Rumbling front brakes 2013 GC

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2013 Dodge GC bought 6/6/13. Now has 36089 miles on it. Just got back from our vacation trip, ~1900 miles round trip. On the way north I had to do a hard stop and the front brakes rumbled and shuttered like nothing I've never experienced before. Before you ask, it wasn't the ABS. I know what that feels like. This issue started about 6 months ago with just an occasional little vibration in the left front wheel. It has developed into a serious issue on the LF and somewhat less on the RF. Before the trip I pulled the LF wheel, gave it a careful inspection. Every thing looked very good. Lots of pad, rotors are clean, the rotors are blued, so will be replaced with the 1st. brake job. This is my wife's DD so gets no chance to get rusty. I took it to the local dealer in Cadillac, MI to have a look, found nothing. Said it looks normal, would need brakes in about 20k.

I've seen some odd stuff with cars, but nothing like this. Thoughts anyone?

Wayne
 
Could it be from not using the brakes enough?

My parents are going to be doing rear rotors on their 2013 Escape every two years it seems. Big brakes all around ... and my mother has one stop on the way to and from work. Doesn't use them enough to heat them up. Even the fronts are starting to rust/pit from not being used enough to clean them off.
 
My spouses 2012 T&C has done the same thing. Factory rotors and pads replaced at 40 with severe pulsing and vibration. New NAPA premium rotors and Adaptive 1 pads installed. Now at 55k the same thing. No evidence in either case of overheating or warpage, and currently the pads look practically new. I will say the Adaptive pads wear well. YMMV, but in my experience, you can be guaranteed 2 things with any Chrysler: crummy transmissions and brakes, so they got you covered going and stopping. Just had the vehicle in the shop for a week. Intermittant CEL, intermittent traction control lamp, false alerts from the proximity system with lights mainly in the RH mirror. After 4 days, the tech replaced the turnsignal stalk/module, saying it was dragging down the 5v signal that goes to multiple systems in the car.
 
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Pad deposits on the rotors? rust? Is there a big lip on the edge?
 
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Originally Posted By: Rand
Pad deposits on the rotors? rust? Is there a big lip on the edge?


Nope. Already checked.. No issues with the rears.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
pad deposits. go slam them on again
Possible I suppose.

I slammed them 3 times, once going up and twice on the return trip. (Almost got ate by a semi changing lanes). The dealer suggested that the rotors had developed hard spots and should be changed. Looks like I'll be doing a 4 wheel brake job sooner then I expected. Fooo...

Wayne
 
Wasn't there a TSB or a recall on GC brakes? I could be completely wrong....it just seems like someone I work with had to take theirs in.
 
Originally Posted By: mcrn
Wasn't there a TSB or a recall on GC brakes? I could be completely wrong....it just seems like someone I work with had to take theirs in.
Where would I look for info?

Wayne
 
If the rotors are OEM and much greater than min thickness, and the pads are good, then why not turn the rotors?

Wouldn't this prove whether it's pad deposits or warped rotors?
 
Originally Posted By: Oldmoparguy1
Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
Wayne - 16 inch or 17 inch wheels on the GC?


16"


Unfortunately, those are the old design brakes... which have been a problem for years in the Dodge/Chrysler minivans.

Just bite the bullet and do a brake job with new pads and rotors, and move on.
 
Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
Originally Posted By: Oldmoparguy1
Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
Wayne - 16 inch or 17 inch wheels on the GC?


16"


Unfortunately, those are the old design brakes... which have been a problem for years in the Dodge/Chrysler minivans.

Just bite the bullet and do a brake job with new pads and rotors, and move on.


Yep. Good call. Unfortunately, you got the last model year with the horrible brakes. You could get the upgraded brakes on 2013's, but you had to bump up out of the base model, to models with 17" wheels for the larger rotors. For 2014+, even the most basic AVP/CVP models come with the upgraded brakes.

~36K miles in a year! WOW. That's actually well beyond what owners are getting out of the 16" wheel brakes on DGCs. New pads and rotors are in order.
 
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I have an 08 T&C with the same [censored] brake system. Since we put 30k miles a year I've gotten pretty fast at breaking down and reassembling the brakes on the thing...

Oddly enough I still love the van
 
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