Brake upgrade question

[02blackenvoy]

I know about doing the front brake upgrade, and plan to do it as soon as I can locate a ext in the junkyard. However, I was wondering something else, and I didn't see it asked before.

I remember hearing that GM changed the master cylinder and the booster after I think it was 06. Has anyone here tried using that setup on the 02-05? My buddies SS has a way better feel to the brakes than mine does. We both run 20" wheels, and mine, well, sometimes I pray I don't have to stop fast.

Thanks!

 

[Wooluf1952]

The SS has the bigger rotors and, IIRC, calipers.

 

[littleblazer]

Worn calipers, fluid and hoses are the main cause for the soft pedal. The ss uses steal calipers vs our aluminum ones iirc... less flex. Or I could be remembering wrong. But the envoy has a firm pedal with its lines, I assume they were replaced once. My tb has original lines and a mushy pedal. It stops the same but it's a lot easier to put to the floor in the tb.

As for the booster, I can't comment if it changed. I know the abs did so I guess it's possible.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

The calipers are not bigger, just different material.

 

[Mooseman]

Yep, my '06 9-7x has steel calipers and are way more firm. My '02 EXT, with the same larger brakes but aluminum calipers, are mushy. I thought it was a tired master cylinder, air in the lines or old fluid, nope. Just mushy.

 

[Wooluf1952]

I was't sure what the caliper difference was. I thought they had more pistons.
Are the SS calipers direct replacement?

 

[Tiggerr]

I was't sure what the caliper difference was. I thought they had more pistons.
Are the SS calipers direct replacement?

It's my understanding that the only difference in the SS brakes is the bracket. It's thicker/thinner whichever. This due to the caliper being cast iron as opposed to aluminum. Have seen someone post before that the cast caliper won't fit the bracket for the aluminum caliper.

One worry I have about this swap, would be them not accepting the aluminum calipers as cores for the cast ones. You can get the regular V8 aluminum caliper setup though. Idk if anyone has had a problem getting stuck on the core charge doing the SS calipers. I think if you went with stainless hoses, and the aluminum V8 calipers it would still be a noticeable improvement...IMHO

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

I was't sure what the caliper difference was. I thought they had more pistons.
Are the SS calipers direct replacement?

Should be but why would you want to? You can do the upgrade with your stock calipers and never bleed the brakes.

 

[Tiggerr]

V8 caliper brackets is what I should have said above. Caliper is the same for V8/LWB and I6.

 

[Wooluf1952]

I was thinking more about SS calipers when/if calipers needed to be replaced.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

I was thinking more about SS calipers when/if calipers needed to be replaced.

Still....Why? The only difference is material.

 

[Mooseman]

Steel is stiffer than aluminum, giving a more solid feel.