Brakes on GM Truck

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Dec 7, 2012
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The 2005 Suburban 1500 needs rear brakes. Pads are getting low. Braking is still excellent on this truck.

Two questions --

1. Rear rotors still look great. How bad would it be to just pad slap the rear provided the rotor thickness passes the stamped threshold with a caliper?
2. What pads are good these days?

Saw some mention of Raybestos Element 3? Maybe ACDelco Professional/OEM?

Thanks.
 
Theoretically you can get noise from dissimilar pad materials and (again, theoretically) there are depositions on your existing rotors from your existing pads.

Also be sure you don't feel a lip where the swept area ends as new pads may have a slightly different swept area

I don't think pad slapping one's personal vehicle is terrible but it's not "best practice."

Also if you've got the stupid DIH parking brake with one-piece shoe (can't remember if they were still using that in '05), just consider that new rotors would be the best time to refresh your parking brake and/or that inner drum may be trashed if someone drove with the parking brake on OR things went south in there and chewed up the drum
 
I've hardly ever even bought new rotors, much less changed them just because I was changing pads. I've never had any braking problems but maybe I'm missing out. 😁

I like Centric Premium for fairly priced good brake parts.
 
I put power stop ceramic pads on my 2003 Avy.no noise, stops great
Our parking breaks suck on these trucks. Mine hasn't worked for ever.new in shos didn't last or grab long
 
I do not like the Element 3s, caused warping on my wife's Honda Element within first couple thousand miles w new rotors. I went with Wagner semi-metallic sever duty on my truck and Expedition and they are great, I tow with both my 5500ish camper. Pad slapping is fine if the rotors are clean.
 
I do not like the Element 3s, caused warping on my wife's Honda Element within first couple thousand miles w new rotors. I went with Wagner semi-metallic sever duty on my truck and Expedition and they are great, I tow with both my 5500ish camper. Pad slapping is fine if the rotors are clean.
Every Honda I've had warped the rotors with the OEM pads. It seems to be a Honda thing.

Here in Florida all I ever do is a pad slap and I clean and lube the caliper pins. The only time I've replaced rotors is on the Honda's after they warp. I take that back, I bought a used truck years ago that must have been used up north and the rear calipers locked up and I had to replace calipers, rotors, and pads.
 
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When I pad slap, I will buy the same brand/model of pad. That way, if they do start to put some sort of a wear pattern into the rotor... it'll be the same pad.
 
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I do not like the Element 3s, caused warping on my wife's Honda Element within first couple thousand miles w new rotors. I went with Wagner semi-metallic sever duty on my truck and Expedition and they are great, I tow with both my 5500ish camper. Pad slapping is fine if the rotors are clean.
How do you know it was the Elements 3 to blame? Did you make sure the rotors were running true with a dial indicator or just said frig it because of the useless screw holding the rotor on.
 
How do you know it was the Elements 3 to blame? Did you make sure the rotors were running true with a dial indicator or just said frig it because of the useless screw holding the rotor on.
Did not use a dial, clean the hubs, replace and torque to 90# in steps. I bought the matching Element 3 rotors and pads as a set, good reviews and replaced as I have done for countless vehicles. They ran fine for about 3500-4000 miles and warped. I have not had any vehicle ever warp that fast before. I don't use the screws in the rotors as for me in the rust belt that is a headache waiting to happen.
 
You are right the screws can be a pain in the salt belt, I cant count on how many I have drilled over the years. It is good practice to check the run out on every rotor, it doesnt take much to create the condition you describe.
 
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I put power stop ceramic pads on my 2003 Avy.no noise, stops great
Our parking breaks suck on these trucks. Mine hasn't worked for ever.new in shos didn't last or grab long
The only parking brake shoes that work worth a **** on those trucks are genuine GM shoes. I fix a lot of parking brakes because its an inspection item in PA. I was being cheap on my personal suburban and hung aftermarket park brake shoes and could not get them to hold worth a ****. Pulled them, installed new GM shoes and the park brake works awesome.
 
I put power stop ceramic pads on my 2003 Avy.no noise, stops great
Our parking breaks suck on these trucks. Mine hasn't worked for ever.new in shos didn't last or grab long
Even GM knew it 'cause they temporarily threw in the towel circa '05/06 and went back to drums LOL

That's like a major manufacturer saying "This EFI stuff is too difficult to figure out, let's just slap a carb back on our motors." :D
 
The only parking brake shoes that work worth a **** on those trucks are genuine GM shoes. I fix a lot of parking brakes because its an inspection item in PA. I was being cheap on my personal suburban and hung aftermarket park brake shoes and could not get them to hold worth a ****. Pulled them, installed new GM shoes and the park brake works awesome.
Thanks for the tip.
I went the cheap way also. I will buy A/C delco and give that a shot.
 
You are right the screws can be a pain in the salt belt, I cant count on how many I have drilled over the years. It is good practice to check the run out on every rotor, it doesnt take much to create the condition you describe.
I put a ab of anti-seize compound on the rotor screws.
 
The 2005 Suburban 1500 needs rear brakes. Pads are getting low. Braking is still excellent on this truck.

Two questions --

1. Rear rotors still look great. How bad would it be to just pad slap the rear provided the rotor thickness passes the stamped threshold with a caliper?
2. What pads are good these days?

Saw some mention of Raybestos Element 3? Maybe ACDelco Professional/OEM?

Thanks.
Honestly I have had luck with Autozone’s OEM fit stuff. That’s just what I’ve witnessed at work. No complaints. Get rotors as well as pads.
 
Scrub the rotors with a solvent like brake parts cleaner or acetone. I use 0000 steel wool de-oiled with the same solvent. That will remove any pad material on the rotors so you start fresh and the new pads lay down their material.
 
Thanks for the tip.
I went the cheap way also. I will buy A/C delco and give that a shot.
If you go AC Delco make sure the part number starts with 171. If the part number starts with 18, 17d or 14D they are ac delco all makes aftermarket or whatever AC Delco is calling them today and both are available for those trucks. the 171-xxxx is the OE service shoes
 
If you go AC Delco make sure the part number starts with 171. If the part number starts with 18, 17d or 14D they are ac delco all makes aftermarket or whatever AC Delco is calling them today and both are available for those trucks. the 171-xxxx is the OE service shoes
Great thanks
I do reliz thats single shoe and I will need 2
Screenshot_20221010-182915_Chrome.jpg
 
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