Express van Yukon brake swap?

Someone once told me that bigger Yukon front brakes are a swap-in for my Express van.  Makes sense, so I figured I would google it to see what years/parts/etc I needed.

Nothing.

Anyone know anything about it?

Huh, 

not aware but interested. 
I need brakes on my 2500 express and while they are adequate now it would be nice if they were awesome. 

It made sense to me because most of the late model trucks have 18-22" wheels but the Express had 16".  I figured it would be a well-documented swap but I can't find a thing.

Brakes from what year Yukon?

I assumed all 2000-2008 or so GM 1/2 vehicles had the same brake part numbers so I don't get why a Yukon would stand out alone as an upgrade. I bet you'd need 17" wheels though. 

A yukon 1500 has 305mm front brakes

A yukon 2500 has 325mm front brakes

I don't know exactly what van you have to know what size the brakes are.

I think I remember this van being AWD so it would be 1500 with 6 lug wheels, I think.

Possible?  Depends on the wheel bearing setup you have.

mechanicalmeanderings said:

I think I remember this van being AWD so it would be 1500 with 6 lug wheels, I think.

In that case, he's got the same size brakes, 305mm, as a yukon 1500.

Gmt800 to 900 brake swap you have to use a 17" wheel.

Yes, mine is AWD 1500.  A 2006 to be exact.

Yukon/Tahoe/Escalade... I think someone just picked one of the names instead of using them all, but I'm sure it's not a Yukon-specific thing.

I had to look back.  The longer story is that I posted a picture of the van on my FB when I bought it.  Some random person (not on my friends list) who has the same van left a few comments about how I could get a 1-ton van radiator, and other suggested upgrades which I appreciated.  Many of his comments indicated that he was very GRM-like.  He didn't just say "you can get a 1-ton radiator," he said things like "the 1-ton radiator will fit if you trim this part of the shroud, and use the 1-ton trans cooler from 99-up, so it sounded like he knew what he was talking about.  His final comment was:

 I’m also putting the larger Tahoe brakes on my passenger van this summer.

 I didn't give it much thought.  I figured it would be something all over the internet.  It ain't.  I sent him a message but it's probably stuck in the message requests folder since we're not friends.

yupididit said:

Brakes from what year Yukon?

 

I assumed all 2000-2008 or so GM 1/2 vehicles had the same brake part numbers so I don't get why a Yukon would stand out alone as an upgrade. I bet you'd need 17" wheels though. 

Just swapped 20"s  I have room for lots of brake

Edit: (Just swapped 20"s.  I have additional need for lots of brake)

Ranger50 said:

Gmt800 to 900 brake swap you have to use a 17" wheel.

GMT800 front brakes have a separate caliper mounting bracket, and the swap includes using the GMT900 brackets.  It looks like the GMT610 van does not have a separate bracket, so you'd have to deal with that?

The guy wrote back!

Here's the deal.... he says it's not about the model, it's the year.  He just mentioned Tahoe because it was easy.

Anyway, the trucks/vans went to a 330mm rotor in 2010.  So I need calipers/pads/rotors from a 2010 truck/van/whatever.  He said he'd get back to me with specifics.

I feel like I just took a monster dump.  That's been on my mind for over a year.

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

Kind of like how I had been stressing over the fuel tank situation for the Mini and later discovered that the Subaru tank would fall right in.

Or stressing over gauges for the Mini because it looked like the Subaru fuel sender/temp/tach/etc got the gauge info from CAN and a different, Subaru wiring diagram showed that all that went direct to the cluster, not the ECM...

So it looks like there is not an upgrade if you have the stock 16 inch rims ......

are there bigger / better stock calipers that bolt on if that would help ?

thanks

In reply to californiamilleghia :

The best thing IMO would involve calipers for which commercial grade pads are available.  They kick ass on a truck that gets used.

californiamilleghia said:

So it looks like there is not an upgrade if you have the stock 16 inch rims ......

are there bigger / better stock calipers that bolt on if that would help ?

thanks

From what I understand, that's correct.  Factory GM 17" wheels will clear the calipers on the 330mm rotors I'm told.

Edit:  Also possible that parts-bin research might turn up a 2500-style 325mm rotor with 6-lug holes which should fit behind 16s.  Well, at least I know there were plenty of 2500 trucks and vans with 16" wheels and Rock Auto suggests that the 2500s came with 325mm.  Whether or not there was ever an application in 6 lug is a mystery.  Maybe something luxo like an Escalade?

As far as I know, all the later trucks and vans (AWD and 4wd anyway) had floating rotors, as in the rotors were not a hub/bearing setup.  I wouldn't hesitate to redrill 8-lug rotors since they don't have to hold press-in studs.

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

Sounds about right, cars with 330mm Brembo brakes have a 17" minimum wheel.

Just ordered parts.  Two new calipers (the not cheap part), two rotors that come highly recommended (also not the cheap part) and HD ceramic pads (cheap part).  Still, $400 for all new and improved front brakes compared to about $275 if I just did a stock re-do isn't bad.  Seeing as how the fronts are pulsing pretty badly anyway, it's time.

Still need to get new hoses (because why not).  Recommendations on braided stainless brands?

Though it's too late to jump on pad recommendations, Wagner severe duty pads are actually really solid for heavy loads and towing. Airflow, fluid and cooling help as well. With regards to stainless lines pretty much any of the usual suspects get a thumbs up, there's three or four companies out there now that pretty much specialize in only doing stainless lines all of them do a solid job. If there's a colliflower nearby, they make some nice ones as well. 

Captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:

Though it's too late to jump on pad recommendations, Wagner severe duty pads are actually really solid for heavy loads and towing."........

They are not very expensive , $40 or so on Amazon

I sure will try them next time ......they are called Wagner SD brake pads

For lines I just look for actual DOT rating as many don't have it.  I have had as good of luck with offbrand as name brand.

Meh... nevermind.  Extensive searching didn't come up with any braided hoses for an Express.

Edit:  I did find a colliflower near me, but it doesn't specifically say they do brake hoses.

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

They will, but I'd call to make sure that one does stainless brake lines as some will just do rubber ones. 

Are your new calipers a bigger bore than the old?  Are you going to need to upgrade your master cylinder?