HELP—2018 Yukon rear pads/rotors DESTROYED after dealer rotation

[2018YUKONSLT]

Yes, it definitely an intimidating experience when you never dealt with this but, I’ll get it done. I appreciate the feedback, so much to learn.

 

[2018YUKONSLT]

Exactly those are good points, so glad I joined this group. Can’t wait to get this truck back on to rolling

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Exactly those are good points, so glad I joined this group. Can’t wait to get this truck back on to rolling

As indicated above, YouTube is your friend. Do a little searching, and you will find many videos with step-by-step instructions for doing the entire job, quite probably on your exact model/year truck. Just follow them step by step, and you will complete your first brake job, increased your wrenching knowledge base and skill set, and you will have saved several hundred dollars in the process.

Ping us, if you need any help during the project.

 

[2018YUKONSLT]

Thanks guys, I do appreciate it.

 

[2018YUKONSLT]

I working on brake pads, got a mobile tech mechanic to come change them for a good price. However after the last checkup the dealer recommended the following. Truck has roughly 92k miles.

They’re recommending front brake pads and resurfacing ($460.39), an engine oil leak repair ($3,083.60), and a front lower control arm ball joint replacement ($924.98). The total estimate is around $5,706.87 Has anyone had similar experiences or found more affordable options at independent shops? Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[fozzi58]

Moog ball joints are usually decent quality and run about $70 or less. That $900+ seems a bit excessive.

I haven't been a fan of cutting (resurfacing) rotors since all the auto mfgs went cheap. You can get a new pair of "performance" rotors and pads for under $300 and install yourself or have the mobile mechanic do it.

I would get an estimate from a couple of independent shops before pulling the trigger on that oil leak. Don't always go the cheapest route but look for quality installation and a forthcoming mechanic. Do your research on local mechanics like you would for anything else. The ones that are really busy are usually really good and may be worth the wait.

As for your rear brake dragging - it could also be a frozen caliper. I had an 08 Avalanche (basically a Suburban) and one of the rear calipers froze up. - was doing the same thing as your rig

 

[thefrey]

Dealers (and other shops) don’t make much money off the regular oil changes and tire rotations. They make money off of what I would consider “upselling”… that is why many shops will do free inspections. It gives them an opportunity to quote more jobs to you that they can make more money on.

I replaced my front and rear rotors and brake pads myself for about $400 and an afternoon of my time. That was also using a little bit of an upgraded brake kit. You can get kits cheaper than that, too.

I say this not to make you feel bad about spending money on a brake job, but because a dealership will throw a $6000 quote at you and it makes you feel overwhelmed, when it’s many times them trying to get more work so they can make more money.

I wouldn’t inherently ignore the dealer’s recommendations, but if you are not fond of doing your own work, I would find a reputable, local mechanic that you can trust. A lot of them may see issues but instead of throwing a bill at you, they’ll say “yeah, your front brakes are low, but you still got a year or two left”. Stuff like that.


Everybody here is more than happy to help with any questions. Many here know just about everything with these trucks and how to fix them.

 

[Fless]

A good shop will also prioritize needed work so you can decide if you want to have the more necessary work done first, or at least plan for it.

 

[2018YUKONSLT]

fozzi58, thank you for recommending ball joints to me. Also thank you for the recommendation of not getting rotors resurfaced. Good tip on shopping around for a quality mechanic. How much you think a reasonable price for that engine oil leak by the way? It’s at rear main seal housing and upper pan gasket. I am in San Antonio Texas. Thanks for any advice, I appreciate it.

 

[2018YUKONSLT]

thefrey

Thanks for sharing that knowledge of shops free inspection to get more work. Now it makes sense, why it’s “free”.

As for the brakes this is my first time really realizing how important brakes are. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge, it definitely helps me out as this is my first Yukon. I’m learning but happy to be here.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

fozzi58, thank you for recommending ball joints to me. Also thank you for the recommendation of not getting rotors resurfaced. Good tip on shopping around for a quality mechanic? How much you think a reasonable price for that engine oil leak by the way? It’s at rear main seal housing and upper pan gasket. I am in San Antonio Texas. Thanks for any advice, I appreciate it.

How bad is the leak? Drips on the garage floor or driveway? How much? For a very minor leak, I'd probably just let it go, until it leaks more noticeably.

 

[thefrey]

fozzi58, thank you for recommending ball joints to me. Also thank you for the recommendation of not getting rotors resurfaced. Good tip on shopping around for a quality mechanic? How much you think a reasonable price for that engine oil leak by the way? It’s at rear main seal housing and upper pan gasket. I am in San Antonio Texas. Thanks for any advice, I appreciate it.

Rear main seal fix is more so labor to replace than anything else. You need to remove the transmission to get to the seal.

I am assuming by upper pan gasket you are referring to the oil pan gasket. On a RWD Yukon like yours, they are much more straightforward because there is no drivetrain underneath the engine to access.

I'm not the best for pricing this, but I would say a rear main seal job is probably $800-$1000, and a RWD pan gasket job would probably be in the $500-$700 range. Somebody here needs to fact check me on that one because I don't want to be lying to you.

Also, the older LS engines suffer from oil pressure issues from the o-ring on the oil pickup tube into the oil pump. They dry out, flatten, crack, and leak air. I am unsure if they fixed this with the newer LS motors, but if the pan is getting dropped, replacing that o-ring is a no brainer.

Do you know if they UV dyed your oil? I would recommend doing that because if you have a leak somewhere, driving it around blows the oil around everywhere and it might look like the oil is coming from one place when it really isn't. I would want to double check IMO before I drop $2,000 on repairs.

Have you noticed that you are leaving oil spots on the ground? If so, is it a lot or just a few drips? If it isn't leaking badly, you could push off an oil leak repair for awhile, but keeping in mind you need to check your oil often. They may get worse as time goes on.

 

[2018YUKONSLT]

Fless Yes, they said get the brakes done first, which I am.

However that engine oil leaks has me kind of iffy. It’s a small leak but just thinking if it’s safe to drive until getting funds to repair?

 

[2018YUKONSLT]

@Joseph Garcia , it’s a small minor leak. The service manager actually let me walk to bay. Showed me the brakes and leak and other stuff mentioned. He said brakes first, then other stuff. It leaks very minimal. But do plan to get it fixed. Thanks for your help.

 

[Fless]

Joseph, it’s a small minor leak. The service manager actually let me walk to bay. Showed me the brakes and leak and other stuff mentioned. He said brakes first, then other stuff. It leaks very minimal. But do plan to get it fixed. Thanks for your help.

Forum tip: If you want to 'tag' someone, either use the Reply link (like I did here) or type the "@" symbol and start typing the member's name. Then select it from the list of potential members. Otherwise your target will not be notified of your post.

 

[the 18th letter]

Dealers (and other shops) don’t make much money off the regular oil changes and tire rotations. They make money off of what I would consider “upselling”… that is why many shops will do free inspections. It gives them an opportunity to quote more jobs to you that they can make more money on.

I replaced my front and rear rotors and brake pads myself for about $400 and an afternoon of my time. That was also using a little bit of an upgraded brake kit. You can get kits cheaper than that, too.

I say this not to make you feel bad about spending money on a brake job, but because a dealership will throw a $6000 quote at you and it makes you feel overwhelmed, when it’s many times them trying to get more work so they can make more money.

I wouldn’t inherently ignore the dealer’s recommendations, but if you are not fond of doing your own work, I would find a reputable, local mechanic that you can trust. A lot of them may see issues but instead of throwing a bill at you, they’ll say “yeah, your front brakes are low, but you still got a year or two left”. Stuff like that.


Everybody here is more than happy to help with any questions. Many here know just about everything with these trucks and how to fix them.

The inspection is the one of the main reasons I get oil changes at the dealer. I love having someone inspect the truck for me and providing a list of needed repairs. Unless you’re regularly underneath your truck a lot of their upsells would get missed. Then just check the items off one by one until I get their next to do list.

 

[2018YUKONSLT]

thefrey

Thanks for taking time to explain the difference between rear main seal housing and upper oil pan seal.



No worries my friend on pricing, I appreciate the estimate. I am just going to assume that each area would end up charging differently than others? So yes, no worries, you ain’t lying to me.



I don’t think the UV dyed the oil, maybe the service advisor would have let me know? Basically the oil is just in one main area leaking, but not big enough to leak into ground just stays on parts. My apologies I am bad at explaining it.



Yes, also I have to keep checking oil, but now I know why it kept slowly draining on me. I’ll keep you updated, so others can get some ideas.

 

[2018YUKONSLT]

@the 18th letter
Yes, that’s a good idea actually. My service advisor actually told me get the brakes done, either here or someplace else.

 

[2018YUKONSLT]

Man, I am sincerely humbled and grateful for all the advice from everyone. I’ve been so stressed over this stuff, now thanks to you all, can finally just take breather and relax. I’m still going get it fixed tho. Thanks everyone.

 

[Doubeleive]

the oil leak is the kicker the K2's have basically 2 oil pans/gaskets (upper & lower), plus if it is 4wd or awd that's extra work
had mine done under 3rd party warranty coverage and they billed the insurance 3k+