[Craigslue]

My passenger side did the same thing after installing my Hotchkis springs last summer. I was so proud of myself after installing my drop and went to drive for the 1st time and after 10 - 15 min. I started smelling something burning and then my brakes started going to shit and all the sudden I had smoke! I carefully drove home and took the wheel off and decided to bleed that caliper and all has been fine since. Old brake lines make since, I had been manhandling the calipers.

 

[70Cuda383]

Well to follow up my original post. I replaced rotors, calipers, pads, flex lines, bled the system, and used the little tube of goo for the pads/calipers over a year ago. I wanted to start fresh so I replaced most everything. To date, I have not had any problems with my brakes...except maybe once when I was towing a trailer & braking downhill. I smelled brakes & let up....no further issues.

I basically believed the brakes are engineered poorly and a re insufficient in size for the truck...add a trailer and a hot summer day and you've got trouble.

I did replace the pads with a "heavy duty" fleet service pad with a lot of metal in the pads to dissipate heat. The downfall is a lot of brake dust on my wheels. Maybe that is the trade-off??

Mas

um...yea, that's not brake pad bed-in, that's overheated brakes! loaded trailer? down hill? trailer have brakes? next time downshift, and work the brakes less.

as mentioned, these are not heavy duty trucks, so they do not have heavy duty brakes. they're good for about 1 or 2 panic stops, and that's it. good news is, 98% of these trucks are just daily drivers and never get modded or worked hard, and the brakes are adequate for that. anyone who is going to really work the truck...will go buy a full size work truck! the rest of us...we're just speed junkies and you need good brakes when you make big hp!

 

[Craigslue]

That might be true, so why do we have 6 lugs! It seems to me that the brake issues may all be due to the rear brakes and possibly the anti lock brake system? I seem to have no problems locking up the front brakes but the rear just never seem to do a good enough job. I know that if I take the time to keep the rear brakes adjusted they work pretty good. I know I use to have an old 69 Road Runner that had killer manual drum brakes. I could just about put myself through the windshield if I slammed on the brakes. Probably the best brakes I ever had.

 

[70Cuda383]

yes, every one of these trucks has RWAL because the light ass end of a truck makes it very easy to lock up. if they made the brakes so small that it wouldn't lock up when you're empty, then you wouldn't have enough brake power when you have cargo.

6 lugs? don't know why they did that to these trucks. it definitely is NOT because they are a heavy duty work truck!! the Dakota is a medium duty truck, it has 6 lug axles. the Ram is a full size heavy duty truck, and it has 5 lug rims.

 

[Craigslue]

They may not be a heavy duty work trucks but they aren't much smaller than the full size trucks of a few decades ago. The new full sized trucks have gotten huge in the last decade.

 

[70Cuda383]

They may not be a heavy duty work trucks but they aren't much smaller than the full size trucks of a few decades ago. The new full sized trucks have gotten huge in the last decade.

yup....and compare the brakes on those trucks of a few decades ago....

all wheel drum brakes without any form of anti-lock...makes these Dakota's look like a freaggin ferrari!! :jester:

 

[Craigslue]

:clap2:

 

[tim2347]

I have a 2005 dakota with bad front left brake drag,I have replaced the entire system, the booster,the master 2 times,rubber lines,calipers 2 times along with the mounts for the calipers they came in a complete kit., switched to slotted rotors,and every pad from cheap 10 pads to pads that were 75.00 flushed the system with 2 quarts ,adjusted the rod behind master,even replaced wheel bearings,and i cant drive 10 miles without brakes getting hot,even ran ducting to blow cool air to the wheels, I can remove wheels and squeeze calipers in with no problem, I am at a loss.
any ideas??????

 

[der Mond]

The problem seems to be divots worn into the slide rails by the pads which catch on the pads and won't let the caliper release. Slide rails are intrinsic to the steering knuckle and cannot be replaced. I have been told the 03 Durango steering knuckle has serviceable slide rails and will fit the 1999 GEN III, do you guysknow if that is accurate?

 

[hskrRT]

The problem seems to be divots worn into the slide rails by the pads which catch on the pads and won't let the caliper release. Slide rails are intrinsic to the steering knuckle and cannot be replaced. I have been told the 03 Durango steering knuckle has serviceable slide rails and will fit the 1999 GEN III, do you guysknow if that is accurate?

'03 Dakota and Durango the the 4 wheel disc brake option have upgraded dual piston front calipers that mount using a normal caliper bracket bolted to spindle, not the caliper bolting to spindle like older single piston set up. And yes, the spindles are a direct bolt on, but you need the whole set up, spindles, calipers/pads, caliper brackets, and the larger rotors. You can also swap in the rear axle with the rear discs as a direct bolt in, but you need to swap the entire axle housing.

 

[mopar5.9]

'03 Dakota and Durango the the 4 wheel disc brake option have upgraded dual piston front calipers that mount using a normal caliper bracket bolted to spindle, not the caliper bolting to spindle like older single piston set up. And yes, the spindles are a direct bolt on, but you need the whole set up, spindles, calipers/pads, caliper brackets, and the larger rotors. You can also swap in the rear axle with the rear discs as a direct bolt in, but you need to swap the entire axle housing.

but you can still use your baljoints from 99 on this set up right ? or do you also have to change balljoints from a 03 durango . from what i know you dont need to purchase the 03 balljoints is this correct?

many thanks

 

[der Mond]

This is what Turbojeep says in the General Parts Inquiries forum:

"I swapped the 03 Durango knuckles, calipers, etc onto my 01 Dakota. Pretty straight forward and everything bolder right up, just a matter to popping the ball joints and slapping the new ones in.

I did it mainly for the beefier brakes and 2 piston calipers. I got tired of having to get new rotors every 8 months. So far so good, I put them on in Dec."



I'd ask him any specifics. If I'm replacing the knuckle I figure "in for a penny, in for a pound" as the British say. "While you're in there" may as well replace the ball joints.

 

[hskrRT]

Ball joints are the same. But would be a good idea to replace them while you are at it if you haven't replaced them recently. If you do a simple search on this forum, there is an entire thread dedicated to this swap and you will see pics from when I did my swap.

 

[der Mond]

Thanks, I appreciate it. When the time is right I think I'll purchase some hoist time and do everything in the front end at once. Control arm bushings, wheel bearings, ball joints, tie rod ends, etc.

 

[der Mond]

Mr. Corn Husker, your private messages are at capacity and will not accept new ones.

Do you know where I can get 2003 or 2004 steering knuckles? I do not know of a parts source. Also, since Gen III runs 1999 – 2004, will 2004 tie rod ends bolt to my 1999 center link? The inners look different at Rock Auto.
Thank you,
Dennis

 

[mopar5.9]

Ball joints are the same. But would be a good idea to replace them while you are at it if you haven't replaced them recently. If you do a simple search on this forum, there is an entire thread dedicated to this swap and you will see pics from when I did my swap.

Thanks for the info thats what i needed to know :smile:

 

[hskrRT]

Mr. Corn Husker, your private messages are at capacity and will not accept new ones.

Do you know where I can get 2003 or 2004 steering knuckles? I do not know of a parts source. Also, since Gen III runs 1999 – 2004, will 2004 tie rod ends bolt to my 1999 center link? The inners look different at Rock Auto.
Thank you,
Dennis

Junkyard or you will be paying out the ass for a new one. I got lucky and found a 2003 R/T that had just been put out on the lot and hadn't been touched, plus they were doing 50% off all brake components that weekend. I walked out pick-a-part with the complete front brake set up and the entire rear axle assembly with rear disc brakes for $250 total.

 

[der Mond]

Man, great deal. I'm guessing that 1999 tie rod ends will bolt right up to the 2003 knuckles, was that your experience?

 

[SketchyDakota01]

I have a 2001 with AWAL. Replaced calipers & both flexs. My fronts are dragging as well. Did the proper bleed. It helped, but the damn things still drag whenever they feel like. I’m convinced that it’s contaminated in the ABS valve body and or the proportioning valve. Front’s are excessively hot and dragging. Rear seem hot but normal…
No brake light or codes.

 

[immattj]

I've not had this problem on my low mileage Dakota (yet), but it has occurred with my high mileage salt belt veteran GMC Sierra. Changing the rusted/gunky caliper brackets fixed the dragging problem on that truck.