? about Denali brakes

I finally test drove a 05' denali and i just gotta know, when i pressed on the brake i had to really press down just to stop, you all the way to the floorboard, with my ford all you got to do is just press on it lightly and you'll stop, but with the denali i can't.
Is this how it is or is it just this one car?

That's just how it is, but you'll get used to it and then it will feel normal. That's how it is on mt 01 Denali.

Same here; maybe some aftermarket SS lines and a good bleed job may alleviate the pedal firmness issue somewhat...maybe. A Brembo or similar aftermarket full-brake kit will definitely improve pedal feel as well as braking performance.

I have a Yukon XL and have the same issue. Wait till you put on some 22" tires! Then you'll really need to squeeze the brakes!

In short....the brakes suck on the yukon. Although, I drove a 04 suburban and the brakes were great. Go figure? I am sure they are the same parts.

When I bought my 04 Denali I changed the wheels to run 22's instead of the stock 17's. 305-45-22. I noticed right away the stopping distance when I pushed the brakes greatly increased. I did some research and narrowed my choices to upgrading to Brembo's or Baer brakes. After calculating the price the Baer's were the way to go. 1/2 the price of the Brembo's.

At the time Baer only offered the eradispeed upgrade for my Denali. This only upgrades your rotors to 14" slotted and cross drilled while using the stock calipers and pads. This was a great improvement.

A couple months ago Baer finally released the illumispeed upgrade. Basically it upgrades your rotors and your calipers. I went ahead and upgraded the rotors and wow what a difference. Now my Denali stops like a car and not like a 3 ton truck.

If anyone is looking to do the upgrade I would just do the illumispeed upgrade and not just the eradispeed. The stopping distance is much better and the looks of the Denali with red calipers is greatly enhanced. The eradispeed uses only the stock calipers so it doesn't fully grab the entire 14" rotor. This leaves a mark on the portion of the rotor not being used.

And here is the kicker, its cheaper to do the full illumispeed upgrade rather than doing the eradispeed first and then deciding to do the full upgrade like I did. I had no choice at the time because the full upgrade was not available.

One other thing, you must upgrade your spare tire to at least a 18" wheel and tire set up just in case. The new caliper and rotors won't work with the 17's or 16 spare. Also don't go larger than 18 as your spare or it won't fit under your truck. I already checked that out.

Anyone doing this upgrade will be very satisfied. Good Luck.