I'd like to get a Vortec 454 truck but have been put off a bit by all the brake horror stories I've heard about them. I've been looking at 8.1 trucks, but they're a bit outside of my cash budget and I'd like to avoid any financing right now. How have you guys with the later 454 trucks felt about your brakes? I just missed an 8.1 CCLB 4x4 with a 6-inch lift, tune, and exhaust with 91k miles for $12k, but I see crews and Burbs with the 454 for $8k and under somewhat regularly...

 

The 2500 and 3500 GMT400 trucks with the L29 will all have a 10.5" full-floating 14-bolt rear end with massive 13" drums on it. Up front they have 12.5" discs with a large single piston caliper that works well. They also all have hydroboost.

The single best-value improvement that can be done to these trucks is to replace the two front and one rear soft rubber lines with Earls Stainless Steel lines. Any mush (minimal on these trucks) in the pedal goes away with that upgrade.

The horror stories you've heard are likely about 1500 GMT400 trucks with their vacuum boosters and inherent mushy-feeling pedal.

 

One guy was saying he lost the brakes on his Vortec 454 Suburban twice while pulling a trailer; once due to air in the line, another due to some other bullshit. Just wanted to get some feedback on here; I appreciate it.

I will definitely look into brake mods once I find something. The well-priced Vortec trucks I saw a few weeks ago have probably all sold by now, so I'll start searching again if you don't see any brake-related reason not to.

 

Hmm.. that sounds more like a maintenance issue than an engineering one. I think with what you'd save by getting a GMT400 instead of a GMT800 you could go through the entire braking system with upgrades and still come out ahead. In terms of longevity, the 98-00 GMT400 truck will cost you less to maintain too.

 

got neighbors with a 01 yukon 8.1l looking to sell it soon..

 

Awesome, good to know. I'll put those back on my shopping list. It would be a third vehicle so it will be FAR from a daily driver, but it NEEDS to be reliable to serve it's purpose

Maryland is pretty far from Arizona... it would have to be a hell of a truck for a hell of a deal

 

owners are in there 60's. used the truck for towing a horse trailer now and then.. halfto look again but its around 100,000 miles. 4x4 leather interrior.. said they paid around 60k for it new. hes a ex heart surgan and shes a stay at home mom.. sold there horses a few years ago for in the 500k range so they have money and kept up on every little thing on the truck.. that i can attest to because i want it but dont have the cash for it.

no idea what they are asking for it yet but ill ask.

 

It can't hurt to check it out. Let me know.

 

my truck didn't have the 8.1, but its the same chassis and brakes. I've been very happy with how the brakes perform. Significantly improved over my previous '97 K1500 truck.

 

Yeah, I'm so sick of finding old dry-rotted trucks with low miles (because they sat) and 200k-mile trucks that I'm almost to the point of saying screw it and borrowing a few grand to throw on top of my cash for a GMT800 2500, preferably 8.1. We'll see.