Just picked up..........NeW. Need brake controller!

[robs660]

New GMC Sierra1500 crew cab SLT. It has every option you can order except the Denali seats. I will upload a few pics on Friday after the tonneau cover n bed caps are on

Question is. What is the best aftermarket brake controller you can get. Looking for real world review

 

[timswi]

New GMC Sierra1500 crew cab SLT. It has every option you can order except the Denali seats. I will upload a few pics on Friday after the tonneau cover n bed caps are on

Question is. What is the best aftermarket brake controller you can get. Looking for real world review

With all of the options, it doesn't have an OEM controller?..My '11 GMC has one.

 

[Diamondpilot]

New GMC Sierra1500 crew cab SLT. It has every option you can order except the Denali seats. I will upload a few pics on Friday after the tonneau cover n bed caps are on

Question is. What is the best aftermarket brake controller you can get. Looking for real world review

If it had every option it would have the factory brake controller. If not you really missed the boat. Nothing works better than the factory controllers they are installing these days.

As for aftermarket brake controller the Max Brake is the best.

Chris

 

[KY Gun Geek]

If it had every option it would have the factory brake controller. If not you really missed the boat. Nothing works better than the factory controllers they are installing these days.

As for aftermarket brake controller the Max Brake is the best.

Chris

I have heard Max Brake is a pretty good product. It taps into the truck's hydraulic brake line and senses pedal pressure. It then applies the electric brakes accordingly. I don't have any experience with them.

I have had several electrical controllers and I love the Tekonsha P3. They are about $150, and easy to install. I think are about the top of the proportional electric controllers.

 

[robs660]

Yes it's missing a factory controller dealer had no 1500 with them. How big is the head unit on the max. Does it have to installed level? Trying to find somewhere to hide the **** thing. Not easy

Thanks

 

[RollingsFarms]

I found it odd when I bought my 2011 Sierra 4x4 crew cab with the 6.2 and 3.73 gears that it didn't come with the factory brake controller either. That, DVD player, and touch screen are the only options missing from mine though. Would have gladly given up the sunroof for the controller though!

 

[Diamondpilot]

I would see if the dealer can install the factory one. On a Ford its about $600 after the fact.

Max brake does not have to be level and is not to big.

Chris

 

[Deere40Fan]

Chevy says they can not add one in after the fact. Should have waited to get a truck with it. 10 times better than any of the aftermarket ones.

Maybe the MaxBrake is good, but I am glad I don't have to worry about it...

 

[CompactTractorFan]

On a Ford its about $600 after the fact.

Oh really? That's good to know.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Oh really? That's good to know.

This was on the old body style, not sure about the current, but the biggest cost was replacing the master cylinder with the proper one that incorporates the pressure switch.

I van not for the life of me understand why the dumb arse dealers are not ordering them all with the brake controller? :drool::confused2::drool:Last time I checked it was only a $160 option on a Ford. Seems like a no brainier to me....

Chris

 

[timswi]

This was on the old body style, not sure about the current, but the biggest cost was replacing the master cylinder with the proper one that incorporates the pressure switch.

I van not for the life of me understand why the dumb arse dealers are not ordering them all with the brake controller? :drool::confused2::drool:Last time I checked it was only a $160 option on a Ford. Seems like a no brainier to me....

Chris

Agreed...I think mine was right around $200 or so....No brainer for me.

 

[robs660]

I am thinking max right now. I wish I did g have to deal with this but everything else about the truck is great

 

[Dmace]

What are you looking to tow? Is a Max Brake controller really necessary?
I go camping with 5 other families and one has a 35ft tri-axle 5th wheel and uses a typical Prodigy 3 controller with no issues.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

This was on the old body style, not sure about the current, but the biggest cost was replacing the master cylinder with the proper one that incorporates the pressure switch.

I van not for the life of me understand why the dumb arse dealers are not ordering them all with the brake controller? :drool::confused2::drool:Last time I checked it was only a $160 option on a Ford. Seems like a no brainier to me....

Chris

Actually, it's like $230 or something.......even so, it seems like most of the ones on the lot DON'T have it...

 

[crazyal]

Clearly most of the trucks they are selling are to people who will never use them to tow a 3500lb plus load. To them a DVD player for the kids is a much better option than a brake controller.

 

[RJD2516]

Prodigy for me. Used it to tow a 7x16 wells cargo. about 5500 lbs, all day, every work day. Worked fine. Heck, I would forget it was there most of the time. Very easy to use, and adjust. I am sure there are other good ones out there.

 

[Dmace]

Prodigy for me. Used it to tow a 7x16 wells cargo. about 5500 lbs, all day, every work day. Worked fine. Heck, I would forget it was there most of the time. Very easy to use, and adjust. I am sure there are other good ones out there.

Tell me about it, I use a $50 Reese Pod brake controller for a 5500lb +/- (7700 gvwr) dual axle camper and 10k gvwr dual axle dump trailer usually loaded to around 5500-7500 lbs and a couple of 8-9k loads. It's not the smoothest brake controller and takes adjustments for each load but works great.
Unless your towing commercially or very often, I don't see the need for such an expensive and difficult to install controller like the max brake...

 

[s219]

I would see if the dealer can install the factory one. On a Ford its about $600 after the fact.

On a new F-150 with the factory tow package installed, the the brake controller part is only $180-190, but the dealer has to program the computer to activate it. Most will do it for free during an oil change or other service. So you can add it for under $200.

 

[mojoinco]

I put a Maxbrake on a 2005 Silverado. It wasn't difficult, but it was involved (I got too finicky on the looks). I put mine on the top of the dash above the trans shifter knob. By the time we sell this truck it will either not be worth much or the next guy will want it this way.

Plenty of decent cheaper units, but I liked the idea of the old units that teed into the brake lines (more linear, less to adjust). Somewhere in the first mile I adjust the gain, that's all there is to adjust. Last truck had a unit that had 2 or 3 adjustments and not linear.

I extended the wiring ~18". Not sure where the wiring mounts in the newer truck. In the older trucks there was a simple connection on the firewall, and you had to connect a ring connector beneath the underhood fuse box (it was already there) and buy a $3~4 fuse/relay (been a while).