Chevrolet Colorado Brake Upgrades for Towing

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

The best brake upgrade for a 2015 or 2016 Chevrolet Colorado that tows is not a bigger caliper. It is a matched set of heat-tolerant pads and slotted rotors on both axles, fresh DOT 3 fluid, working trailer brakes, and using Tow/Haul Mode and engine braking on grades. The truck has four-wheel disc brakes from the factory, so both ends can be upgraded with bolt-on parts.

How the Colorado's brakes handle a trailer

The second-generation Colorado that arrived for 2015 uses disc brakes front and rear, with a small drum-in-hat parking brake built into the rear rotors. GM's parts catalog for the 2016 Colorado lists rear disc calipers, rear rotors and rear pads alongside separate parking brake shoes, which is the layout to expect when you shop.

What matters for towing is how much weight those brakes are asked to stop. GM's owner's manual for this generation (2017 edition, SAE J2807 compliant ratings) lists these limits for the gas engines:

The Gross Combination Weight Rating is truck, trailer, passengers and cargo together. A V6 Colorado at its limit is asking its brakes to help stop up to 12,000 lb, far more than the truck weighs on its own. The manual is also clear that the trailer must do its share: any loaded trailer over 2,000 lb needs its own brake system adequate for its weight. Upgraded truck brakes add margin; they do not replace trailer brakes.

Tongue weight should be 10 to 15 percent of the loaded trailer weight, up to 900 lb, and it must not push the truck past its GVWR or rear axle rating. Too little tongue weight invites sway; too much unloads the front axle, which does most of the braking.

Signs the brakes are struggling under load

• Fade on long grades. The pedal goes firm but the truck slows less than it should. Power Stop explains that at high temperature the pad friction material loses its grip on the rotor, so stopping power drops.
• A soft or sinking pedal after heavy use. This points to boiling brake fluid rather than pads. Vapor bubbles compress, so the pedal feels spongy and hydraulic pressure falls.
• Vibration or pulsation in the pedal or steering wheel, often from uneven pad deposits or rotor thickness variation after hot stops.
• The brake wear sound. GM's manual describes a warning noise from the pad wear indicator and says to have the vehicle serviced when you hear it.
• Brake fluid leaks at the front calipers on early 2015 trucks (see the recall section below).

To diagnose, check the fluid level and color first, then pull the wheels and inspect pad thickness and rotor condition on both axles. Look for blue or glazed rotor spots, cracked or crumbling pad edges, and a caliper that is not releasing (one wheel noticeably hotter than the other after a drive).

What causes towing brake problems on this truck

Almost every towing brake complaint traces back to heat. GM warns in the owner's manual that using the brakes to slow the truck on a long downhill can overheat them, reduce performance and lead to a loss of braking, and tells drivers to shift to a lower gear so the engine helps. Tow/Haul Mode changes the shift pattern to reduce shift cycling and improve control on steep grades, and GM notes it works best when truck and trailer weigh at least 75 percent of the GCWR. On the Duramax diesel, the Tow/Haul button also turns on the exhaust brake.

The second cause is old fluid. GM's manual says brake fluid absorbs water over time, which degrades its effectiveness, and calls for GM approved DOT 3 fluid from a clean, sealed container. Federal standard FMVSS 116 shows why this matters: DOT 3 must boil no lower than 401 F when fresh, but the required minimum drops to 284 F in the wet test that simulates absorbed moisture. A towing truck with years-old fluid is much closer to boiling on a mountain descent than one with fresh fluid.

The third cause is weak trailer brakes, or a controller set too low, which leaves the truck doing work the trailer should share.

The upgrade: which parts and why

For a Colorado that tows regularly, upgrade both axles together so the front-to-rear balance stays close to what GM engineered.

• Front rotors. The EBC GD7701 slotted and dimpled front rotor pair for the 2015 and newer Colorado uses EBC's wide-aperture slots, which EBC says help maintain even pad wear, run cooler and expel dirt and water from the braking area. EBC uses dimples instead of through-drilled holes because full drilling promotes cracking.
• Rear rotors. The EBC GD7702 3GD slotted rear rotor set is the matching rear-axle piece. Because the parking brake shoes ride inside the rear rotor hat, inspect them when the rear rotors come off.
• Pads. Pair the rotors with a truck or towing compound from our ceramic brake pads or wider brake pads selection. Power Stop's truck and tow pads, for example, use a carbon-fiber reinforced ceramic mix intended to hold consistent friction at high temperature; see our Power Stop range.
• Fluid. Flush with fresh DOT 3 as GM specifies, from a sealed container.

The EBC rotors we list are catalogued for the 2.5L Colorado. Brake packages can vary by engine and trim, so confirm your rotor size against the parts on your truck before ordering.

What to replace at the same time

• Caliper hardware and slide pins. New clips and cleaned, lubricated pins stop a pad from dragging and overheating. See brake hardware kits.
• Calipers if a piston is sticking, a boot is torn, or there is any seepage. Replace in axle pairs from our brake calipers.
• Brake hoses if they are cracked, swollen or original on a high-mileage truck. A soft hose expands under pressure and feels like a spongy pedal. Browse brake hoses.
• Brake fluid, always, after any caliper or hose work. Follow the brake fluid interval in the maintenance schedule for your model year; GM's 2016 Colorado schedule attaches a time limit so fluid gets changed even on low-mileage trucks.

How hard is the job?

A pad and rotor swap on this truck is a moderate driveway job with basic hand tools, a torque wrench, and a jack with stands. The front is straightforward. The rear takes longer because of the parking brake shoes inside the rotor hat, which may need to be backed off to remove a worn rotor and set up again afterward so the parking brake holds. Torque caliper bracket bolts and lug nuts to the values in the factory service information, and bed the new pads in with a series of moderate stops before you hook up a trailer. If the pedal is soft after bleeding, find the air before towing anything.

Check the 2015 caliper recall first

NHTSA recall 15V278000 covers certain 2015 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon trucks built from January 6, 2014, to December 24, 2014. The front brake calipers can leak brake fluid because of air pockets in the metal caliper body, which can increase stopping distance. The remedy was for dealers to inspect and, if necessary, replace the front calipers free of charge (GM recall number 14888). Run your VIN through NHTSA before paying for front calipers on an early 2015 truck.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the 2015-2016 Colorado have rear disc or drum brakes?

Rear disc brakes. The parking brake is a small drum-style shoe set inside the rear rotor hat, which is why rear rotor jobs also involve the parking brake shoes.

Do I need a big brake kit to tow with a Colorado?

For towing within GM's ratings, usually not. Quality slotted rotors, a towing pad compound, fresh fluid and working trailer brakes address the heat problem. Big brake kits make more sense for oversized wheels and tires or track use.

Are drilled rotors bad for towing?

Fully through-drilled rotors can crack under repeated heavy heat. Slotted or dimpled designs, like the EBC rotors above, keep most of the cooling and pad-cleaning benefit without the through holes.

What brake fluid does the Colorado use?

GM specifies DOT 3 brake fluid from a clean, sealed container. Fresh fluid matters most for towing because absorbed moisture lowers its boiling point.

When do I need trailer brakes?

GM says any loaded trailer over 2,000 lb needs its own brake system. On trucks with StabiliTrak, Trailer Sway Control can also apply the trailer's electric brakes when the Integrated Trailer Brake Control system is fitted.

Should I replace pads and rotors on both axles at once?

For a towing upgrade, yes. Upgrading only the front changes the brake balance and leaves tired rear pads doing their share of the work on long grades.

Sources

1. Chevrolet Colorado Owner's Manual (2017, same generation) - trailer weight and GCWR table, tongue weight, 2,000 lb trailer brake rule, Tow/Haul Mode, exhaust brake, downhill warning, DOT 3 fluid
2. Chevrolet: Maintenance Schedule for the 2016 Colorado - brake fluid change with time limit, brake inspection
3. NHTSA recalls by vehicle: 2015 Chevrolet Colorado - recall 15V278000 front caliper leak, build dates, remedy
4. 49 CFR 571.116 (FMVSS 116), Cornell LII - DOT 3 dry and wet minimum boiling points
5. Power Stop: Ideal brake kit for towing trucks - brake fade and fluid boil under towing heat, carbon-fiber ceramic pads
6. EBC Brakes: GD Sport Rotors - wide-aperture slots, dimples instead of through-drilling