Grinding Brake Calipers To Fit 16" Rims?

Shatterz · October 29, 2010

You guys are saying you can't fit a 16" rim on these trucks??? I have a 16" steel spare on for my 2500HD. Do the 1/2 ton trucks come with a larger diamater spare wheel?

Zembonez · October 29, 2010

You guys are saying you can't fit a 16" rim on these trucks??? I have a 16" steel spare on for my 2500HD. Do the 1/2 ton trucks come with a larger diamater spare wheel?

HD is different. My half ton has a 17 inch steel wheel spare.

dlewis1111 · October 29, 2010

they have been running them on 600+HP street trucks since 99 with no failure issues. one of the top guys did have some type of data on it, but i am no longer a member of the forum and i have been away from that for a couple years so i dont even know where to begin to look.

what about the "classic" style brake and rotors. those will allow 16s correct? can they be fitted on the newer body style?

[b]i dont have a need for 16s i just want to try something different.[/b]

Why?

And I swear that I saw 16's on an 08 2500HD that were factory...... I think.

Edited October 29, 2010 by dlewis1111

dlstewart01 · October 29, 2010

they have been running them on 600+HP street trucks since 99 with no failure issues. one of the top guys did have some type of data on it, but i am no longer a member of the forum and i have been away from that for a couple years so i dont even know where to begin to look.

what about the "classic" style brake and rotors. those will allow 16s correct? can they be fitted on the newer body style?

[b]i dont have a need for 16s i just want to try something different.[/b]

Why?

And I swear that I saw 16's on an 08 2500HD that were factory...... I think.

When GM went to 17 inch wheels and larger roters in 2005, that was for 1500s. The 2500s stayed the same and came with 16s. Hybrids also stayed the same. See this old thread...

http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/index.php?...;hl=dlstewart01

Edited October 29, 2010 by snakedoctor

jesse1378 · October 30, 2010

they have been running them on 600+HP street trucks since 99 with no failure issues. one of the top guys did have some type of data on it, but i am no longer a member of the forum and i have been away from that for a couple years so i dont even know where to begin to look.

what about the "classic" style brake and rotors. those will allow 16s correct? can they be fitted on the newer body style?

[b]i dont have a need for 16s i just want to try something different.[/b]

Why?

And I swear that I saw 16's on an 08 2500HD that were factory...... I think.

because i dont like having the same thing that everone else has. my lightning was differnt than any other truck because of the things i did to it. i put an led cadillac 3rd brake light on it, custom grill that i did myself. it stood out. i hate the fact that my truck blends in.

if the brake and calipers on the HDs allow for 16s then why wouldnt they be good enough for a 1500?? that's another option to look into as well.

i didnt post to get lectures on the safety issues and to be told how important the brakes are. i just wnated to know if anyone has tried it or if it was even possible. maybe it can be done and nobody has tried it. ill figure it out. thanks.

dlstewart01 · October 30, 2010

they have been running them on 600+HP street trucks since 99 with no failure issues. one of the top guys did have some type of data on it, but i am no longer a member of the forum and i have been away from that for a couple years so i dont even know where to begin to look.

what about the "classic" style brake and rotors. those will allow 16s correct? can they be fitted on the newer body style?

[b]i dont have a need for 16s i just want to try something different.[/b]

Why?

And I swear that I saw 16's on an 08 2500HD that were factory...... I think.

because i dont like having the same thing that everone else has. my lightning was differnt than any other truck because of the things i did to it. i put an led cadillac 3rd brake light on it, custom grill that i did myself. it stood out. i hate the fact that my truck blends in.

if the brake and calipers on the HDs allow for 16s then why wouldnt they be good enough for a 1500?? that's another option to look into as well.

i didnt post to get lectures on the safety issues and to be told how important the brakes are. i just wnated to know if anyone has tried it or if it was even possible. maybe it can be done and nobody has tried it. ill figure it out. thanks.

HD trucks run front hubs that space the rotors and mounting surface farther apart so the calipers are further inboard. That permits the relatively skinny rims to clear the rotor. Light duty trucks are engineered with the right components to run a lot of inset on the wheels. The HD trucks have different calipers (heavy duty) than the 1500s.

Edited October 30, 2010 by snakedoctor

Matt_ · October 30, 2010

i didnt post to get lectures on the safety issues and to be told how important the brakes are. i just wnated to know if anyone has tried it or if it was even possible. maybe it can be done and nobody has tried it. ill figure it out. thanks.

Welcome to a public forum. You're going to get opinions whether you want them or not.

Your question was:

Or if there is even enough material that it can be ground down and still work properly.

My answer is NO. Because of the safety factor that these parts are designed to, it's unlikely that you have a lot of room for play without putting yourself and other peoples safety at risk. I personally think that anyone who grinds down their brake calipers to fit different wheels on a vehicle that's driven on public streets is a complete idiot and i pray they never fail and hurt anyone. There are plenty of other ways to make your vehicle "stand out" that doesn't require high risk. That's my opinion, take it or leave it.

As far as your second idea is concerned. I'd just go to a parts store and have them pull out a caliper assembly and rotor for both trucks and compare them to see if they might bolt up. Still taking a step back in terms of braking performance (which i'd probably laugh at anyone when they told me they did that just to fit 1" smaller wheels) but at least the parts aren't hacked from their OEM configuration. Throw some SS brake lines on there to help keep the pressure up while you're at it.

mtiffinal · October 30, 2010

If you just want to be different and "stand out", why not put a unique paint job on the thing? BTW, I agree with all the above posters about the safety and performance of the OEM equipment, don't do it.

TRCM · October 30, 2010

If you just want to be different and "stand out", why not put a unique paint job on the thing? BTW, I agree with all the above posters about the safety and performance of the OEM equipment, don't do it.

If you have to have smaller diameter rims, then do a google search, there are many companies that sell kits with all the parts needed to put 15" rims on any truck, so they would for sure clear 16" rims. These kits are designed for off road rock crawlers and such, but they work well on other vehicles too. Just have to find one for your particular axle configuration.

They aren't that expensive either, maybe a couple hundred bucks. I just sold a kit that allowed using 15" rims on a chevy d60 1 ton front axle as well as a matching 14B rear that both came with 16.5 rims.

Edited October 30, 2010 by TRCM

mtiffinal · October 30, 2010

Okay, I stand corrected, thanks, buy a "Kit" designed for this. Don't modify the OEM equipment. He could still do the paint to be different .

Matt_ · October 30, 2010

I didn't think they made kits for our trucks. I could be wrong, but i believe most "kits" are targeted towards axles commonly used in SAS's and trail rigs.

If there is one, problem solved

dlstewart01 · October 30, 2010

I'm glad I'm not having an identity crisis..

revrnd · October 30, 2010

My answer is NO. Because of the safety factor that these parts are designed to, it's unlikely that you have a lot of room for play without putting yourself and other peoples safety at risk. I personally think that anyone who grinds down their brake calipers to fit different wheels on a vehicle that's driven on public streets is a complete idiot and i pray they never fail and hurt anyone. There are plenty of other ways to make your vehicle "stand out" that doesn't require high risk. That's my opinion, take it or leave it.

Do insurance companies look for component failure/modification in the aftermath of accidents?

It's bad enoungh jurisdictions limit suspension mods', I can't imagine they'd be happy w/ shadetree brake mods.

Edited October 30, 2010 by revrnd

jrrod2004 · October 31, 2010

My answer is NO. Because of the safety factor that these parts are designed to, it's unlikely that you have a lot of room for play without putting yourself and other peoples safety at risk. I personally think that anyone who grinds down their brake calipers to fit different wheels on a vehicle that's driven on public streets is a complete idiot and i pray they never fail and hurt anyone. There are plenty of other ways to make your vehicle "stand out" that doesn't require high risk. That's my opinion, take it or leave it.

Do insurance companies look for component failure/modification in the aftermath of accidents?

It's bad enoungh jurisdictions limit suspension mods', I can't imagine they'd be happy w/ shadetree brake mods.

Give me a reason to look...

jesse1378 · November 1, 2010

thanks for the tip about the kits. if you got a kit, with performance pads and rotors i dont see why the efficency of the brakes would be worse than stock, it could even be better. when i upgraded my pads on my old truck from OEM to ceramic it made a world of difference. or even takeing that smaller performance rotor, ceramic pads, and have a better ( more piston) caliper added to the kit. im still in the research phase of everything. i would rather buy a couple hundred dollar kit, and new rims and tires than a couple thousand dollar paint job. my wife bought her brand new car and the 3rd time she took it shopping some jack ass put a scratch on it. i could do other things to the truck yes, but i'm only a SrA and i'm paying 500+ a month on the payments. with my lightning it was mine and i could do whatever i wanted to it. i still dont feel comfortable enough yet to even put the leveling kit on it. just as stated before i'm just thinking out loud. i also have some ides for a custom grill and interior things that will probably get done first.