When I got my Tahoe a few years ago the front brakes kind of grinded when coming to a stop. So I redid the brakes with a cheap set of drilled and slotted brakes with ceramic pads and made sure to lube the slider pins A LOT.
After I redid the brake job I still had some grinding for about 6 months still and then it went away for a couple years but the last couple of weeks I have been driving with my windows down and I can hear that my front brakes are having a rotational squeak and my wheels are cover in brake dust.
I ordered new powerstop pads and rotors and new brake hoses. I am going to be sure to clear out the slider pin holes to make sure the calipers can move.
I don’t want to replace the caliper if I don’t need to, what are things I can look out for while I am doing the front brakes to verify if the front caliper itself is good or not?
You can get brand new GM OE calipers, without a core charge, from RA, for $64 each Dustin. If you rebuild them yourself, it would cost about $45 each.
The Yukon's first set of front pads went 57K miles. Then new pads were put on and the rotors actually turned and that set went 78K miles.
The Yukon's first set of rear pads and rotors went 121K miles. It's been almost six years since we changed them and we're at 66K so far.
On the red Sierra, the brake wear seems to be the opposite, the front pads are original with plenty of meat on them. We just replaced the rear pads at 88K miles.
The white Sierra has been lifted for ten years now and she's over 150K miles and we're getting ready to completely overhaul the brakes. We haven't had to service them in over 50K miles.
All three trucks run GM Original Equipment brakes.
We've put Powerstop brake pads, rotors and calipers on our little spare Kia twice, the pads and rotors went about 30k miles.
With inflation being what it is these days, how much will you be saving by buying the less expensive parts twice rather than once over the course of 2-5 years or so?
If memory serves, caliper wear reveals itself as uneven wear across a pad. Slide pin wear is one pad wearing more than the other.
Oh, almost forgot! Do you remember the story of me doing the Yukon's front pads and rotors and not the calipers?
In March of 2019 at 135,940 miles my children and I serviced the front brakes, replacing the rotors, pads, caliper guide pins and bolts and all the extras for $412. BOTH rotors were $157.86 and the pads were $91.79. I distinctly remember ignoring that little voice that said to change the calipers, they looked good I told myself.
In March of 2020 one piston on the RF caliper hung up. Took it apart, cleaned, lubed and re-assembled. All was well for 3 more months until it seized completely and burned up the brakes on that side at 155,423 miles.
So now in 2020 the pads were $98.85 and the rotors were $179.02 for both. Total for the front was $499.89 which included two new GM OE calipers at $63.97 each. I rebuilt both rear calipers for $76.19 at the same time.
In October of 2022, brake parts were purchased for the red Sierra. Those same rotors up front were now $226.67 and scored the pads for $91.85. Rear pads were $141.08 and both rotors were $206.92.
The point being, as time goes on, the parts are getting more expensive, generally speaking. The rear GM OE pads have been discontinued so you have to look hard or use ACDelco Professional now.
