Was looking around for something fun to do with my 07 Escalade and thought I'd see if anyone has experience upgrading their stock brakes? The OEM system with the 22"s really seems to be about maxed out and I thought it would be a good idea to check things out and get some feedback. I've upgraded rotors before on a previous rig to cryo treated drilled/slotted and they worked great but didn't really provide a different/better feel. Used Hawk ceramic pads as replacements before while doing the above and seemed like a great combo. I've seen big brake kits for upwards of $3k and I'm not sure I need anything that severe. Thoughts? Currently boatless but when/if the replacement fiberglass bucket comes, I'd like to be ready. I think the 07 trailer max is around 7,500 pounds (just for reference).

How about stainless brake lines instead of stock rubber?

Thoughts?

Are you on an Escalade forum? Chevrolet truck forum? I would go with a drill slot rotor and 3 or 4 piston caliper system and the Hawk pads. That should haul you down pretty quick. Oh yes the stainless lines too.

As to price, how can you put a price on the lives of your loved ones(and your rig).

I did the big brakes on the F350 and it did make a difference ( not as much as i thought) but also had to go to 20" wheels for them to fit.

my boat was around the 10k mark

Upgrade the pads and brake fluid and try that before you do anything else. Stainless lines don't hurt either.

If that still isn't enough then you should look at something like the Brembo big brake kit but we're talking $6k there.

Dave1972 stainless braided lines will help. In reality though your trailer should be stopping your truck, check to see if the brakes on your trailer have enough stopping power.

freshwaterfiend--that's my thoughts exactly actually. Was thinking maybe I'd upgrade to stainless lines, get a fluid flush, and perhaps even spend a few hundred on some new drilled/slotted rotors and see what the difference is to start. I've used Hawk pads before and they are great!

Anyone seen the caliper relocation kits that just uses more surface area of the stock rotors?

Have seen the Brembo kits...not sure I'm willing to put that kind of money into the system for the "fun" of it...after all it is a 6,000 pound SUV and not a sports car!

Catmando--yes, lurked around on Escalade forums and didn't find much other than the big $$ big brake kits. Will have to look at fullsizeforums for other recommendations I guess.

I had a Lightning with 13" rotors and 6 piston AP's. It was definitely money well spent. They felt much better than the stockers day to day and pulling down from 80mph was actually fun. They looked sweet stuffing the stock wheels.

Stick with "road adapted" calipers that have dust seals to maximize life and prevent leaks/failures due to contamination. Race type calipers without seals are expected to be rebuilt often.

bustedbrick,

what brand were the brakes you had on your truck? Didn't know that the calipers had different "life" based on use. Not wanting to rebuild at all as this is a daily driver.

freshwaterfiend--that's my thoughts exactly actually. Was thinking maybe I'd upgrade to stainless lines, get a fluid flush, and perhaps even spend a few hundred on some new drilled/slotted rotors and see what the difference is to start. I've used Hawk pads before and they are great!


I think that's the right direction to go in. Also ask bustedbrick who makes those 6 piston calipers, sounds like they would haul your rig down in a heartbeat.

AP Racing was the manufacturer of the calipers. Stillen combined the AP rotors with the other bits to put the kit together.

I have a problem with drilled rotors. Brake rotor temp is a function of heat input, heat rejection, AND the thermal mass of the rotors. If you put a certain amount of energy into a rotor (for example, a 6000# truck at 60MPH is a given, specific amount of kinetic energy) it will heat up a given amount. If you drill and remove material, it will get hotter because there is less thermal mass to absorb the energy. Now, the marketing of these rotors is that they "cool" better. But the original purpose of drilling rotors was to allow very hot racing pads to off-gas during a race, preventing a hot gas layer from inhibiting contact between pad and rotor. Again, you need to inspect drilled rotors more frequently for stress cracks around the holes, they are harder on pads, etc. etc.

All OE calipers have a dust seal around each piston keeping dust out of the piston/body interface. Some racing calipers do not (because they can often burn off in racing applications) and just have o-rings. People running them on the street, but I wouldn't.

The Lightning rocked. I traded it for a WRX, what a let down.