Drum To Disk Brakes Conversion On Gmt-900 Silverado

[valleyfreak45]

I was disappointed to see that chevy put drum brakes in the rear end of the silverado. Has anyone tried to convert to disk brakes? How'd it go? Easy or hard? Do you recommend it? Thanks

[RyanbabZ71]

I would think it could be done pretty easily especially since some of the GMT-900 trucks already have them.

[music]

Can you do it? Sure. Would I personally do it? Only if I was bored and had more money than sense Seriously, I've been very pleased w/ the overall brake performance on these trucks. I don't recall seeing any posts on here regarding bad brakes or the drums causing issues. I'm not saying they're better than disc... just that it would be expensive to swap them and you probably won't even notice a difference. There are good disc systems and bad disc systems. Same with drums. I think this is a well engineered disc/drum combination.

[MS3DALE]

Trust me......stay with the drums,I have rear discs,I've driven many GMT800/GMT900's with rear drums and they stop 10-times better,and have a firmer pedal feel,than my truck with the rear discs.

If I could go back I would have ordered my truck without StabiliTrac,so I would have gotten rear drums instead of rear discs.

[Metro12]

Search is your friend, this has been posted before.

[Snow White]

Trust me......stay with the drums,I have rear discs,I've driven many GMT800/GMT900's with rear drums and they stop 10-times better,and have a firmer pedal feel,than my truck with the rear discs.

If I could go back I would have ordered my truck without StabiliTrac,so I would have gotten rear drums instead of rear discs.

 

Sorry, gotta call here.

 

Why do all the HD trucks (not to mention every model of competitor's trucks) have rear discs?

 

 

I'm no expert, but isn't there actually more breaking surface with drums than discs, normally? The problem with drum breaks is they fade from heat. I do believe though that if you have to make a romping stop, the drums work better. they just don't work better repetitively right?

 

maybe not. I wondered this myself, but i've known 3 people with rear discs and hated them, they went through them really quick.

[Snow White]

If drums are better than discs, then why not put them on the front too?

 

because the fronts do 65% or some high percentage of the braking and are prone to fade, but the rears don't get nearly as much abuse and don't come in as quick or as heavy except when there is weight... it's the dynamic breaking function. there really is more surface area in drum brakes, tractor trailers use them and so do trains, so there must be a reason.

[Xtremski74]

I can tell you for a fact that the GMT900 stops way better then my GMT800 ever did w/ discs. Plus the backing plates used to rot out. Which would cause the brakes to "go" faster because the plates aren't there to stop dirt from getting in there. Also, as far as towing, drums all the way. Way better brake stopping power. I remember my GMT800 being set up with a ratio of 60% braking front and 40% braking rear(with stock proportioning valve, which I replaced with a 50/50 valve). Which equaled to not enough stopping power to the rear anyway. I switched the GMT800 to drilled and slotted rotors in the front and rear and still did not stop as good as the GMT900. I'm a fan of Discs, but in this case I'm keeping these drums. Just because the other trucks have them doesn't mean they are better! IMO

[dlstewart01]

They went to rear drums in 2005. they increased the size of the front rotors, requiring 17 inch wheels and changed the design of the pads. since the front to rear braking ratio is 70 to 80% front and 20 to 30% rear, Improving front braking,and going to rear drums improved overall breaking and improved pedal feel.

 

They were having many complaints on the rear disc and a lot of warranty work, especially up north were salt in the winter caused sever corrosion. Also the parking brake on the rear disc was not very good. My 05 stops really good. I can't complain. Some people like the idea of rear disc as being high tech, but on a truck rear drums work better in a variety of environments.

 

 

1500 and 2500-3500 series are two different birds. The #2500up have much heavier components and the brakes are no exception. #1500 series have to pass CAFE fuel economy and anything over 8600GVW does not.

 

And The disc brakes had issues with backing plates rotting out, caliper sliders siezing up and wearing pads down, and rotors rusting to hell. Maybe GM decided to go back to drums because they have less issues with them.

[dlstewart01]

Opinions vary.....

[MS3DALE]

Trust me......stay with the drums,I have rear discs,I've driven many GMT800/GMT900's with rear drums and they stop 10-times better,and have a firmer pedal feel,than my truck with the rear discs.

If I could go back I would have ordered my truck without StabiliTrac,so I would have gotten rear drums instead of rear discs.

 

Sorry, gotta call here.

 

Why do all the HD trucks (not to mention every model of competitor's trucks) have rear discs?

 

 

You can call what you want,But working in a GM dealership for 20 years I've driven many GM trucks,the GMT400's were the worst stopping-wise,the '93,'94,and '97 I had were terrible as far as stopping power and brake pedal firmness,the brakes aways seemed "mushy"

Then when I got my '99 with rear-discs I immediately noticed that the brakes were better as far as stopping,and with a firmer pedal,I liked them for sure compared to the GMT400's I had.....Then I got my '04 with rear-discs,the pedal firmness wasn't as good,and the stopping distance lacked also.

Then the '05's came out with rear drums,and increased diameter front rotors,the first time I drove one I was impressed with both the firmness and stopping power,even my buddy who had a '99 and an '02 previously couldn't wait to get a new one with the rear drums (He ended-up buying an '06 VMAX)

As far as why the HD's use them,I don't know,But they don't stop as good as the 1/2-tons with rear drums!! Our '07 K2500HD parts trucks can't stop to save its life!!!

As far as the competitors trucks,again I have no idea,but the last time I saw a test comparison of all the 1/2-ton trucks out there...the GM trucks with rear drums stopped better than anyone else's trucks with rear discs.

[MS3DALE]

If drums are better than discs, then why not put them on the front too?

 

because the fronts do 65% or some high percentage of the braking and are prone to fade, but the rears don't get nearly as much abuse and don't come in as quick or as heavy except when there is weight... it's the dynamic breaking function. there really is more surface area in drum brakes, tractor trailers use them and so do trains, so there must be a reason.

 

 

Exactly,I have also driven tractor trailers quite a bit,they use drums all the way around because of the surface area the drums provide,they also have a nice firm pedal feel (Of course your also talking about an air-brake system instead of a hydraulic system)

[dlstewart01]

the GM trucks with rear drums stopped better than anyone else's trucks with rear discs[/b].

 

 

Look again, the Tundra has 4 wheel discs and stops better than the GM 1/2 tons.

 

 

With their unintended acceleration, they sure need to stop better..

[music]

Sorry, but I aint buying any of the BS. There is a reason that all modern vehicles, except the cheap econoboxes, are now running 4-wheel discs. Because they are superior....period.

 

If I'm understanding your position correctly, you believe the truck should have rear discs regardless of whether they are a good design or not? To say "disc" vs "drum" is far to simple a comparison. There's no such thing, since there's a wide range of disc/caliper configurations and the same w/ drums. GM engineers aren't "BS"ing us. The likely reason for rear drums is that they found that they could get a more cost effective system without the expense of putting larger/heavier discs in the rear (like they do on the HD trucks). We don't have a 14 bolt GM corporate axle on the 1500 either, so are we being cheated?

 

FWIW, Consumer Reports tests show the GM 1500 w/ rear drums stopping quicker than the Tundra with rear discs.

[MS3DALE]

the GM trucks with rear drums stopped better than anyone else's trucks with rear discs[/b].

 

 

Look again, the Tundra has 4 wheel discs and stops better than the GM 1/2 tons.

 

 

As I said..."the last time I saw a test comparison" I haven't seen a test lately,If the Tundra stops better great,I ain't buying a Tundra.

If you feel better with rear discs by all means buy a truck with them,as I said I have rear discs on my '07,they work fine,but they are nowhere near as good as the trucks with rear drums,if I could go back I would have gotten rear drums (Ordering the Stabilitrac option gave me rear discs)

"Old" technology or not,the rear drums on the GMT800/GMT900's stop better than the ones with rear-discs.....period!