1995 Brake Upgrade Options

[slatega]

Has anyone replaced the OEM brakes, caliper, etc. with an upgraded unit to improve braking performance on a 1995 Tahoe? I think the original brakes on a 95 were undersized to begin with and I'm towing a heavy boat so the brakes leave a lot to be desired. I've got a sticky caliper now so I'm looking at doing some work on the system anyway so am wondering if an upgrade is possible and/or worth the money.

 

[Scany]

I just lubed my caliper pins and put Hawk pads on with new rotors. Looking to relace the fluid and I think that should do it for me.

 

[qlc1964]

i put some ceramic pads on front and i want to get the rotors with the holes&grooves

in them.

 

[95TwinTT]

There are lots of options for upgrading brakes. I chose to do the hydraulic assist in place of the vacuum boost. It has a lot more mechanical advantage and does the same thing as going to bigger rotors and calipers.

Just depends on how much money you want to spend. I would be careful of "high performance" brakes. I put a set of high end ceramic brakes on my Camaro and almost drove through the front wall of my garage, because they don't do much until they are blazing hot. So the only time they were useful was at the race track and then it took a few laps to get them in the mood to stop the car.

Logic points to either larger rotors or a way to squeeze the existing calipers harder. You could also try some softer brake pads. That's what I did with the Camaro. It now stops on a dime, but the brake pads make a lot of dust. Seems like a ok trade off. Garage walls can be expensive to replace.

 

[96ProCompTahoe]

Garage walls can be expensive to replace.

especially on top of rebuilding the Camaro. :yesnod:

 

[Scany]

Would be interesting to hear about stainless steel brake lines upgrade to firm up the pedal. Assuming we got rubber brakelines

 

[GPChief]

I am planning to do a Braided steel brake line upgrade & some EBC Green Stuff brake pads, once my rotors wear out then I'll go to some slotted rotors also.

Am going to research the possibilities of bigger rotors with either improved calipers (possibly from a K2500) or just a caliper relocation bracket.

Also I read somewhere where there is a improved cylinder for the rears.

Granted our trucks are heavy but with my experience with my cars EBC pads & Braded lines did good for one car and I upgraded the rotors (12 inch from 11 inch) & dual piston calipers on my 1997 Grand Prix and it stops before the dime now.

HTH

 

[NOFORDS]

Am going to research the possibilities of bigger rotors with either improved calipers (possibly from a K2500) or just a caliper relocation bracket.

Also I read somewhere where there is a improved cylinder for the rears.

Granted our trucks are heavy but with my experience with my cars EBC pads & Braded lines did good for one car and I upgraded the rotors (12 inch from 11 inch) & dual piston calipers on my 1997 Grand Prix and it stops before the dime now.

This would be good as I'm thinking of enlarging my wheels and tires when i do my 6" lift and a better/larger brake system would be a nice add-on!

On your GP...did you do the fbody brakes or the C5 ones? I used the C5 calipers/rotors and it was a huge difference.

I'm looking for a similar solution for the yukon!

 

[Biggwaukegan]

funny this should come up. Seems everyone with a latemodel tahoe has brake concerns.

Heres how im gonna battle this beast. 1st...Im changing the rotors and pads. Pick whatever ones you want but get something good. Next Im putting in a new abs modele...yikes, its not cheap:mad2: Finally, and probaly most important, Im getting new gstop brake lines and adjusting the rear shoes. The brake lines from chevy flat out suck ass. Get some 100 lines from gstop and you will be sending me a christmas card:thumbsup:



ABS modeles on these are known to go bad. will give you a feeling when going slow that your brakes are locking up or pulseatting

 

[cichlid_baby]

funny this should come up. Seems everyone with a latemodel tahoe has brake concerns.

Heres how im gonna battle this beast. 1st...Im changing the rotors and pads. Pick whatever ones you want but get something good. Next Im putting in a new abs modele...yikes, its not cheap:mad2: Finally, and probaly most important, Im getting new gstop brake lines and adjusting the rear shoes. The brake lines from chevy flat out suck ass. Get some 100 lines from gstop and you will be sending me a christmas card:thumbsup:



ABS modeles on these are known to go bad. will give you a feeling when going slow that your brakes are locking up or pulseatting

I have a 97 tahoe that I am also considering doing some upgraded brake work to handle the extra load of towing a boat. Here's what I found posted about the issue on g-stop lines.

I'd like to hear more from people who have already done this type of mod and what they feel about the results.







http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/brakes.jsp?make=Goodridge&model=G-Stop+Brakeline+Kit

Most Recent Reviews Read all reviews | Write a review

1999 Chevrolet Tahoe 4wd
Vehicle Miles: 80,000 All Brake Products on Vehicle
Location: FOLSOM, PA Pads: Akebono ProACT Ceramic Pads
Driving Style: Spirited Lines: Goodridge G-Stop Brakeline Kit
Miles of product use: 2,500 Calipers: Stock
Satisfaction Rating: 8 Rotors: ATE PremiumOne Slotted Rotor



"I purchased the Akebono Ceramic Pads, ATE Slotted Rotors, and Goodridge G-Stop Brakelines as a package to improve my stopping power. Originally I was looking at upgrading to a big brake kit but the cost was a turnoff so I tried these products as an alternative. The results fell short of my expectations. The brakelines look and fit great but the improvement in pedal feel is almost unnoticeable unless you are really in tune with your vehicle. The ceramic pads have equal stopping power and are just as quiet as the stock AC Delco pads in my opinion however the dusting on the ceramics is a huge improvement which you will appreciate unless you like cleaning wheels. The shining star of this pkg. is definitely the ATE Slotted Rotors. The fit and finish is fantastic and brake fade has been reduced big time. Overall these parts complement each other very well and do offer a slight improvement to satisfy the average driver but for those looking for a serious upgrade to your stopping performance my suggestion is to save your money and get a Big Brake Kit."

-- Review submitted 2008-07-04