3/4 ton suburban brake question

steve remchak · **Posted:** Fri Aug 13, 2010 8:09 pm

why would this vehicle use more rear pad than front pad? 65K miles, solely a tow vehicle for the last 20K miles.

i pulled the wheels today as the damn thing doesn't stop very well in my opinion. i believe the trailer was doing a large portion of the brake work.

i found the fronts are at least 55% left but the rears are at 30% at best. both original.

i'm thinking traction control is chewing the rear pads. thoughts?

plus i'm fairly sure she has glazed the fronts. towing thru the mountains.

Sean O'Connell · **Posted:** Fri Aug 13, 2010 8:45 pm

what year is it, does it have 4 wheel discs or are the rears drums?

Jason Tower · **Joined:** Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:31 pm **Posts:** 1173

my excursion uses rear pads faster than fronts too

steve remchak · **Posted:** Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:59 pm

Sean O'Connell wrote:

what year is it, does it have 4 wheel discs or are the rears drums?

2005, 4 wheel disc.

with the new cheap front pads it will stand on its nose... briefly.

i would have changed the rear pads this evening except some shit-for-brains design engineer felt this truck needed a Torx screw head as a guide pin on the rear calipers. plus i can't get the f**********g caliper brackets loose so as to turn / change any of the rotors.

pisss me the Fu*********** off.

Sean O'Connell · **Posted:** Fri Aug 13, 2010 10:44 pm

Steve you dont own torx sockts? you drive a BMW!

Cline take notes, caliper mounting bracket bolts should not back out easily. there is probably just some locktite on there.

i really dont have much experience with those trucks other than the front rotors seem to warp at nothing.

Dustin Fredrickson · **Posted:** Sat Aug 14, 2010 8:12 am

AFAIK, my 120k mile Silverado (2001), with 4 wheel discs, is on original front pads. I've replaced the rear pads once. My father-in-law saw the same thing with his Silverado. Wearing rear pads quicker is normal, it seems.

WalterHouston · **Posted:** Sat Aug 14, 2010 8:27 am

Sean O'Connell wrote:

Steve you dont own torx sockts? you drive a BMW!

Cline take notes, caliper mounting bracket bolts should not back out easily. there is probably just some locktite on there.

That's just mean, but I'm not the one who left the track at CMP and slid 100 yards making a 540 degree spin either.

WalterHouston · **Posted:** Sat Aug 14, 2010 8:28 am

Can you guys believe my Silverado had drum brakes on the back?

steve remchak · **Posted:** Sat Aug 14, 2010 8:48 am

WalterHouston wrote:

Can you guys believe my Silverado had drum brakes on the back?

my Silverado W/T has rear drums.

the problem with the Torx head is it is too shallow to get the bit to bite well enough to get any leverage.

next week it goes to ...................... WWDDD

Bernie Baake · **Posted:** Sat Aug 14, 2010 4:46 pm

Steve the rear brakes will wear more on a tow vehicle. The trailer shifts wieght forward and increases the tongue weight and holds the tow vehicles rear suspension loaded. This effectively lessens the amount of work on the front and increases rear work load.

RichardNuss · **Posted:** Sat Aug 14, 2010 7:09 pm

Bernie Baake wrote:

Steve the rear brakes will wear more on a tow vehicle. The trailer shifts wieght forward and increases the tongue weight and holds the tow vehicles rear suspension loaded. This effectively lessens the amount of work on the front and increases rear work load.

Oh yeah - Steve do you have one of those brake bias levers that attaches to the rear axle, changing the bias based on the height of the rear suspension?

Jason Tower · **Joined:** Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:31 pm **Posts:** 1173

steve remchak wrote:

next week it goes to ...................... WWDDD

what would donnie darko do? david duke? doris day?

steve remchak · **Posted:** Sat Aug 14, 2010 8:16 pm

Jason Tower wrote:

steve remchak wrote:

next week it goes to ...................... WWDDD

what would donnie darko do? david duke? doris day?

why, Doris Day would sing Que Sera, Sera; Jason

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZbKHDPPrrc

steve remchak · **Posted:** Sat Aug 14, 2010 8:18 pm

RichardNuss wrote:

Bernie Baake wrote:

Steve the rear brakes will wear more on a tow vehicle. The trailer shifts wieght forward and increases the tongue weight and holds the tow vehicles rear suspension loaded. This effectively lessens the amount of work on the front and increases rear work load.

Oh yeah - Steve do you have one of those brake bias levers that attaches to the rear axle, changing the bias based on the height of the rear suspension?

seriously Richard? you have a brake bias adjustment on your tow vehicles. damn, ya just cain't f*** with money.

RichardNuss · **Posted:** Sat Aug 14, 2010 8:35 pm

steve remchak wrote:

RichardNuss wrote:

Bernie Baake wrote:

Steve the rear brakes will wear more on a tow vehicle. The trailer shifts wieght forward and increases the tongue weight and holds the tow vehicles rear suspension loaded. This effectively lessens the amount of work on the front and increases rear work load.

Oh yeah - Steve do you have one of those brake bias levers that attaches to the rear axle, changing the bias based on the height of the rear suspension?

seriously Richard? you have a brake bias adjustment on your tow vehicles. damn, ya just cain't f*** with money.

I don't!

Some vehicles came with this type of setup from the factory. I was wondering if you had that on yours, and if so, if it could be the cause. Not driver-adjustable. Just a lever that moves based on your rear suspension height, tied to some kind of proportioning valve that changes the pressure to the rear brakes. I tried to find a picture of it online, but didn't find one. People referred to it as a rear brake "bypass valve" or "pressure valve". *edit - Finally found the name - "load sensing proportioning valve". You can Google that.*

If you look for it under your truck, I'm sure you'll see it if you have one. Trace your rear brakeline and see if it runs through a valve like that near the rear axle.

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3/4 ton suburban brake question

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