Hwo to Change the Brakes & Rotors on a 2003 GMC Van

The 2003 GMC Savanna was a full-sized van, available in the 1500, 2500 and 3500 series, with a variety of engine options. The 2003 Savanna came with a single rear wheel axle on the base model, but a dual rear wheel axle was an option on the 3500. The 3500 with dual rear wheels has a wheel hub extender on the front of the van. The hub extenders make changing the front rotors slightly more time consuming. The 2003 Savanna had six-lug and eight-lug setups, with different torque specifications for both.

Instructions

Brake Rotor and Pads Replacement Instructions

1

Loosen the front wheel lug nuts on the van, using a tire iron. Raise the front of the van with a jack. Place jack stands beneath the front frame rails of the van, on both sides of the engine. Lower the van onto the jack. Remove the wheel lug nuts completely, then remove the front wheels from the van. If the van is equipped with front hub extenders, remove them at this time, using the directions in Section 2 of this project.

2

Install a C-clamp around one of the front calipers, so that the arched end of the clamp is on the rear of the caliper and the threaded end is pressed against the outboard brake pad. Close the C-clamp slightly to compress the caliper piston, and release the brake pads from the rotor.

3

Remove the caliper-mounting bolts with a ratchet and socket. Remove the caliper and hang the caliper from the front coil spring with a metal clothes hanger. Remove the old brake pads, by hand, from the caliper bracket. Place one of the old pads against the caliper piston inside the brake caliper. Install the C-clamp around the rear of the caliper and the backing plate of the brake pad. Tighten the C-clamp to push the caliper piston completely into the caliper body. Remove the C-clamp and the old brake pad. Discard the old pads.

4

Remove the caliper-mounting bracket from the rear of the steering knuckle, using a ratchet and socket. Remove the brake rotor from the hub assembly, by hand. If the rotor is stuck, insert two M10x1.5 bolts into the provided screw holes in the rotor. Tighten the bolts evenly with a ratchet and socket to push the rotor off the hub face.

5

Lubricate the face of the hub with caliper grease. Install the new rotor onto the hub and spin a single lug nut on one of the studs to hold the rotor in place. Install the caliper-mounting bracket back onto the steering knuckle. Apply red Loctite 272 on the threads of the caliper bracket bolts. Install the bolts and tighten them to 129 foot-pounds on a six-bolt hub, or to 221 foot-pounds on an eight-bolt hub. Use a 1/2-inch-drive torque wrench and socket to tighten the bolts.

6

Spray the entire rotor and caliper bracket thoroughly with brake cleaner. Remove all of the factory-installed rust preventative oil from both sides of the rotor. You should use about 1/2 to 3/4 of the can to do one rotor. Lubricate the clips on the caliper-mounting bracket lightly with grease. This will help the pads slide in and out easier. Install new brake pads on the bracket.

7

Install the caliper over the brake assembly, and install the caliper bolts. Tighten the caliper bolts with the torque wrench to 74 foot-pounds on a six-lug assembly, or to 80 foot-pounds on an eight-lug assembly. Remove the single lug nut from the face of the new rotor. Install the hub extenders at this time, using the directions in Section 2, if so equipped.

8

Repeat Steps 2 through 7 to complete the rotor and pad replacement on the second side of the van. Install the front wheels onto the van and tighten the lug nuts snug with a tire iron. Raise the van off the jack stands, then remove the stands and lower the van to the ground. Tighten the front lug nuts to 140 foot-pounds with the torque wrench and a wheel nut socket.

9

Sit in the driver's seat of the van and pump the brake pedal slowly, 10 to 15 times. If the brake pedal does not become firm after about five pumps, stop pumping the pedal and bleed the front brake calipers.

Hub Extender Instructions

10

Mark the hub extender with a white paint marker or crayon, on the side of the extender that faces the caliper. Make a parallel mark on the caliper body. This will show you the exact direction the extender needs to be mounted in during installation.

11

Insert a large screwdriver into one of the vent holes in the outer edge of the rotor. Turn the hub extender to lock the screwdriver against the caliper in relation to your position with the van.

12

Install a 1/2-inch-drive socket onto one of the hub extender mounting nuts. Insert an extension through the face of the hub extender onto the socket. Install a 1/2-inch-drive breaker bar onto the extension. Turn the nut counterclockwise to remove it from the hub extender stud. Rotate the hub extender to access the next mounting nut, and install the socket accordingly. Repeat this step until you have removed all of the hub extender nuts. Remove the hub extender, using a hammer to gently strike the extender outward, if needed.

13

Grease the front raised area of the rotor lightly. Install the hub extender so that the marks you made earlier line up with one another. Install the extender mounting nuts, by hand. Tighten the nuts in the same manner that you removed them, but use a 1/2-inch-drive ratchet instead of the breaker bar. Torque the nuts to 94 foot-pounds with your torque wrench and the extension and socket.