Chevrolet Uplander Brakes and Rotors

442dude

Try www.rockauto.com

I've had good luck with them and their prices are very competitive with your local store... :shades:

fixit12

Thank you,
They want to much money to ship them to Canada.
They want the same amount to ship as they want for product.
I guess I will have to find a store in Ontario Canada or have a friend ship them personal for me.

tyvm

kilrbats

I have an '05 Uplander and need to replace front rotors...Can anyone tell me the name of the tool required to remove star shaped screw ( that what I think holds it to the hub) on the front rotors? Guess I got lucky compared to others as this is the first replacement since I bought it new, But I got them upgraded too. My new heavy duty rotors from NAPA have the hole this screw inserts to so it needs to be removed.

442dude

You need a "Torx head screwdriver" or a "Torx head socket" for your ratchet.

I believe its a size "T20" but I'm not 100% positive - I did mine a few months ago.

I have a set of torx screwdrivers that I use for removing taillights & such...its pretty tight so I used a wrench on the screwdriver to get it off. If you don't have a set of torx head screwdrivers, now is a good time to buy them as you'll use them more than you think...

Make sure you put a little never-seez on the screw threads before you put it back in so its not too hard to replace next time you have to take the rotor off.

fixit12

the torx does not have to be tight when you re-install as all it does is hold your rotor in place until you put rim back on! So dont tighten the crap out of it.

I have new rotors for mine and so far so good.
Anyone else with 95 Uplander rotor problems do not replace with OEM parts.
GM or AC Delco rotors are a waste of time and effort on this van. My forth set is now installed with only 102kms. This time i went with after market rotors and it did the trick.

ilmrebel

I have replaced the rear break pads in my 2008 uplander. I have bled them out until the fluid is clear. The breaks are not working and the traction control light has come on. I am clueless. Does anyone have any advise for me

442dude

Step 1 - You do not need to bleed the brakes unless you opened the brake line which you did not need to do to replace the rotors & pads.

Step 2 -The Uplander ABS system likely needs to be bled using a scan tool if air made its way to the brake modulator.

ken1217

I had the front and rear brakes and rotors replaced after only 10,102 km. there was large grooves and lots of rust on them. The service guy said he has never seen this before. Now i need another replacement at 30,000km. So now i am thinking that this minivan was not a good purchase.

442dude

Replace the rotors and brake pads with an aftermarket brand like Raybestos (not the OEM AC Delco ones) and your problem will go away long term...Did that to ours 1-1/2 years and 20,000 miles ago and never had a problem since.

tommie_d

Do the brake caliper bolts have left handed threads? I would not think so but I can not get them broke loose on my 07 uplander. I have done about a dozen or more brake jobs in my lifetime but I'm not a mechanic, just a parts changer with basic hand tools. This should be a very simple job but using a brakeover bar with a 15mm socket and all my might I ended up splitting a brand new 15mm Craftsman socket down the side. Any suggestions out there on getting them loose?
Thank You for your help,
Tommie D

442dude

No - all are standard thread, did all 4 not so long ago on our 08 - they are REALLY tight and they use threadlocker to hold them in when they build them. I broke a 3/8" drive socket too. I used a 1/2" drive socket and a bar and a hammer and I was finally able to get them to move. Also - use a 6 point socket so you can put more force on it with less worry about stripping it. They tend to have thicker walls too...

I'm just a parts changer too so I understand exactly what you're going through.

tommie_d

Well I went out and bought a 18" brakeover bar and a 15mm 1/2" drive socket and presto! they came loose but boy were they tight. The threads of the bolts were rusted when they came out, Not real sure if that was the problem or not but the fronts are done and next weekend I will change out the rear pads. So far I'm very happy with our uplander, 96,000 miles and this was the first time anything has been done to it besides regular fluid changes and the first set of tires at 79,000 miles.
Thanks again!

442dude

Hey Tommie -

When you change the rear pads, do yourself a favor and buy the special tool to back out the calipers...it looks like a little metal block...you back out the rear rotors by turning them with the special tool...not by using a c clamp to push them back in...

You might already know this but I figured I'd put it out there in case you weren't aware of it...also, when you push them back in, before you do anything notice the orientation of the tabs on the pistons and make sure that before you put on the new pads that the tabs are in the same orientation...otherwise your pads won't self adjust...

Like I said, you might know this already, just wanted to throw it out as a tip since I've already done the rears on our Uplander....

:shades:

tommie_d

Wow I wish I would have seen your post before I started on the rears today. Guess What! I pulled the right rear caliper off, switched out the pads, grabed the C-clamp to push the piston back in and..... No Joy! It was even a pain to get the old pads back on. So the piston screws back in with the special tool? Is this a dealer only item or might one of the part stores have this tool?
Thank you again!!!!

442dude

You can get the tool at any parts store, no need to go to the dealer. I got mine at auto zone, it was under $ 10.00. I think they call it a GM rear disc brake tool. Its basically a square metal cube that fits on the piston. You have to screw the piston back in with a ratchet and the tool and you're good to replace with new pads.

647hotord

any idea what happens if you don't get the brake tool, and manage to compress the piston anyways? does my dad need a new caliper?

442dude

Yikes!..How did you get it to compress?

I can't say for sure but if it took an extreme measure to compress it I would say it should be checked out by a professional at the very least. Most times people can't get it to budge without the tool...

labaker1960

I made the tool out of the old pad, by cutting off one side of the pad. and taking off the remaining pad material.

I had a 2006 and just got tired of the brake issues. The van was the family vehicle and I hate to say it but it is the worst GM vehicle I have ever owned.

I have worked on cars since I was 7 years old and have done all my own work. This vehicle has the worst designed brakes that I have ever seen. I changed the front and back brakes at the same time and within about 6 months the rear brakes were gone but the fronts were fine. I also had multiple issues with the sliding doors and the brake dust the covered the wheels was bad. Wash the car and within the week the wheels were black with dust again.

I traded it off and got an import.

labaker1960

I had a 1985 and a 1999 Astro and they were great, but I wanted a van that got better gas milage, so I got the Upland. The tag said it was estimated at 28 MPG highway, 3.5L. What a joke, it got about the same as the Astro's had less room and could not pull as heavy a load. The Uplander I had was fully loaded and and had 100 times the issues in the 57K miles and 5 years of owning it.

Example: my 85 Astro needed a new starter when it had 157K and new brushes ($3.15) for the altinator at 175K. It started smoking when I started it up after it sat for 3 years while I was stationed overseas. It never gave me any real trouble, except for the paint. The breaks on the van worked well and lasted for about 2 years front/ 4 years rear. I loved my Astro and wish I had never traded it in. The 1999 Astro was starting to have transmittion trouble so I decided to get the Uplander.

I have always bought Chevy, currently I have a 1967 3/4 ton pickup, 1979 El-Camino, 1984 S10 Blazer, (work in progress 1940 PU) and my first car was a 1968 Chevelle, 327. Then I bought the POS 2006 Uplander, this van has changed my mind on the way I buy cars.

1. THE WIFE HAS TO LIKE IT.
2. Safety: the car must have a good safety rating.
3. Warranty: a long warranty indicates to me that the company believes in their product.
4. Fuel economy: Gas prices are high and Chevy does not have the best MPG ratings
Electric cars do not have the range I need, but KIA has plans for one that
not only has the range but does not take forever to recharge, 8 -vs- 24
hours without special equipment.

These two are the first four categories I am looking for besides styling and comfort. I don't know why MPG is still so low, I had a 1983 Pontiac J2000 station wagon that got 39MPG and would drop to 36 when the plugs needed to be changed. My 68 Chevelle would get 16City and 21 highway. I also had a 91 GEO Metro that averaged 48 and the best I got was 53.9MPG.

Now I have an import and feel good about my purchase because I am not worried about making it safely to my destination.

joelowry

joelowry

2005 Uplander. After driving van for 5 or 6 miles when applying brakes I get a loud (really loud) noise. Not brake pad worn type noise but a grinding type noise. If I let up on the brake quickly and apply the brake again the noise will get much softer and or sometimes go away. Noise never happens on a short trip to the store or around the area.
I have replaced the brake pads, rotors and hub assembly on the front. Replaced the pads on the back. 65,000 miles on the Uplander. Have owned it since 15,000 miles in 2006.

Don't know much about vehicles except how to change a few parts like the above.

dodlar

Can somebody tell me how much it would cost for the following to be repaired. I am not happy with my dealer and I dont know how to find out if something is done correctly on my Van.( uplander 2009)

BRAKE PRESSURE MODULATOR VALVE INTERNAL FAULT 110
SCAN TEST FOR ABS DTC'S, FOUND C0111 AND C0115, RELATING TO
THE BPMV. FOLLOWED THE DIAGNOSTIC ROUTINE AND THE BPMV IS AT
FAULT, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT BOTH THE BPMV AND EBCM ARE
FAULTY. THE BPMV NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FIRST. TECHNICIAN ALSO
NOTICED THAT THE FRONT BRAKE PADS ARE METAL TO METAL. AND
HAS BEEN ADVISED THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND
SHOULD BE FIXED IMMEDIATELY.

Thanks
edwin

gmcustsvc

Hi Edwin,

I can't answer the cost question, as that may vary from dealer to dealer.
However, if you are interested I can locate another dealer in your area for you to get your vehicle repairs done. Just let me know.

Amber N.
Chevrolet Customer Care

dodlar

Please send me the other dealers reference numbers?

I am in GTA; Toronto Canada.

who owns this forums? Is this forum associated with Chevy dealers?

KCRam

These forums are owned and operated solely by Edmunds. Factory customer service representatives have been welcome to post and offer assistance for a number of years.

kcram - Pickups/Wagons/Vans+Minivans Host

dodlar

Please send me the list of dealers references.

Thanks

jpf

Sounds like a brake rotor problem. I would go to a brake repair shop (e.g. Midas) and get an estimate. You may want to drive the vehicle with a service technician so they hear and feel the problem and understand what the problem is. Good luck.

jpf

I also own an Uplander and live in Canada. You will find that most general repair shops can fix brake problems cheaper than a dealer. Recently, I had the struts, rear shocks, tie rods, stabilizer bar and four wheel alignment done at Canadian Tire and the work was significantly cheaper than the GM dealer. Shops like Canadian Tire and Midas frequently have sales or online coupons. I would check them out and get an estimate. Good luck.