Just wanted to update after I've had a little more time driving on everything. This setup is awesome. Way more stopping power than the 'burb has ever had before. As an added bonus it drives so much nicer with some stiffer sidewall tires. I did notice today (first time driving around with all the windows down since the new parts were put on) that the slotted rotors do make a little bit of noise, it's a slight crackling sound that varies with wheel speed. It's not loud enough that you'd notice it unless you knew in advance, though.
Overall I'm extremely happy with the results and would recommend these parts to anyone looking to upgrade.
Now that I've waded through the entire thread.......
That's good info df2x4.
Couple things, the take away from the video on brake pad testing suggests that the OE pads were pretty good too. Over time I've found a lot of the OE parts on these trucks are the better bet, albeit more expensive up front.
Case in point, a buddy with a 99 K1500 Suburban left his list of ACDelco brake parts he was comparing and his wife thought she would buy him front and rears for his birthday. She went to the
dealer without his knowledge and of course paid an exorbitant price for all new fronts and rears--pads, severe duty rotors, new calipers, drums, shoes, and hardware. I drove it and that 'burb stops better than any other brake components I've tried on either of my K1500 pickups.
The part numbers on RockAuto for the rotors (18A258SD ) and the pads (171599) are the same for my 96 and 97 trucks. The rotors have the "squiggly" slots in them. I have stayed away from slotted and/or drilled rotors because of the alleged strength issues, but may try these.