Would like opinions on front pads for '12 XL Denali, thinking about Hawk

[Doubeleive]

I'm actually contemplating going with the rotors, they appear to be the same diameter so would the calipers be required?

This is the part# I came up with for mine, for the rotor.

88875172

if you really want noticeable increased stopping power you will need to upgrade, about the cheapest option out there (price goes up exponentially from there)
is the Bear erradispeed which is $650+ per axle, 15" rotor's (for the front) with bracket adapters for the stock calipers, pads not included. The erradispeed rears are 14"
I put them both on my 12 and yes there is now a very noticeable difference compared to anything else I have ever used. It's probably also worth noting I drive like a maniac so brakes matter, yet no I don't want to drop 4k plus on brakes alone so the above was the best bang for my buck.

I tried a few different combos of pads and rotors in stock size and really saw no noticeable gains
my best recommendation for stock size "front" rotors are these. they will fit and work on your 12
they are the only rotors I have seen that are both drilled and slotted and drilled on the hat, they are marketed for the PPv only.
powerstop ar82132xpr, they are made by powerstop from OEM rotors (reverse engineered)
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=4423146&cc=3015565&pt=1896&jsn=1

 

[Jdscashton]

I recently did a fresh set of pads/rotors for the front and pads on the rear. I went with my usual Napa Ultra Premium rotors but tried the Silent Guard pads and I'm not impressed.

I'm going to start over they are that bad...and a first from me for NAPA and I don't blame them, It's just not the ideal pad IMO for a 3 ton vehicle

So I'm thinking about the Hawk HPS, I don't mind replacing them every 30K if it comes to that, I just want them to bite hard and in a linear fashion when cold as well as hot, but mainly the strong initial bite. A little dust is fine, but definitely don't want them to squeal. This will also include occasional towing.

I believe the pads that came off were OE, and they seemed good, but not great, better than these pads now.


Curious to if others have used them on the LWB 1500 and open for all debates/criticism.

I believe the Super Duty pads will be overkill with a good bit of dust.

I had the Hawk(green box)on my 2002 Yukon XL and they were head and shoulders above the original stock pads. I did a lot of towing and they felt like brakes should feel. Lots of stopping power.

 

[swathdiver]

I'm actually contemplating going with the rotors, they appear to be the same diameter so would the calipers be required?

This is the part# I came up with for mine, for the rotor.

88875172

FYI - That same rotor also uses 18A1705SD.

Yes, you can reuse your original calipers.

At 135K I put on the third set of pads and rotors. 12 months later at 153K I was replacing the front brakes again, with new hoses and calipers this time because a piston stuck in one of the calipers and nearly set the car on fire. I also rebuilt my rear calipers at this time and 3 years and 30K miles later the breaks are rock solid and she stops from 60 mph in 140 feet give or take, just as designed.

Moral of the story, replace your calipers.

 

[dkad260]

I had the Hawk(green box)on my 2002 Yukon XL and they were head and shoulders above the original stock pads. I did a lot of towing and they felt like brakes should feel. Lots of stopping power.

How were the green pads in terms of noise/felt vibrations?

I was able to source a NOS set of front pads. Will give these a try, safe bet these were what I removed given the service history.

 

[Hrocks]

A couple of comments and some insight on the pad compounds...I was in the steel business for 40+ years and one of the products we produced was "wool wire". It's used in various gauges (think abrasive ranges) for everything from polishing fine hardwood furniture "0000" aka four ought wool, to much coarser steel wool for SOS, Brillo et al, soap pads---about the same coarseness used for metallic brake fibers. Without getting too technical, the wire is a low carbon high sulfer steel that is shaved then "chopped" into small fibers. There are countless compounds used by the various pad manufacturers, with a lot of stuff you may be very familiar with, and super technical additives that are proprietary. Bottom line, the auto manufacturers like the performance of the cheaper semi-metallic pad, but absolutely hate what the pads do to the rotors when they sit in the dealer's inventory and makes rust spots on the rotors that just coincidentally look exactly like a brake pad. A new customer buys the car and b*tches that the brakes pulsate and they have a warranty claim. (BTW, if they did a couple of hard stops and "bedded in" the pads/rotors, it would very likely be gone.) So that was a major reason that they got away from the relatively cheap but effective semi-metallic brake pads and have migrated to some version of a ceramic pad.

Having stated all of that, whenever I upgrade from an OE street pad, I've always used with great success, Performance Friction pads. (both on and off the race track) Don't go crazy getting some of the various manufacturer's aggressive compounds for a couple of reasons: 1. they only really work better once they're hot, 2. if not bedded in properly, they will eat your rotors...they especially like to munch on the cheap boy racer, drilled rotors. (which are in no way related to the high quality Brembo, AP, Porsche type "drilled" rotors.) I've seen the aftermath of those cheap rotors literally exploding at the end of a long straightaway and blowing apart a wheel, with tragic results.

 

[dkad260]

My own preference has been what the truck came with, GM OE pads and rotors. She still stops as fast as day 1, 130s from 60 mph.

Front Pads - 22742382/171-1074
Rear Pads - 19329677/171-0999

Thank you for this, I changed my recently replaced front Silent Armor pads with the OE pads you listed and the brake feel/modulation has been improved dramatically.

I will be replacing the rears with the OE pads or might contemplate going with the PPV setup and I started a thread in the PPV forum on that...but that's just a brainstorm at the moment.

 

[Doubeleive]

Thank you for this, I changed my recently replaced front Silent Armor pads with the OE pads you listed and the brake feel/modulation has been improved dramatically.

I will be replacing the rears with the OE pads or might contemplate going with the PPV setup and I started a thread in the PPV forum on that...but that's just a brainstorm at the moment.

all the ppv pads are is semi-metallic, they are good but do not last for me I wear a set out in under a year

 

[91RS]

Semi-metallic pads stop well but they are noisy, dusty, and because they're aggressive they do not last long.

 

[swathdiver]

Semi-metallic pads stop well but they are noisy, dusty, and because they're aggressive they do not last long.

First set of front pads went 57,282 miles. Second set went 78,658 miles. First set of rear pads went 121,173 miles.

Our 2013 Sierra's brakes are all original and she's in the 80K mile range. The front pads are pretty thin.

@Doubeleive Hey Wes, would you do a 60 to 0 crash stop sometime to show the difference in stopping power between stock brakes and the ones you are using now?

 

[Doubeleive]

First set of front pads went 57,282 miles. Second set went 78,658 miles. First set of rear pads went 121,173 miles.

Our 2013 Sierra's brakes are all original and she's in the 80K mile range. The front pads are pretty thin.

@Doubeleive Hey Wes, would you do a 60 to 0 crash stop sometime to show the difference in stopping power between stock brakes and the ones you are using now?

hmm, I can try and figure out something. I'll have take a trip by harbor freight and see if they have one of those roll up measuring tapes