The brakes on my Suburban ('96 2500 LT 4x4 5.7l) are very weak, even after being completely replaced. It appears the rear shoes only cover about 2/3 of the drum surface. I tow a 8K lb boat on triple axle trailer with fully functioning surge brakes and I don't have sufficient stopping power. I'm looking to upgrade to later model 2500 Suburban but wondered first if the brakes are a know issue and if there is a trick to improve them. I'm also wondering what year they improved the brakes in the 2500 so I know what models to look at. The rears also grab when starting out wet. I think that may be soft shoes and I should go with something more metalic?

Thanks,
Luke

 

Luke, what you're saying is really weird, I've never herd of a 2500 brake problem like you're talking about. Got to be something specific to your truck.

One of the most common "weak brakes" thing that happens, is when someone puts on, or someone else has put on larger rim/tires than OEM, which causes a reduction of apparent breaking efficiency.
Are you running the OEM recommended size on your Truck ?

Those rear Shoes are supposed to be different sizes, but I'm remembering that it's more like a 3/4 coverage not a 2/3. The front shoe on both sides should be the short shoe.
Were they put on that way ?

One other thing you might check, and see if there is a different fulcrum length you could adjust your actuator, for your surge brakes on your Trailer. That'd be making the leaver "shorter" between the lower pivot and the cylinder, or, a greater length of the actuator leavers total length. That adjustment would cause grater pressure on the cylinder, would cause increased breaking power.
Do you have an option on that ?

All the above and assuming your Power Booster is working, you should be able to lock every wheel you got up at any speed on a 2500 !

 

the 07+ has over double the braking size / performance of the 800 series...

I switched to electric brakes on my boat trailer, they work GREAT.

6k boat, double axle trailer.