best bang for buck brake upgrades?
#11
TECH Junkie
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You really need to check the brakes on your truck before you start shopping for new "upgrades". MANY MANY times on these GM trucks, I find that the machined surface of the rotors is rusting away, and the brake pads are only making 40-60% brake pad contact with the rotor. The rest of the rotor is "cheese-grating" the brake pad, and not contributing to any stopping power.
One inexpensive option is using slotted/vented stock replacement rotors, and police/taxi/fleet option brake pads. Most parts suppliers (NAPA, CarQuest, etc) carry them on the shelf, for a reasonable price. They DO WORK well, and fit under your stock size wheels.
One inexpensive option is using slotted/vented stock replacement rotors, and police/taxi/fleet option brake pads. Most parts suppliers (NAPA, CarQuest, etc) carry them on the shelf, for a reasonable price. They DO WORK well, and fit under your stock size wheels.
#13
11 Second Hall Moniter
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I don't know if they last longer or not, time will tell. But they do stop my heavy-*** turd a helluva lot better than any other brakes/rotors I've tried in the past.
I have a friend with Baer brakes front & rear on his ECSB 4x4, and my truck stops as quick as his truck now. I was never impressed with my trucks brakes until I put these on. I'd been considering going to bigger brakes for years, but never wanted to be required to run big (heavy) wheels. IMO, the heavier wheel takes more braking power to stop, so some of your gains are negated when you swap to big brakes.
I have a friend with Baer brakes front & rear on his ECSB 4x4, and my truck stops as quick as his truck now. I was never impressed with my trucks brakes until I put these on. I'd been considering going to bigger brakes for years, but never wanted to be required to run big (heavy) wheels. IMO, the heavier wheel takes more braking power to stop, so some of your gains are negated when you swap to big brakes.
#14
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What exactly is the difference between my 04 front calipers to the 05+? Also would my 04 caliper bracket work on the 05+? I may just buy them if it they do b/c I have to disconnect the lines anyway to put on the RUSSELL SS braided lines I bought ![Happy](https://www.performancetrucks.net/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_stretch.gif)
I'm gonna look into the hydroboost setup later on though, I would be going w/a big brake kit but staying w/stock stuff.
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I'm gonna look into the hydroboost setup later on though, I would be going w/a big brake kit but staying w/stock stuff.
#15
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i did my tahoe hydroboost a couple months back and holy s@%$ what a difference best bang for the buck i think takes a couple hrs and roughly 100 for a salvage yard booster and pedal assembly. another 100 for lines. can get by with stock ps pump. pretty sure 05s had larger rotors up front and require a 17in wheel to clear the calipers. hope this helps
#16
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Cool, yea I definitely can't wait to do the hydroboost setup. If that's true I can't do the 05+ caliper/rotors then, because I use 16" stuff as my snow tire setup. We'll se down the road, I could always change that too. This is the 3rd winter so they probably won't have much life left after it anyway.
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yea i did the russel brake lines as well when i did the hydro swap also find urself some rear dual piston calipers for an suv and rotors as well my tahoe already had dual pistion on all four corners they aint that bad of a price at the local parts store calipers come with brackets that is if you got rotors on the rear instead of drums..
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i replaced my lines first, bleed the system and test drove and it still sucked. i didnt see no gain in pedal feel by changing the lines
then replaced rear rotors cause they were delaminating badly and replaced the pads tested again yep it still wouldnt stop without the pedal touching the floor...that o **** moment..
replaced my master cylinder figuring it was leaking by internaly. rebleed the system again test drove n got alot better but still had to rip wheel off and bust seat brackets just to get it try and set the abs off.
last resort was the hydro swap i realy wish i would have done that first it would have saved me a plie of change and time
im not trying to tell you what to do but im damn near certain that if you just did the boost swap first that the sob would stop better than you would image it would....
i went and picked up the gf and made her drive it without telling her what i had done to the brakes and at the first stop sign we encounterd i had my self braced cuase i knew what was goin to happen with the way she drives. she stabbed the brakes as usual and smacked the steering wheel![The Jester](https://www.performancetrucks.net/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_jest.gif)
then replaced rear rotors cause they were delaminating badly and replaced the pads tested again yep it still wouldnt stop without the pedal touching the floor...that o **** moment..
replaced my master cylinder figuring it was leaking by internaly. rebleed the system again test drove n got alot better but still had to rip wheel off and bust seat brackets just to get it try and set the abs off.
last resort was the hydro swap i realy wish i would have done that first it would have saved me a plie of change and time
im not trying to tell you what to do but im damn near certain that if you just did the boost swap first that the sob would stop better than you would image it would....
i went and picked up the gf and made her drive it without telling her what i had done to the brakes and at the first stop sign we encounterd i had my self braced cuase i knew what was goin to happen with the way she drives. she stabbed the brakes as usual and smacked the steering wheel
![The Jester](https://www.performancetrucks.net/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_jest.gif)
![The Jester](https://www.performancetrucks.net/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_jest.gif)
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