Direct Mount Aerolite AERO6-DM Brake Upgrade Kits for On and Off-Road Trucks

Trucks have gotten bigger, heavier, and more powerful than ever. Trucks like the Ford Raptor go places many trucks wouldn't come back from, at speeds only imaginable in a Baja 1000 race truck 20 years ago. Wilwood developed bolt-on kits to upgrade truck and SUV brakes using the Aerolite six piston caliper, reengineered for simplified direct mounting. These kits give you better high-speed stopping on-road and easier low-speed modulation off-road.

Most trucks and SUVs make do with production brakes sized and engineered to fit under the wheels used on the base model to keep fleet orders cheap. Factory brakes may be okay on the standard models in everyday traffic, but their limits are quickly found when coming down a long hill while towing a trailer or hauling a load. For repeatable, confidence-inspiring braking performance in high-demand usage, you need rigid multi-piston calipers, premium thermally-stable iron rotors, braided stainless flex lines, and large, fade-resistant brake pads.

Wilwood's Aero6-DM kits feature motorsports-proven, forged aluminum, Aerolite six piston calipers with a closed central bridge; the same type used in Ultra4 King of the Hammers competition. Pads are formulated to give high holding in low-speed use but provide predictable engagement and even more friction as temperatures rise. One-piece 13.38" x 1.25" rotors are made from a premium long-grain iron alloy that can handle more heat without distortion and are sized to fit behind most OEM and aftermarket 17-inch wheels.

Ford F-150, Raptor, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator

The standard bearer for performance trucks is the Ford Raptor. It introduced the world to a production truck that could be driven off the showroom floor and at highway speed into the desert, with or without roads. Introduced late in 2009 for 2010, things really got going with the 6.2-liter V8 option, with more than 400 hp, nearly 450 lb-ft of torque, and the ability to accelerate 6000 pounds of truck to 60 mph in 7 seconds.

These high-powered, off-road muscle trucks feature the same basic brake package as the F-150 your handyman drives. Replace the crude factory cast iron sliding calipers with net-forged aluminum Wilwood fixed mount Aero6-DM calipers for better braking and improved pedal feel.

Wilwood kit P/N 140-16806 covers all 2010-2018 Ford F-150 trucks (except Raptor) and 2010-2018 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. Kit P/N 140-16807 covers all 2010-2014 Ford SVT Raptor trucks, with the longer braided stainless lines needed for the increased suspension travel. Kit P/N 140-16808 covers the second generation 2017-2020 Ford Raptor trucks, and P/N 140-17000 covers the 2021 and up version.

All these kits offer the option of gloss black or red powder coated calipers, and 22 optional extra-cost colors. Rotors can be had with GT slotted faces or the performance look of SRP drilled and slotted faces. These kits are sized to work with the factory master cylinder, rear brakes, onboard computer systems, and most 17" wheels.

Chevy Silverado 1500, Suburban and Tahoe, GMC Sierra and Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade

GM did not answer Ford's Raptor directly, but they continue to make plenty of powerful, popular trucks and SUVs with V8 engines and off-road prowess. Besides the popular Chevy and GMC pickups, the same basic front-end architecture and brakes are found under the luxurious Cadillac Escalade and family-friendly Tahoe, Suburban, and Yukon. Weighing nearly 6,000 pounds empty, with optional engines making more than 400 hp, a brake upgrade is a good idea.

If you are hauling your family, towing a toy hauler, or driving twisty mountain roads, having extra braking capacity on hand is always welcome. Older GM trucks have archaic single piston sliding calipers, which lack subtlety when it comes to modulation, and though later models ungraded to factory four piston, they are still heavy, crude cast iron calipers.

GM is known for not changing things unless absolutely necessary, which works well for our engineering team. Kit P/N 140-16803 fits The GMT800 platform, including 1999-2006 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500, 2000-2006 Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon, and Yukon XL, and 2002-2006 Avalanche and Cadillac Escalade. Kit P/N 140-16804 is for the GMT900 and most GMTK2XX platform vehicles, including 2007-2018 Silverado and Sierra 1500, Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon, and Escalade, and 2007-2013 Avalanche. And kit P/N 140-16805 is for the latest GMT T1XX platform vehicles introduced for 2019, including Silverado and Sierra half-ton trucks, and 2020 and later Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon, and Escalade.

All these kits offer the option of gloss black or red powder coated calipers, and 22 optional extra-cost colors. Rotors can be had with GT slotted faces or the performance look of SRP drilled and slotted faces. These kits are sized to work with the factory master cylinder, rear brakes, and all computer systems.

Jeep JK, JL, and JT Wrangler and Gladiator

It is possible that no Jeeps out in the world are left stock; the Wrangler is one of the most popular vehicles in the aftermarket. A Wrangler on factory wheels and tires may stop fine, but add a lift kit, 17-inch wheels, and big 33+ inch tires, and suddenly they aren't cutting it. A larger diameter, heavier tire increases the forces acting against the brakes, both in low-speed crawling and on the highway. Add the weight of overlanding gear on top of that, and the stock brakes barely have a chance.

Wilwood's more rigid multi-piston calipers, and wider, special performance friction compound pads, make modulating the brakes and crawling over technical terrain at low speed easier too.

Jeep tends to follow the "if it's not broke, don't fix it" with their 4x4s, with long stretches selling nearly the same vehicle, with minor refinements every year. Wilwood kit P/N 140-17274 fits all 2007-2018 Jeep JK Wrangler, including Rubicon and Unlimited models. After 11 years, Jeep reengineered the Wrangler, requiring a new kit P/N 140-17275, which fits the 2019 and up Jeep JL Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited and the 2020 and up JT Gladiator pickup truck.

All these kits offer the option of gloss black or red powder coated calipers, and 22 optional extra-cost colors. Rotors can be had with GT slotted faces or the performance look of SRP drilled and slotted faces. These kits are sized to work with the factory master cylinder, rear brakes, and all computer systems.

Toyota 4Runner

Toyota trucks are famous for being small but rugged, which makes them great at off-roading, getting places larger trucks can’t go. The Toyota 4Runner was originally just the SUV version of the HiLux pickup they were selling back in the 1980s, known as the Hilux Surf in the rest of the world. Part of the secret to the 4Runner’s continued success is that it is one of the few small body-on-frame SUVs available in this size and continues to employ a solid rear axle.

Over the years, these SUVs have developed a reputation for pulsing brakes or warped rotors from hard use. Wilwood’s rotors are made of a premium iron alloy to resist distortion and are more thermally stable to eliminate this problem.

Wilwood’s current Aero6-DM offering for the 4Runner fits all 2015-2021 models and will be available for more as we verify fitment. Wilwood P/N 140-17284 includes forged aluminum Aerolite six piston calipers engineered for direct mounting to the Toyota factory steering knuckles and one-piece 13.31” x 1.25” rotors with increased ventilation vanes to keep them cooler.

Rotors are available with GT slotted faces, or the premium look of SRP drilled and slotted faces, with a protective black E-coat on all non-wear surfaces. You can choose glossy red or black powder-coated calipers or 22 other extra-cost color options. These kits are sized to work with the factory master cylinder, rear brakes, and all computer systems.

Coming Soon...

In the near future look for direct-mount kits for Toyota Tundra and Tacoma, Ford Bronco and Ranger, and more. Unfortunately, those applications do not have a release date yet.