2010 Silverado front brake work

[Snagglefoot]

My son and I just did the brakes on his 2010 Silverado and here are a few comments on the stuff they don't mention in the You Tube videos. ( I'm talking to you 1-A Autoparts, )

Firstly, most off us don't own a hoist. We decided to use a floor jack and stands under the jack points below the frame beneath the front door area. We placed a second set of stands under the front cross member for 100% redundancy. The truck was purchased about four years ago from a utility company. We live in an area with rust. The first photo shows the rusty condition including that little rusty screw with the Torx 30 head, holding the disc to the hub. If you're lucky and the brakes might have been done by a mechanic who threw the screw in the garbage, great. If not, it's there.....waiting for you.

We sprayed the screw with penetrant with no success, then heated it up with a propane torch ( no acetylene torch handy), then we simply drilled out the head of the screw with 3/8 inch drill bit. We had to knock the disc with rubber hammer to loosen it up. The brake pads were toast. We replaced the rotors and pads with OE Plus equipment from Canadian Tire. Everything fit perfectly. The two pads on each wheel are not identical so look them over. All went well and we were driving it about fours after we started. Enjoy.

 

[Rand]

those threaded holes on the rotor are for use with bolts to jack the rotor off when its stuck.

Works everytime.. UNLESS its the rears and the parking brake is set... :| ask me how I know.(oops)

IIRC its 8mm and I usually use allen head bolts

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbil...ed-Hex-Screw-2-per-Pack-803428/204281935

I had some rotors so rusted on the 3lb hammer wasnt working.. the 8mm bolts is easy mode. I usually try to throw some lube on them if handy.

 

[Ram02]

Hopefully that brake pad and rotor set last 80k

 

[Snagglefoot]

By the way, the difference in the thickness between the new pads and old was enough on the dual calliper system that when we pushed the calliper pistons back in, we had to turkey bast some fluid from the master cylinder before it overflowed.

 

[eljefino]

I guess it was time!

 

[WyrTwister]

I used to drive a 2008 Silverado company truck . In a non-rust belt / non-salt belt state . ( Thank God ! )

I personally did the front brakes at ~ 100,000 miles . You could barely detect a wear ridge at the outer edge of the rotor . Otherwise , they looked 95% new . The pads had at least another 30,000 miles left on them . I was shocked !

I drove that truck , since brand new . So , I know it had never had any previous brake work done . But I am an old man and drive like it .

Best of luck ,

 

[Snagglefoot]

After we drilled the tapered head of the Torx 30 screw, we knocked the disc off and the remaining section of the screw was protruding from the flange. We used vice grips to unscrew it. Here is a photo of it after it's removal. (Shown in the reverse direction).

 

[ls973800]

Although as mentioned that screw hole can be used with the proper bolts to remove the rotor, that is not the true function of them. They are there to hold the rotor on while the vehicle is moving down the assembly line while it is being built. Until the wheels and tires are put on with the lug nuts, there is a real chance of the rotor coming off.

Interestingly I have been reading up on these screws because my previous cars didn't have any from the factory. The Honda Pilot I have does have them. They look like a Phillips head screw but I have found out they are actually a JIS screw head. Japanese Industrial Screw (JIS) #3. Supposedly a Phillips may work sometimes but you are better off using the JIS bit. That is what the screw head was designed for and a much better fit than a phillips bit. supposedly a JIS bit will work well on a phillips screw head, but a phillips will not work well on a JIS screw head.

I purchased a kit with #1, #2, and #3 bits along with a few others from Amazon for this job when I have to do it, and just to have some on hand. This kit was $14.50 a few weeks ago when I purchased it.

JIS Screw bits

 

[oldhp]

You shouldn't force brake fluid back up into the master cylinder or the ABS system. Always crack open the bleeder screw. Most likely (hopefully) nothing will be harmed, but you still shouldn't do it. How did the brake hoses look?

 

[stanlee]

I guarantee your in the one percentile if not 0.1% percentile who cracks a bleeder valve open to compress calipers. If this was harmful I've personally potentially damaged about 30 cars/trucks. Thankfully not a SINGLE one ever malfunctioned.

 

[KneeGrinder]

Now its 0.2% who cracks a bleeder valve open to compress calipers. With a looped clear hose and a plastic bottle you don't even need to "Re bleed" the brakes, you bleed them as you compress the caliper.

I know mechanics that do it one way or the other, I won't be the one that goes off on why some push fluid back into the master, its the same guys that use vise grips on brake hoses.

As for the #3 Philips, a Snap on # 3 with an 11mm wrench works great except for the nasty rusted ones. For those it normally just takes 1 hit with a chisel to make an indent, then angle the chisel lefty/lucy and smack it, it will turn.

Lightly Antisleaze the rotor to hub, and the hub to the wheel in the rust belt.

 

[krismoriah72]

Good job! and hopefully your son learned how to do his own brakes in the process.

Those OEM Delco pads last forever.. but the price has always kept me buying aftermarkets.



PS. Those Shocks look like they are OEM as well. From a safety standpoint, good brakes, good tires and good shocks is a great recipe.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Thanks everyone. And yes, the brake hoses were in great shape.

 

[Lou_Boyle]

On the 3 or 4 GM truck brake jobs I have done for family, I have never been able to get that keeper phillips screw to come loose even though we don't use a lot of road salt around here. I noticed it is a very soft steel, almost like they anticipated you would be drilling it out one day.

 

[benjy]

nice work + great pics for the rest of us, better than reading instructions for sure. lots of good you tubes on many general repairs that can save $$$$

 

[Jetronic]

Originally Posted by stanlee
I guarantee your in the one percentile if not 0.1% percentile who cracks a bleeder valve open to compress calipers. If this was harmful I've personally potentially damaged about 30 cars/trucks. Thankfully not a SINGLE one ever malfunctioned.


It's a good idea if the brake fluid inside the piston is suspect. If the fluid has been changed every few years the risk of damage is low. But I have seen systems get damaged... usually because of rust inside brake lines

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted by ls973800
Although as mentioned that screw hole can be used with the proper bolts to remove the rotor, that is not the true function of them. They are there to hold the rotor on while the vehicle is moving down the assembly line while it is being built. Until the wheels and tires are put on with the lug nuts, there is a real chance of the rotor coming off.

Interestingly I have been reading up on these screws because my previous cars didn't have any from the factory. The Honda Pilot I have does have them. They look like a Phillips head screw but I have found out they are actually a JIS screw head. Japanese Industrial Screw (JIS) #3. Supposedly a Phillips may work sometimes but you are better off using the JIS bit. That is what the screw head was designed for and a much better fit than a phillips bit. supposedly a JIS bit will work well on a phillips screw head, but a phillips will not work well on a JIS screw head.

I purchased a kit with #1, #2, and #3 bits along with a few others from Amazon for this job when I have to do it, and just to have some on hand. This kit was $14.50 a few weeks ago when I purchased it.

JIS Screw bits


Why a JIS in an American made truck?

 

[Donald]

Some PB Blaster and a hammer impact are what's needed to get those screws out holding on the rotor to hub.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Never had a problem with the Honda rotor screws. That's what impact drivers are for.
Install with a little anti-seize and snug 'em up. All good.

Of course us in CA don't know too much about rust...

 

[FastLane]

My 2010's factory rotors didn't last long. Rusted bad. The bad side of the rotors were so pitted. The rotors took out the brake pads.

The replacement rotors have been great. Still look good with twice the mileage of the factory rotors.