Brakes and Rotors for a 2002 SLE

I need to replace the brakes and rotors on my 2002 SLE (30K miles). I bought the shop manual, and by all accounts this looks like it will be an easy job…especially considering the dealer wants about 200 per axel (not counting new rotors).

I have a few questions that I’m hoping can be answered:

1) All 4 rotors are shot. They are deeply pitted, to the point that I don’t think they can be cut. This is unusual since we use the car everyday (albeit very low mileage) and we don’t live near salt water, etc. Even though the car is out of warranty, I’m wondering if anyone else has had this experience with GM factory rotors. Instead of replacing them with dealer parts, I bought 4 new raybestos PG rotors.

2) On one of my other cars, anytime I do the brakes I open the bleeder valve when I compress the caliper. This way, I can purge some of the older fluid that’s been in the caliper, rather than force it back into the system (and possibly into the abs module). Considering that I will be careful not to let any air back-feed into the system, does anyone see a problem doing this with the Envoy? I was told that as long as I pump the brakes a few times before opening the bleeder, I won’t have any residual pressure in the system.

3) When doing the rear rotors, is there anything unusual to know about the emergency brake? Does it have to be readjusted or anything after a new rotor is put in place?

4) If anyone has done their own brakes and can think of anything that I should be careful of or pay attention to, please let me know.

I need to replace the brakes and rotors on my 2002 SLE (30K miles). I bought the shop manual, and by all accounts this looks like it will be an easy job…especially considering the dealer wants about 200 per axel (not counting new rotors).

I have a few questions that I’m hoping can be answered:

1) All 4 rotors are shot. They are deeply pitted, to the point that I don’t think they can be cut. This is unusual since we use the car everyday (albeit very low mileage) and we don’t live near salt water, etc. Even though the car is out of warranty, I’m wondering if anyone else has had this experience with GM factory rotors. Instead of replacing them with dealer parts, I bought 4 new raybestos PG rotors.

2) On one of my other cars, anytime I do the brakes I open the bleeder valve when I compress the caliper. This way, I can purge some of the older fluid that’s been in the caliper, rather than force it back into the system (and possibly into the abs module). Considering that I will be careful not to let any air back-feed into the system, does anyone see a problem doing this with the Envoy? I was told that as long as I pump the brakes a few times before opening the bleeder, I won’t have any residual pressure in the system.

3) When doing the rear rotors, is there anything unusual to know about the emergency brake? Does it have to be readjusted or anything after a new rotor is put in place?

4) If anyone has done their own brakes and can think of anything that I should be careful of or pay attention to, please let me know.
Welcome to AF. Good practice on the bleeder issue. There is an updated retainer hardware for the troublesome rear parking brakes shoes, usually these wear prematurely and the parking brake does not work, so get ready for that. You may have a rust ridge on the rotor drum portion in the rear which makes removing the rotor tough. Use ceramics all around on this truck, also.

Thanks Max. I should be able to do the work next week.

Quote: "There is an updated retainer hardware for the troublesome rear parking brakes shoes, usually these wear prematurely and the parking brake does not work, so get ready for that."

Where can I get more info on this issue? I can't find very detailed information in the shop manual about e-brake shoes, and tried googling the issue on the updated retainer hardware, without success.

Thanks Max. I should be able to do the work next week.

Quote: "There is an updated retainer hardware for the troublesome rear parking brakes shoes, usually these wear prematurely and the parking brake does not work, so get ready for that."

Where can I get more info on this issue? I can't find very detailed information in the shop manual about e-brake shoes, and tried googling the issue on the updated retainer hardware, without success.
Dealer stocks the updated shoe retaining clips, factory manual has all the e brake info, there is an internal star wheel adjustment fot the the e brake shoes.

I am most surprised to hear that all 4 rotors are shot at 30K miles. I have 106K miles on the original rotors and pads, and they arent gone yet. Braking use is normal to severe, I drive the Los Angeles freeeways as well as steep mountain roads. Any ideas what failed on your truck?

I am most surprised to hear that all 4 rotors are shot at 30K miles. I have 106K miles on the original rotors and pads, and they arent gone yet. Braking use is normal to severe, I drive the Los Angeles freeeways as well as steep mountain roads. Any ideas what failed on your truck?
In the sno belt rust is a big issue, not in LA, though.

"Any ideas what failed on your truck?"

Nope...no idea at all.

Wife drives it every day, and probably tries to brake like it's a car but that would only explain the pads being shot...not pitted rotors.

I've heard from some other GM owners (not envoy) that there have been intermittent problems with stock rotors and pitting, but no one knows whether its due to manuf. issues, inferior metal and casting, or some other unknown :banghead: .

Plan to do the work tomorrow, so I'll let you all know if I find anything else wrong...

Job was a piece of cake. Rotors and pads took about 45 minutes per wheel.

Rotors were even worse on the reverse side...pitted so deeply that there is no way they could be cut. Even though I'm off warranty, I brought them into the dealer who said that although it's not a frequent problem, they have seen this before. He thinks that it was caused by a combination of hard braking and corrosive salt in the winters (notice no mention of the obviously inferior metal used to cast the rotor itself).

Anyway, thanks for all the input. Hope these raybestos components last for at least a few years...