2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission front brake upgrades

[BTighe]

my 97 needs completely new brakes up front. ive considered going with slotted and or drilled rotors but im concerned about the strenth. also wondering if theres an upgraded caliper i could put on. im not trying to spend a bunch of money on this but if another 1-2 hundred dollars will serve me better, i might be willing. im also considering an exhaust brake down the road. what options do i have for aftermarket brakes and who should i avoid? thanks

ben

 

[San Felipe Bob]

Diy?

Are you "doing " your own brakes?



EGR sells blueprinted calipers.

Are they worth it?

Probably..... If you can afford them go for it. They are very high quality.

Well I got some "rebuilt" units from I think Raybestos... .

I had to return 1 caliper. It looked like it spent half of it's life 50 fathoms under the sea.....

Be very carefull about the quality of "rebuilt".

I'm still running the Raybestos units and they seem to be performing just fine.

I have the slotted and drilled rotors.

They are cracked/fractured at the holes.

They are still in good usable condition with no runout.

My next set will be just slotted without holes.

Our #1 enemy of our front brakes is heat... .

Usually caused by sticking / dragging brakes.

Keep those caliper pins well lubed and your brakes will thank you with good life.

Check out my post about getting 41k miles with an auto trans and NO exhaust brake... .

Oh yeah I have tried both the 1 ton Dodge wheel cylinders and the 1 ton Chevy's.

I prefer the Dodge 1 ton over the Chevy .

The Chevy's were just a bit too strong and would cause the 4 wheel ABS to activate too often at slow speeds. (Made it feel like it wasn't stopping well)

SFB

Also check out my readers rig gallery of photos and tips...

 

[Glen Pratt]

I put EBC slotted/dimpled(not drilled)rotors and new calipers on my truck and at the same time updated to chevy one ton rear brake cylinders. I also replaced the front brake hoses at the same time. Made a huge difference in braking. -Glen

 

[BTighe]

well i went with wagner thermoquiet loaded calipers. looked good as far as clean and finish. ended up with some cheap standard rotors. had axle ujoints and some other things to replace so $$ was an issue. my uncle is going to do the work for me so i let you guys know how they work when i get the rig back. i hope to add an exhaust brake in the future but ive been saying that for 3 years and 3 different trucks. thanks