Purchased a 2007 Yukon XL, now to make it reliable!

[OR VietVet]

Working on the front brakes. First one is done. I had to drill out the rusted rotor screw. Couldn’t get it out even with the hammer punch and ultimately ended up stripping it.

New rotors didn’t have new screws. So my question is, best place to get new ones? And is it drivable without them?

Yes, it is driveable without them. The lug nuts hold it all together. The screws are there so that when the truck is built at the factory, as the frame has components hung on it, the screws hold the rotor flat to allow for quicker install of other brake components and sometimes the frame is flipped over during all that process.

 

[89Suburban]

Working on the front brakes. First one is done. I had to drill out the rusted rotor screw. Couldn’t get it out even with the hammer punch and ultimately ended up stripping it.

New rotors didn’t have new screws. So my question is, best place to get new ones? And is it drivable without them?

Those rotor screws are all BULL-CHIT. TOSS EM.

 

[YukonGold12]

I did! Haha. They were both a total PITA!

 

[YukonGold12]

I had finished up the front brakes yesterday. Nothing too crazy today, just swapping out the AC tension pully and the two drive belts.

I started to track everything I was doing along with costs and parts. Feel free to browse here, it's a public page now!

2007 Yukon XL 1500 v8

docs.google.com

 

[jdwood1111]

I had finished up the front brakes yesterday. Nothing too crazy today, just swapping out the AC tension pully and the two drive belts.

I started to track everything I was doing along with costs and parts. Feel free to browse here, it's a public page now!

2007 Yukon XL 1500 v8

docs.google.com

What brand did you go with? One of my rotors was already missing the screw when I did mine. I used centric premium and glazed them while bedding them in and could not get rid of the squeal. Switched to Wagner high performance truck pads and I have to say, the centrics stopped better unfortunately.

 

[Geotrash]

I had finished up the front brakes yesterday. Nothing too crazy today, just swapping out the AC tension pully and the two drive belts.

I started to track everything I was doing along with costs and parts. Feel free to browse here, it's a public page now!

2007 Yukon XL 1500 v8

docs.google.com

My humble advice: Get rid of the A/C belt tensioner altogether and put a stretch belt on there from the later model years. The A/C belt from a 2012 YXL Denali will work great. There’s a reason GM went to a stretch belt. Several of us have had the conventional tensioner arrangement start throwing the AC belt at higher mileage, despite replacing the tensioner and pulleys.

 

[j91z28d1]

What brand did you go with? One of my rotors was already missing the screw when I did mine. I used centric premium and glazed them while bedding them in and could not get rid of the squeal. Switched to Wagner high performance truck pads and I have to say, the centrics stopped better unfortunately.

was the squeal from the rear brakes?

 

[YukonGold12]

What brand did you go with? One of my rotors was already missing the screw when I did mine. I used centric premium and glazed them while bedding them in and could not get rid of the squeal. Switched to Wagner high performance truck pads and I have to say, the centrics stopped better unfortunately.

Powerstop kit for fronts and backs. I’ve put these on my Subarus and Xterras in the past and have had no problems.

 

[YukonGold12]

My humble advice: Get rid of the A/C belt tensioner altogether and put a stretch belt on there from the later model years. The A/C belt from a 2012 YXL Denali will work great. There’s a reason GM went to a stretch belt. Several of us have had the conventional tensioner arrangement start throwing the AC belt at higher mileage, despite replacing the tensioner and pulleys.

Yes! I’ve heard this elsewhere as well and on this thread. I want to go that route but had the pulley already in hand and it was simple to swap over. I will plan on this.

 

[jdwood1111]

was the squeal from the rear brakes?

No, squeal was from the front.

 

[j91z28d1]

No, squeal was from the front.

ahh I'm not sure if it would have worked in the front. but I guess it's some common for rear breaks to make nosies they came up with a damper for them. I put some on mine that were annoying and they are kinda amazing.

acdelco part number that replaces one of the caliper pin bolts with a stud and a damper that screws on to it. got rid of the last bit of noise mine made


oh and glazing the pads at break in. baer brakes has the best break in instructions I've ever used. takes like a week to do but works at treat. never have I had a rotor warp since I started using it. even after track days where the rest of my friends replace pads and rotors after each event. I just toss the baked pads and rotors are good to go.

 

[YukonGold12]

Updates from yesterday:
- Replaced upper and lower radiator hoses. Cleaned up the throttle body while I was there.
- Did a coolant flush with distilled water, the coolant that was in the truck looked alight, I assume the previous owner had it changed within the last 50k miles. The flush did remove a few contaminates.

I picked up a portable car touchscreen as an alternative to replacing the radio. I haven't found any good resources on replacing the headunit that will also allow me to keep my DVD entertainment system. So I was going to try this and see how it went.

 

[DaveO9]

good luck....... bigest pita is getting the parking brake pad set because................... the only way to do it is to do it all over again and again and again....
there is a tool to set it but who has that....
all I can offer is to make it fairly tight to get the rotor on and then if it skims the initial layer off so be it.

I'm going through this with my axle replacement project right now. I think your procedure is probably in my near future. There's a little hole with a rubber plug on the back of the backing plate - it's gotta be there for adjusting parking brakes, but it seems impossible to be able to do anything with it. Useless?

 

[Doubeleive]

I'm going through this with my axle replacement project right now. I think your procedure is probably in my near future. There's a little hole with a rubber plug on the back of the backing plate - it's gotta be there for adjusting parking brakes, but it seems impossible to be able to do anything with it. Useless?

no way to do it from the backside, on older trucks there was a hole to turn the adjusting wheel (from the back) or by adjustng a bolt on the cable

 

[j91z28d1]

on my 2011 I adjusted the parking break thru that hole. it's a bit of a hassle, but worked.

just make sure the adjuster is lubed up. mine was stuck.

 

[jdwood1111]

Updates from yesterday:
- Replaced upper and lower radiator hoses. Cleaned up the throttle body while I was there.
- Did a coolant flush with distilled water, the coolant that was in the truck looked alight, I assume the previous owner had it changed within the last 50k miles. The flush did remove a few contaminates.

I picked up a portable car touchscreen as an alternative to replacing the radio. I haven't found any good resources on replacing the headunit that will also allow me to keep my DVD entertainment system. So I was going to try this and see how it went.

Any tricks on the lower radiator hose spring clamp at the radiator? I struggled for way too long with a pair of channel locks to get the spring clamp squeezed and slide over the new rubber hose. I just couldn’t get a good angle. Ended up borrowing a neighbors old school locking hose clamps and barely fit but I got it on!

 

[Doubeleive]

Any tricks on the lower radiator hose spring clamp at the radiator? I struggled for way too long with a pair of channel locks to get the spring clamp squeezed and slide over the new rubber hose. I just couldn’t get a good angle. Ended up borrowing a neighbors old school locking hose clamps and barely fit but I got it on!

there is a tool for that

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082PVWSV3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[YukonGold12]

Any tricks on the lower radiator hose spring clamp at the radiator? I struggled for way too long with a pair of channel locks to get the spring clamp squeezed and slide over the new rubber hose. I just couldn’t get a good angle. Ended up borrowing a neighbors old school locking hose clamps and barely fit but I got it on!

I had a smaller set of vice grips that I tuned just right. I would use that to open the spring clamp as far as possible and I was able to get it on.

 

[Doubeleive]

if you are crafty you can lock them open like they come when new, then all you have to do when reinstalling is release it with a flathead screw driver when you have it placed right where you want it.

 

[OR VietVet]

Amazon.com

You can get these in different sizes and head angles. There are other designs. I have several because I do not want to fight with vice grips, channel locks and needle nose pliers.