceramic, etc ) and different sellers. The 215 pad is used on a variety of earlier GM vehicles. The Kodiak part number for the 250 caliper is DBC-250-CERM ( Ceramic Pad ) I could not find a current Titan part number. The 250 caliper is used on the trailers we have ( Bighorn, Landmark, Big Country). Both Titan and Kodiak called them 250 calipers.
 
elong0003

elong0003

Member
david-steph2018 said:
We had our switched out this year at the national rally. I had Performance Trailer Braking do the brakes for us. We also had the wet bolt kit installed when they did the brakes.
It took the guy almost 8 hours to do the brakes on our triaxle toy hauler. It does make a difference with this big thing in stopping.
Click to expand...

Did ours at the rally as well, but used Lippert. Huge difference in emergency braking. In regular driving (even large hills) the engine brake (2018 F350) does such a good job I rarely need any brakes.
 
D

david-steph2018

Well-known member
elong0003 said:
Did ours at the rally as well, but used Lippert. Huge difference in emergency braking. In regular driving (even large hills) the engine brake (2018 F350) does such a good job I rarely need any brakes.
Click to expand...

The Ram does a great job with the engine brake. But yes the disc do make a world of difference in stopping.
 
travelin2

travelin2

Pennsylvania Chapter Leaders-retired
Engine brake, jake brake all fine and dandy under normal/ideal driving conditions but when that yahoo cuts in front of you ...GEEZ!!!
I’ve have been quite impressed and happy with my disc brake conversion


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
travelin2

travelin2

Pennsylvania Chapter Leaders-retired
Gary521 said:
With the company that I bought the disk brakes from, they specified the wrong outer bearing. As a result, I lost a wheel bearing and an axle. To clarify the situation in my mind, I called Dexter and spoke to the engineer responsible for brakes. He told me that, at the time, he was responsible for the Kodiak and Titan and was just getting up to speed as they just purchased Kodiak. It seems that a few of the former sellers were specifying the wrong bearings and he did not know why. He told me that the Titan and Kodiak were identical and the whole thing was just a marketing thing by the former owners. At the time, he was unsure a how everything would be branded going forward. It now appears that the Titan name has gone away as far as the brakes are being marketed. The Titan name appears to stay on the controller as many folks like that controller better than some of the others. Who knows how the naming will go in the future.I did some searching and found an old Titan sales Catalog. The 250 model brake caliper calls out the --D215 pad. I also checked the Kodiak spec and they also call out the same pad. ( this is so you can buy a set of pads at the auto parts store - both Kodiak and Titan had a different part number for the pads that they sold ) Some pads have some different letters before the D and these are to designate the different pad materials ( semi metallic, ceramic, etc ) and different sellers. The 215 pad is used on a variety of earlier GM vehicles. The Kodiak part number for the 250 caliper is DBC-250-CERM ( Ceramic Pad ) I could not find a current Titan part number. The 250 caliper is used on the trailers we have ( Bighorn, Landmark, Big Country). Both Titan and Kodiak called them 250 calipers.
Click to expand...

The Titan kit brake pad reference number was/is MKD215. Same pad. As you state used on older GM cars
I installed the the Titan kit in early 2017. Best mod I’ve done to the BH


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