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I have a 2000 Ford Ranger that a previous owner modified by adding an offroad kit to it. I don't have a picture of the suspension system at the moment, but this one is pretty close in terms of wheel size and such:

enter image description here

The problem is that I need to give it a brake job - at least one of the shoes is completely messed up (I can see the spring poking out of the brake hub), but I'm worried that the offroad kit (which I didn't install and so I can only guess at which one it is) might have some kind of non-standard brake requirements.

Sorry if this sounds naive, but my question is this: when these offroad kits are added to trucks, is it required to change the brake assembly, or can the stock one be used? (I'm guessing they wouldn't change the brake assembly unless it was necessary for the kit, as the rest of the truck is fairly free of modification). And, if the stock kit is used, do I need any kind of special brake shoes for some reason, or can I replace them with the standard shoes?

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It's impossible to give a definitive answer here as to what was done with your truck. However, it is often stated that when larger wheels and tires are fitted to a truck, the brakes should be upgraded. This is due to the larger rotational inertia of the larger wheels and tires, which can make the vehicle significantly harder to stop.

Therefore, if the brakes were not upgraded by the previous owner, now might be a good time to consider an upgrade yourself.

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  • Yeah, I figured it would be tough to actually know. This is exactly what I was wondering (about the rotational inertia and such). I'll update when I find out exactly the situation. – Paul Sep 19 '13 at 17:53
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As @mac has stated it is impossible to know for sure without some photos. Most aftermarket suppliers want everyone to see you have their product. Aftermarket/performance calipers will usually have the name prominently displayed on them. The rotors may be slotted and or drilled but the same size as the originals. If you remove a front and rear wheel you can measure the rotor diameter and see if it matches the dimensions of a stock rotor. What I have been able to find is that 11 inch front rotors are the stock size, the rear drums are either 10.59inches or 11.73 inches. Along with the inside diameter of the rear drums also measure the shoe width to verify you get the right size.

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