Brake Pads

[BIGDOGx]

On 3/10/2025 at 3:24 AM, Transient said:

I'm not worried about rusting rotors.  My truck is my daily driver.  It's hard to rust rotors when they are constantly being used.  As for slotted and drilled rotors, imo it pays to be very selective.  I've had nothing but good experiences with them on previous vehicles.  I can't go with Brembo's big brake kit because I'm still using the OEM 18s on my truck. 

These are not Brembo big brake kits, they also make oem replacement rotors and pads.

 

The truck i used Power Slots on was also a daily driver, perhaps you dont live in the northeast like me but the power stop stuff didnt last and i have read the same happening with others. I did end up getting these pads and brembo rotors and i have to say I'm impressed at least so far with the rotors looks, high quality and heavy duty and the non-braking surfaces are actually powder coated and not painted or coated which most others seem to do. For a slight tick over a hundred per rotor i can't complain.

Edited March 11, 2025 by BIGDOGx

[Gangly]

I'm at 140K+ miles on my original pads, and they have worked great.  I will be replacing the fronts soon since they are around 30%, but I will probably go back with the factory pads since they have worked out so well for me.  Any specific reason you are wanting to swap pad brand and type?  No worries either way, I'm interested in your thoughts since I will be replacing my fronts soon enough.

[Transient]

On 3/11/2025 at 10:21 AM, BIGDOGx said:

These are not Brembo big brake kits, they also make oem replacement rotors and pads.

 

The truck i used Power Slots on was also a daily driver, perhaps you dont live in the northeast like me but the power stop stuff didnt last and i have read the same happening with others. I did end up getting these pads and brembo rotors and i have to say I'm impressed at least so far with the rotors looks, high quality and heavy duty and the non-braking surfaces are actually powder coated and not painted or coated which most others seem to do. For a slight tick over a hundred per rotor i can't complain.

I was not aware Brembo made OE replacements.  Although I don't currently live in the northeast, I have in the past.  I spent 2 years in Philadelphia while my wife was earning her Masters Degree at U Penn.

[Transient]

On 3/13/2025 at 12:10 PM, Gangly said:

I'm at 140K+ miles on my original pads, and they have worked great.  I will be replacing the fronts soon since they are around 30%, but I will probably go back with the factory pads since they have worked out so well for me.  Any specific reason you are wanting to swap pad brand and type?  No worries either way, I'm interested in your thoughts since I will be replacing my fronts soon enough.

Another term I learned in business school was "satisficing."  It simply means, "good enough."  A large business like GM operates that way.  The parts need to supplied cheap enough for GM to earn a profit, but also need to be able to function sufficiently for the product to be competitive with the competing market so consumers like you and I will be interested in buying it.  Therefore, there's a lot of room for something better.  Wilwood and Brembo for example, have successful business models "cleaning up the slop" left in OE parts.  GM does a decent job with its AC Delco brand, and there are aftermarket companies that do worse, but they certainly aren't always the best.  It's just my opinion.  I have a unique truck on the road.  It's mine.  It reflects me.  My brakes are going to be no different.  The goal is improved functionality. 

[redwngr]

You can include Brembo brakes on a factory order for a 1500, as an LPO option.

 

It's pricey.

 

It's been available for a bunch of years. 

This is from 2025 order guide info

 

5JL LPO, Front Brake Kit-Performance, includes Red Brembo 6-piston front brake calipers with larger than factory stock pads and rotors (Chevrolet logo on front calipers and rear calipers are color matched Red), (dealer-installed)
Requires 20" wheels.
Requires 20" or 22" wheels. 

 

Also available thru 'parts and accessories'. 

 

 

 

 

[Transient]

14 minutes ago, redwngr said:

You can include Brembo brakes on a factory order for a 1500, as an LPO option.

 

It's pricey.

 

It's been available for a bunch of years. 

This is from 2025 order guide info

 

5JL LPO, Front Brake Kit-Performance, includes Red Brembo 6-piston front brake calipers with larger than factory stock pads and rotors (Chevrolet logo on front calipers and rear calipers are color matched Red), (dealer-installed)
Requires 20" wheels.
Requires 20" or 22" wheels. 

 

Also available thru 'parts and accessories'. 

 

 

 

 

That's why I didn't get them.  Imo, 20s on a Trail Boss is an oxymoron.  I went with the 18s, thus no OE Brembo package for me.  My truck does see dirt frequently enough to justify the extra sidewall of the 18s.

[BIGDOGx]

The brembos i bought are not a big brake kit, they are oem replacement style but have a real high quality to them. The front rotors were 110 a piece and the back rotors cost me 85 bucks per side. Pads were 60 for front and 40 for the backs. I do agree normally i would say true OEM, and not just buying ac delco, but true OEM rotors are usually going to last you longer than anything else but will also cost your double the price of most everything else. You also just can't go buy any ac/delco part either, OEM rotors are normally needing to be bought at the dealer or at sites like gm parts direct.

[DenaliSS]

On 3/20/2025 at 12:16 AM, redwngr said:

You can include Brembo brakes on a factory order for a 1500, as an LPO option.

 

It's pricey.

 

It's been available for a bunch of years. 

This is from 2025 order guide info

 

5JL LPO, Front Brake Kit-Performance, includes Red Brembo 6-piston front brake calipers with larger than factory stock pads and rotors (Chevrolet logo on front calipers and rear calipers are color matched Red), (dealer-installed)
Requires 20" wheels.
Requires 20" or 22" wheels. 

 

Also available thru 'parts and accessories'. 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, like mentioned earlier and another post, my LTZ has this option and is nice to have.  Back in 2021, after months of searching, decided on the pre-owned truck with 6k miles.  That caveat of requiring 20" wheels wasn't an issue since I was transferring my 20" forged wheels from my '03 Denali, but the challenge has been to find an alternative to changing out the spare tire hanger to accommodate the smaller center bore of the forged wheels.

 

The Brembo brake option I'm quite happy to have, as they have performed very well with the truck when needed, on those occasions where you can't predict what other drivers will do.

 

[Transient]

On 3/20/2025 at 11:10 AM, BIGDOGx said:

The brembos i bought are not a big brake kit, they are oem replacement style but have a real high quality to them. The front rotors were 110 a piece and the back rotors cost me 85 bucks per side. Pads were 60 for front and 40 for the backs. I do agree normally i would say true OEM, and not just buying ac delco, but true OEM rotors are usually going to last you longer than anything else but will also cost your double the price of most everything else. You also just can't go buy any ac/delco part either, OEM rotors are normally needing to be bought at the dealer or at sites like gm parts direct.

You can purchase AC Delco through RockAuto.com.  There's also a major auto parts chain that sells AC Delco.  I can't remember if it's AutoZone, Advance, or O'Reilly's since I like saving money and buy from RockAuto.com almost exclusively now. 

[Transient]

On 3/21/2025 at 3:27 AM, DenaliSS said:

Yeah, like mentioned earlier and another post, my LTZ has this option and is nice to have.  Back in 2021, after months of searching, decided on the pre-owned truck with 6k miles.  That caveat of requiring 20" wheels wasn't an issue since I was transferring my 20" forged wheels from my '03 Denali, but the challenge has been to find an alternative to changing out the spare tire hanger to accommodate the smaller center bore of the forged wheels.

 

The Brembo brake option I'm quite happy to have, as they have performed very well with the truck when needed, on those occasions where you can't predict what other drivers will do.

 

Distance = time.  Allowing just a little bit more room from the car in front of you allows you to have more reaction time.  I've driven all over this country.  This is universally applicable.  The majority of accidents aren't due to brakes failing to perform.  Stopping too quickly can get you hit in the rear because the driver behind you was following too closely. 

[BIGDOGx]

On 3/23/2025 at 10:13 AM, Transient said:

You can purchase AC Delco through RockAuto.com.  There's also a major auto parts chain that sells AC Delco.  I can't remember if it's AutoZone, Advance, or O'Reilly's since I like saving money and buy from RockAuto.com almost exclusively now. 

Buying AC/Delco rotors does not mean factory oem replacement. Most of the online ones are the cheaper variants like the gold and i think silver lines, both not as good as the ones that come on it from factory imo. You can tell the real ones because they are a almost double the price per side as the gold option.

[Transient]

On 3/24/2025 at 9:26 AM, BIGDOGx said:

Buying AC/Delco rotors does not mean factory oem replacement. Most of the online ones are the cheaper variants like the gold and i think silver lines, both not as good as the ones that come on it from factory imo. You can tell the real ones because they are a almost double the price per side as the gold option.

There's always better, and there's always worse. 

[DenaliSS]

On 3/23/2025 at 10:18 AM, Transient said:

Distance = time.  Allowing just a little bit more room from the car in front of you allows you to have more reaction time.  I've driven all over this country.  This is universally applicable.  The majority of accidents aren't due to brakes failing to perform.  Stopping too quickly can get you hit in the rear because the driver behind you was following too closely. 

Generally good advice and part of an overall defensive driving strategy, in which I know all to well, having a commercial drivers license (CDL) in a tourist state.  At times it feels all the nation's bad drivers schedule and convene to enjoy vacation time.  You'd think drivers could adhere with that one piece of advice you've given, but surprisingly there's fender benders on a regular basis in active school zones.

 

[Transient]

On 3/30/2025 at 11:22 AM, DenaliSS said:

Generally good advice and part of an overall defensive driving strategy, in which I know all to well, having a commercial drivers license (CDL) in a tourist state.  At times it feels all the nation's bad drivers schedule and convene to enjoy vacation time.  You'd think drivers could adhere with that one piece of advice you've given, but surprisingly there's fender benders on a regular basis in active school zones.

 

I grew up in Salt Lake City, UT; lived in Virginia Beach, VA; Chicago, IL; Philadelphia, PA; San Diego, CA; and Pensacola, FL.  It does seem tourist season brings out more idiots than usual.  Like you, I also have a CDL.  Getting a CDL was very educational for me.  It made me a better drive in my personal vehicle. 

[jawsmon]

What do you think about the idea of using the cheapest pad you can buy? The thought is they will wear out faster but not damage the rotors. This would save getting the rotors turned every tine you replace the pads. Replace the pads at about 50% wear. You may have to do the pad replacement a little more often but you'll save $$$ in the long run. I got this info from a fleet service tech that works on daily home delivery trucks that make tons of stops each and every day.