Hope this is correct forum for this. 33k miles and suddenly metal on metal sound....pulled wheels and its ugly down there! Right side front and rear, scoring etc etc.No warning chirps or anything.Got rid of a Dodge for poor brake life...not again. Gonna take it to Chev.next week for a looksee....seems like this is poor pad life and of course discs are scarred.....anybody with similar experience? My intention is to summon the Chev area representative if I dont get some factory assistance with repairs. Did some searches and didnt come up with similar issues....Comments and guidance certainly welcomed. A Happy 4th to all !!


Richard

Longreach, I would think that most get more miles out of their brakes than you have. Last time I checked my brakes was at 41K and they weren't even half way through. Both fronts and both rears were worn about the same.

Not to say there isn't a problem with your truck longreach, but are you sure it's not your driving habit's.


If you have had premature brake wear on 2 diffrent makes of trucks, then maybe your just heavy on the brakes and that's all the life your going to get out of them.


As you said about not finding any related issues in the search function is because I don't remember any one reporting any poor brake life other than you.


Although these truck's have good size 4 wheel disc brakes, they are big heavy 6-9,000 pound vehicles which take a lot to bring to a stop, plus add some towing and hauling stuff around in the bed and the brakes take a beating.


Good luck with trying to get the dealer to warranty a set of brakes.


My .02 Diesel Dragon http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Cool.gifEdited by: Diesel Dragon

Good luck with trying to get the dealer to warranty a set of brakes.


My .02 Diesel Dragon http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Cool.gif





Dittos, You'll need it!

Had mine replaced at 37K with about 30% left on the pads. All 4 rotors were scored badly on the inboard side and were glazed on all surfaces. Going on vacation soon, driving through the Rockies and didn't want to take any chances I just wanted them replaced. Dealer wouldn't warranty them, it's considered normal wear and tear. I spoke with the tech who did the work and asked if the calipers were seized and he said they moved freely, functioning normally. He also mentioned the truck is heavy and will take it's toll on brakes. Only good news from all of this was they warrantied the E-Brake shoes because of both axel seals leaking. I do notice quite a difference now when comming to a stop, the brakes are more responsive and smoother.

Just be prepared for the cost. Ouch!!

I'm across 60k on mine. Guess I'd better look at them.





I too think that it can have a lot to do with driving habits...

Just be prepared for the cost. Ouch!!


Whats a set going for? One thing I like about these pads is that the rims stay free of brake dust. Do any parts stores or venders here carry the same or equivilant pad material.

Has anyone tried cryo-treated brake rotors on these trucks for extended wear?


Also, has anyone tried aftermarket brake pads for better wear or performance?


These are common steps in the car world, but I haven't heard talk about this with our Duramax trucks.


2fast2

Generally if you put a hard long lasting brake pads on your truck it just wears the rotors insted of the pads. Just go buy some new brake shoes and do the work yourself its a lot cheaper.

The expensive part is the rotors. They are several hundred dollars each. If I'm not mistaken the fronts are in the $250 dollar range. I got this shock when I had to take mine in for warped rotors at around 10k. I didn't end up paying because they surfaced my rotors, but I made sure it was well documented because it was way to early for them to need resurfacing. If the problem comes up again before I'm out of warranty they will replce them free of charge.

Get aftermarket rotors like wagner, or bendix. Just make sure there made in Canada or the US. They are way cheaper and will last at least as long as factory metal. The carbon metallic / performance friction pads from autozone seem very similar to the stock pads and work well with no dust yet with 10k on them.

On my 01 3500 I pulled a 12k trailer all across the country. At 100k the shop said I had 70% left on the pads. I did not believe so I went to a differant shop and the also said majority left on the pads. My new truck is squelling right from the start. Don't feel anything in the pedal, they work great, just alot of noise coming to a stop.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/Approve.gif

I just replaced the rear pads on mine. 60,000 miles. Back around 38,000 I wanted to lube the slide rails and noticed the inside right rear pad was well worn but the outside and rear left side inner and outer were fine. Both rear calipers and pads were free except for the worn pad which was stuck and had to be driven off with a punch. This I believe was messed up from the beginning. I'm ashamed to say the truck is a daily driver to work and back and only a glorified grocery getter!! So I don't think abuse has anything to do with it!!
For those interested I replaced the rear pads with Raybestos ceramic Part # PGD785QS approx. $76.00

We have 2 2004 GMC's. Both less then 25000 miles and both needed pads all the way around. But these trucks are rigged up as service trucks and are in a lot of mud and sand. (75% off road)


I'm over 70.000 miles on the originals but they are squeeling now. (30.000 since I got it)


Our old ones (old style 2000's) would go thru a set of brakes in less then 5000 miles. I once had a set that lasted only 1500 miles!! Had mud packed in the calipers causing them to stick a little.Edited by: dutch

Thanks to all for your replies. My visual inspection looks like rotors and pads all the way around. Pads have useful life on three but the rotors are probably scored beyond further useful life. One thing I forgot to indicate is that this truck is probably driven 70% highway balance suburban driving...heavy brake foot certainly not the cause.Of course GM wont appreciate this factor... all they will probably say is normal wear and tear.


I am going to take the truck to the dealer for documentation purposes and would be hesitant to use GM supplied stuff to replace based upon driving experience to date... unless assurances for better performance are forthcoming.


Any experience out there with slotted or drilled rotors Brembo etc.?


Thanks again Richard

Slotted and drilled rotors are not for better performance in most cases, they're for looks. Forget about the Porsche rotors, those are cast holes. Holes and slots might help a little in really wet conditions, but overall they will not help for our trucks and won't last longer than solid, ventillated rotors, nor will they hold up to extreme use. Brembo is a very good name in rotors in the import sports car circles, I have no idea about Brembo rotors for our trucks. I wouldn't hesitate if the price was good.


When I have to replace the rotors, if I feel they didn't last a reasonable service interval, I certainly won't go back to OEM. And I will probably send my new rotors off to be cryogenically treated. I've done that with my MR2 rotors but honestly can't say whether it has made a difference in warp resistance or longevity. It is worth a try. You can search the internet and find various cryo businesses, with prices rangeing from $25 per rotor up. Shop around.


Good luck.