Wow, Big Brakes

[TurboDiverArt]

I finally got the chance to check out my rear brakes on the truck. I was rotating the tires and looked at the rear drums. A buddy of mine had said some of the drums just slide off. Sure enough, the drums slid off without having to take half the axles apart. I measured the shoes and I

[MikeC]

Art,

The K2500 Diesels get the brakes you are seeing. My Suburban has them also.

You obviously know what shoes you need which is good, some parts stores will ask which shoes you need because they don't see (at least in my area) that many 6.5's.

Mike

[Andy Chesek]

K2500 pickups with 8600 GVWR have 13"x2.5" rear drums. These don't just slide off (I wish...), you have to pull the axle shaft and make it a messy job.

K2500 Suburbans (diesel anyway) and K3500 trucks have 13"x3.5" rear drums. These can slide off without removing the axle shaft. May take a little persuasion the first time though... heat and a hammer.

[TurboDiverArt]

Originally posted by 93_Burrito:
K2500 Suburbans (diesel anyway) and K3500 trucks have 13"x3.5" rear drums. These can slide off without removing the axle shaft. May take a little persuasion the first time though... heat and a hammer. I was told by the previous owner that the brakes had been serviced about 50K miles ago. I guess he must have been correct as they slid right off. I replaced the front pads about 5K ago, not that they were worn but I wanted to have better stopping brakes. I was planning to service the rears in the near future but they seem fine.

Thanks for the info!
Art.

[HammerWerf]

Turbo,

I agree with MikeC about knowing the size of your brakes. Friend has a 95 suburban, 454 and factory tow package. They have the 3.5" rear brakes. Had a shop do the rears, and after a year noticed the brakes acted funny. Pulled a drum to find the 2.5" brake shoes installed, and a definite wear grove in the drum. Argued with the shop, got somewhere. He went to the dealer from which the shop bought the parts, asked for rear brakes shoes, and was told that the 2.5" was all that showed. He pressed them to look further, then they found the entry for 3.5" shoes. He trailers like most of us, and was not happy about not having all the brakes available.

HammerWerf

[gmenor]

I have a 1500 and it also has 3.5" brake drums. I do my own brakes on all the vehicles I have own. Most drums are only held on by the lug nuts. The problem I had here in Fayetteville is finding a shop to turn the 13" drums. I plan on doing my brakes again this summer due to the warped front rotors. I have gone through two sets of front rotors due to warping and might as well spent the $450 plus for high performance rotors.

[TurboDiverArt]

Just to sumarize. I took some pictures of my brakes this weekend. I put a few pictures up in my Yahoo Photo album. From above, the Suburban's came with the 1-Ton full floater rear like the 3500 P/U's, probably because of the added weight of the Suburban. Someone from another board with a 1997 confirmed they also have slide off drums so it would appear that at least 1997-1999 2500 Suburban