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Chevy Tahoe, Suburban Spare Wheel Incompatible With Brembo Brake Upgrade

While the Brembo brake upgrade for the Chevy Tahoe and Chevy Suburban can help to deliver a consistently-superb braking experience, the increase in the size of the rotors themselves is often a forgotten compromise when it comes to upgrading brakes. Unfortunately, one GM Authority reader discovered a potential lapse in foresight when he went to install a spare tire on his 2023 Chevy Suburban.

GM Authority reader Richard had the misfortune to learn that the full-size 17-inch spare wheel and P265/70R17 all-season spare tire (RPO code XCQ) isn’t compatible with the LPO, or dealer-installed, front six-piston Brembo brake upgrade package (RPO code 5FL) on his Suburban. Simply put, the 17-inch wheel doesn’t clear the bigger brake rotors and calipers on the front wheels.

The solution to this problem is straightforward in theory, but not so much in practice. If a 5JL-equipped Tahoe/Suburban blows a front tire, the spare must first be installed on a rear wheel, and that rear wheel must be installed up front. However, this procedure isn’t explained in the owner’s manual for the 5JL brake upgrade package, but it is for the heavy-duty front Brembo brakes (RPO code J49) included in the RST Performance Edition (RPO code WPK). Of course, these are two different options and corresponding RPO codes.

In a nutshell, replacing a blown front tire on a 5JL- or J49-equipped Chevy Tahoe / Suburban will require more elbow grease than a typical wheel swap would require, along with more time. On the other hand, owners could just call roadside assistance that’s provided for the duration of the vehicle’s powertrain warranty (in this case, 5 years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first).

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As a typical Florida Man, Trey is a certified GM nutjob who's obsessed with anything and everything Corvette-related.

Comments

  1. Carl

    Ooooops.

    Reply
  2. Craig Brengle

    OR, if you can afford it, just order a whole new matching 20 or 22 inch wheel, matching tire, and TPM device and toss out the 17 inch spare. You’d think if you have the 20 or 22 inch wheels GM would supply you with the same size spare. Doesn’t have to be a fancy wheel – just the right size.

    Reply
    1. Carl

      Probably won’t fit the storage space

      Reply
    2. Boomer59

      Put run-flats on it and no need for a spare

      Reply
  3. cdnsolman

    If it’s a dealer installed upgrade, maybe the dealer should include an upsized spare wheel. They should just add the cost with an explanation of it being required for the upgrade.

    Reply
    1. Dumbo in engineering

      It’s a dealer installed upgrade engineered and authorized by a dumbo in engineering at GM.

      Not something the dealer dreamed up like these lifted monstrosity with Chinese wheels sticking out of the wheel wells a foot. Most dealers do that on their own unfortunately.

      Reply
  4. RSR

    Hmmm … Possibly TWO simultaneous wheel changes required…and one temporary style jack. I wonder which coconut I will lay on the ground while the other is in the air?
    Maybe that guy in the blue Corvette on the beach works at GM in the spare tire department?

    Reply
    1. Dumb Company

      Yes. It’s probably the same girlie

      Reply
  5. ACZ

    It’s amazing that they still have spare tires at all.

    Reply
  6. Scott

    This is not a new problem. We have a 2018 Escalade with Brembo brakes and the solution at that time was to add a page in the owners manual detailing this procedure. You would think that in the last 5 years they could have gotten the correct size spare rims.

    Reply
    1. T1 spare judgement day

      Yes, your 18 is K2 and the new utilities are some tweaked T1. Complete redesign but no thought put into eliminating stupid past errors. Just keep on pissing people off, GM, Eventually you will get to everyone.

      PS: the only way this would ever get fixed is if one of the executives kids was stranded on the side of the road with this cluster. Then it would be fixed pronto.

      Reply
  7. TricM

    Same with the XT6, had a friend with a front flat who had to play “musical wheels” in order to get the spare onto the rear and the rear onto the front because the spare isn’t compatible with the sports upgrade brakes.
    Poor planning.

    Reply
  8. Don’t be a toadie

    Perhaps the girlies that are currently running GM should have considered this. But of course, none of them has actually tested this prior to release to the public.

    Just say no to run flats on a truck. Are you kidding. Please.

    Yes they could have fixed this years ago. But it would have cost a dime to get a bigger steel rim. Better to screw you over by surprise. It started years ago with non standard size spares and before that with out of yield tires for spares. . That’s a big secret too I suppose

    Maybe the girls can change two tires on the side of the road with traffic whizzing by.

    How incredibly stupid. No,GM toadies, don’t make excuses. This is just another stupid oversight.

    Reply
  9. Mrico

    So in reality, if you get stuck on the side of the road, the vehicle will need to be equipped with 2 jacks or 1 jack and jack stand to do the wheel swap. Can’t take 2 wheels off with one jack.

    Reply
  10. Keith

    There are 2 options, one from GM, one from a salvage yard or Ebay. The Tahoe police package has the Brembo package & comes with 20 inch steel wheels. I’m not sure if GM has an easily found part number for the 20″ steelie, but it’s the most straightforward answer. The other answer is to locate an Infiniti QX80. Most of those came with a 20″ steel wheel with the same bolt pattern & center bore hole as the GM full size trucks & SUVs. This is a less expensive option, but both require you to purchase a matching size tire.

    Reply
  11. fozzi58

    Really? It took you guys until 2023 to post this article? You could have asked me back in 2018 when I upgraded my Burb with Wilwood’s TX6R kit. This would be archived by now! lol

    Reply
  12. budlar

    Found out you have to do the same thing on the OLs 08 cobalt w/sport trim. Who reads manuals unless you cant figure out how to make a feature work. Sales people are of no help, if they have slow time they are in the bathroom watching porn not learning the crap they are selling.

    Reply

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