GMT 900 Trucks General Discussion 2007 - 2013 Trucks | General Discussion

Brake caliper swap

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Old Apr 21, 2018 | 06:58 PM
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Default Brake caliper swap

Howdy Fellas,

Looking to upgrade my brakes, I keep warping rotors and eating up pads so thought to ask here if anyone can suggest a good caliper upgrade? I have some C6 vette front calipers I thought of trying but I was thinking Brembos would be nice. Maybe theres a caliper out there that is easy to fit up or someone already has?
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Old Apr 23, 2018 | 06:41 AM
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What's your budget? Fellas over the TY Forum run everything from stock, to ZO6 to Wilwoods. Baer, Brembo, StopTech and Powerstop. Then many just use cop brake pads, the ones from the PPVs and are happy.
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Old Apr 23, 2018 | 02:17 PM
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I ran the cop pads before and they do work great, but they dust like crazy. I like the ceramics for this reason only. I noticed the new GM big brake package from Brembo with 16.1" rotors so I was thinking of trying those rotors with a decent caliper. If there was a pad that worked as well as the cop pad that truly didnt dust? I would probably stick with the stock set up and run the Ferritic Nitro-Carburized rotors.
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Old Apr 23, 2018 | 03:17 PM
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cant really get epic braking performance without some compromise.

Whether its high dusting, low life, rotor erosion or a combination of any of those and more. Brakes convert momentum to heat, so the better they are at that job, the more wear (dusting) occurs.

Always cracks me up when ppl say things like "I want to stop 60-0 in 87', with no dust, with no noise and with 100k service life."

I too am waiting for that super sticky off road tire that lasts 15yrs of daily driving too

EBC Yellow Stuff are the most aggressive pads I suggest a street vehicle runs. However, they too dust (as any aggressive pad will). I go through a set ~20k on my MR2, they are aggressive. But they'll peel your face off.

Dont want dust? stick to the hard ceramic pads that eat rotors. You gotta pick what your compromise will be.
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Old Apr 23, 2018 | 03:27 PM
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Low dust is a need. I've wrecked enough wheels with metallic pad dust in days gone by. I'm fully aware of the pro/con of pad options. I started this thread to see what people are doing on terms of caliper swaps and the like for the GMT900 as each of us has our own goals so maybe I could learn something from another member who has tried new combinations. I would really like to hear if anyone has tried the any custom configs with the16.1" rotor?

I would have to think the 16.1" with ceramic would probably perform on par or better than the stockers with metallic pads. Sounds promising
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Old Apr 23, 2018 | 03:49 PM
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Until there's some miraculous breakthrough in pad compounds, there won't be performance on the level of semi-metallics...without dust. Until then I'll just keep running ceramics.

Hmmm, wonder if that GM K2XX Brembo kit could be adapted to a GMT800. For whatever reasons I'm not a big fan of that Baer/Z06 swap.

I installed the Hellcat 15.4" rotors and 6 piston Brembo calipers on my 300 SRT8, but that's literally a bolt-on, as long as you're already an SRT or install the SRT spindles. Easiest brake upgrade in the world. The only hard part is paying for it...$$$



Richard
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Old Apr 23, 2018 | 07:31 PM
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I just have factory rotors and original metallic pads. First set (front) went almost 60K and the second set will probably need replacing next year, at 125K now. Replaced the rears late last year, the pads were on backwards, the rotors original, along with parking brake shoes.

Plenty happy with how it stops. If I were to upgrade, I'd look to see if GM had a big brake option for GMT900 and hopefully works with 17" wheels.
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Old Apr 23, 2018 | 10:19 PM
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Originally Posted by cam
Low dust is a need. I've wrecked enough wheels with metallic pad dust in days gone by. I'm fully aware of the pro/con of pad options. I started this thread to see what people are doing on terms of caliper swaps and the like for the GMT900 as each of us has our own goals so maybe I could learn something from another member who has tried new combinations. I would really like to hear if anyone has tried the any custom configs with the16.1" rotor?

I would have to think the 16.1" with ceramic would probably perform on par or better than the stockers with metallic pads. Sounds promising
GM only lists the brembos for the k2xx models, 14 up. But I don't see why they wouldn't bolt on for 99-14.
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Old Apr 24, 2018 | 03:29 PM
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Originally Posted by GMCtrk
GM only lists the brembos for the k2xx models, 14 up. But I don't see why they wouldn't bolt on for 99-14.
Are the knuckles and other related parts really that similar on GMT800, GMT900, and K2XX ? Forgive me for my ignorance on it, I'm only just now getting familiar with GMT800 trucks.

Richard
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Old Apr 24, 2018 | 06:13 PM
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the 800 and 900 brakes are interchangeable.
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