Brakes don't last

diyer2 · November 27, 2020

Elcaminos friend is a great example of habits are hard to break. Doesn't see any problems with his driving style.

Salsa De Piña · November 27, 2020

I'm starting to think this is the universe's way of punishing someone who bought a 3/4 ton truck 100k miles ago and the only work the truck's ever seen is towing 800 lbs on a trailer a total of 500 miles.

But definitely ditto on the driving style.

Grumpy Bear · November 27, 2020

On 11/1/2020 at 8:11 AM, wdavis said:

was hoping someone would have had a good suggestion to why you are going though pads. I have a 2017 silverado 4wd. It has about 39k miles and I've had just the back pads wear out at about 19k miles. Just replaced the pads for a second time. I too have never had bake problem of this type. Never had to replace pads or shoes on gm trucks I've owned over the pass 50 years before 80k miles.

My problem is its only the back pads wearing out on this truck. Will start a new post for this problem.

Just a guess here based on a like experience with a 2006 Honda. The rear friction material has been reduced to a fraction of the thickness of previous models. Thinner rotors as well. Not a problem with people that soft brake as brake bias keeps them from applying most of the time. BUT if 'late brake' it's going to be an issue......

Colossus · November 27, 2020

Yup. They want you replacing rotors and pads at the same time now, no more machining rotors.

Grumpy Bear · November 28, 2020

3 hours ago, Colossus said:

Yup. They want you replacing rotors and pads at the same time now, no more machining rotors.

One would think the aftermarket would fix that>

Ryan :) · November 28, 2020

On 10/26/2020 at 11:20 PM, scwidy said:

I was told by my dealer that this has never happened to anyone else. I have a 2016 Duramax Sierra DenaliHD and have had to replace the brakes every 20,000 miles. I bought the truck brand new and have always had it serviced at the dealer I bought it from. At 20k miles, without warning I could feel the metal in the pedal and took it to the dealer and they replaced the pads and rotors with no explanation as to why the squealers didn't activate. They said it was how I drive. I have towed a single axle aluminum trailer with about 800#'s in it for a total of about 500 miles and that is all the weight this truck has seen. I have 109,000 miles on it now and have had to have the brakes replaced(and calipers) 5 times now, approximately every 20,000 miles. The dealer has covered everything up to this point but have told me that this is it, they won't do it again. They say nothing is wrong with my brakes, but I have never had a vehicles brakes last 20,000 miles. I put a lift on it at about 50000 miles and had replaced the brakes twice to that point. Has anyone else had something like this happen. Any ideas, I started a case with GM but am not sure how it will go.

Does it have an exhaust brake? I havn't driven a Duramax so I'm not sure. I used to drive a Cummins that had an exhaust brake which significantly lowers my use for regular brakes. It should be a button on the dash if I remember correctly.

redwngr · December 8, 2020

On 10/27/2020 at 5:32 PM, scwidy said:

All good points and while I do appreciate your trying to guess how I drive(I didn't tell you), none would explain why the squealers never hit the rotors, plus I've had never had this issue with any of the other gm trucks I've driven other than the 94 that had rear drums and that I got over 40k with. I do drive fast, there is no doubt about it but I have driven this way for over 35 years and have never had brakes go like this. I would expect a 2500 truck brakes to outlast a 1500 truck brakes with both being driven the same. My 2011 6.2 actually towed `16k weekly and I replaced the brakes once in 135000 miles. And the dealer actually put Napa pads on this the time before this last one to try something else. Still got 20k miles out of them. Thank you all for trying to help, I don't drive two footed and I really have no clue what to have done next.

Reading between the lines, what they're also saying is that they aren't having to replace brakes.

Truck has had rotors and pads and is apparently still doing it.

Previous vehicles driven the same way didn't do it.

Others driving similar vehicles aren't having this problem.

Something is different on that truck.

Have the calipers been changed?

Something in brake booster not allowing them to release correctly?

Does it wear'em out on both sides or is one side worse?

Certainly sounds like the issue must be something that hasn't been changed.

FWIW, 2010 and earlier GM HD's had a reputation for crappy brakes.

Can't help you with squealer question.

I'm also in the camp that has never had to change brakes on an '11 thru '19 chassis.

Icutmetl · February 25, 2021

I agree with others; has to be an operator malfunction.

scwidy · November 12, 2021

Got tired of it. We'll see how long they last on a 22 3500hd

Ravenkeeper · November 17, 2021

Stealership told me that my front right brakes were wearing oddly on my '15, a few thousand miles before the wreck. "Bad news, brakes are almost shot. Good news, you still have time to fix it before it will really cost you."

The next weekend, a couple months before the wreck, my son and I changed them.