Difference in Early Year GMT400 Brake Rotor Heights

[Schurkey]

The OP has a 2wd.

Oooops.

Sometimes it's easy to forget the other "wheel drive" exists

Guilty as charged.

My K1500 is a 1990. Other than rotors, calipers and pads what parts do I need?

The steering knuckles which include the hubs (hubs are different, knuckles aren't--but you might as well grab the knuckles from the donor truck like I did), the master cylinder, and vacuum booster.

If your pads are good, you could bend the anti-rattle clips so they still have some tension on the larger pistons of the caliper. I did. Not ideal, but it works. The pad shape is the same, but the anti-rattle clip on the inboard pad is different.

 

[Frank Enstein]

I wish I had known this while going through my front end. I would have switched to the HD set up. My K1500 is a 1990. Other than rotors, calipers and pads what parts do I need?

Steering knuckles

 

[pop-pop]

Edited for clarity.. sorry..

The 1988-1991 regular cab trucks (half ton) were standard with 1" thick rotors...extended cabs got HD brakes with 1.25" thick rotors. The spindle is different as well, to accommodate the rotor.

Your regular cab 1991 almost surely has the thinner rotors, but it could have been ordered with HD brakes. Not many were. For 1992-up, GM decided to give all of them HD brakes regardless of cab style.

If your SPID label (option code label in the glovebox) is still legible, search for the JBx codes on it. JB5 = heavy duty brakes (for a half ton.) Again though, most likely you do not have them and the shorter rotor is correct for your truck.

Richard

Why do parts houses still ask which suspension you have on a '97 C1500 2wd if all are equiped with hd brake system? Is there also a difference in the suspension system for the '92 - '98 year range? I'm just trying to get the right bearings to begin with because he can't leave his truck with me, it's his way back home 15 miles. Thanks for any help you can give me!

 

[Schurkey]

Because there may/may not be OPTIONAL, even-bigger/better brake packages, separately or as part of a "towing package" or "Police Interceptor" group.

Suspension differences would probably be reflected in the springs and the GVWR of the vehicle.

I've never dealt with 2WD on a GMT400. Are the wheel bearings different among JN/JB/JD3, Jx5, and Jx6? I could believe they'd be different at Jx7 or bigger...but that's well beyond the 1500 series.

 

[someotherguy]

Why do parts houses still ask which suspension you have on a '97 C1500 2wd if all are equiped with hd brake system? Is there also a difference in the suspension system for the '92 - '98 year range? I'm just trying to get the right bearings to begin with because he can't leave his truck with me, it's his way back home 15 miles. Thanks for any help you can give me!

Because the parts guys aren't experts in any particular application, so it's on the customer to know what they're looking for. There's really only one option for a '97 C1500 and that would be the "HD" brakes, in other words, 1.25" rotors. Why they even list the light duty brakes for a '97 I have no idea. However, you can be sure by simply measuring the rotor thickness before ordering your bearings.

Richard

 

[Thegatekeeper]

It’s gets super confusing when you realize that infact that Chevy put multiple different spindle/rotors on …for …. example 94 Chevy 1/2 ton single cab short wide 2wd. Parts house and everything you read show after 91 better front brakes were introduced. Order your rotors and bearings and go to install! Nope you find that some single cabs were still using the 1.25 inner bearing rotors even up to 94 but everyone will sell you the newer style with the 1.375 inner bearing…. Doesn’t fit on the spindle the same… you can swap spindles and use the newer but you have to know that most of the time you have to have the parts guy look parts for a 91 Chevy even though you drive a 94….. painful lessons…. My 94 was ordered by the dealer as a cab&chassis truck. The dealer added the factory Chevy bed. But some of the parts that started getting phased out in 91 still continued specifically on the cab&chassis model single cab ‍