I went to check my brakes again since I thought the rotors were warped. The left front rotor easily slid off. I thought rotors were at least secured down. Am I missing something?

 

I am assuming you have the Brake Caliper off when you say "the front rotor easily slid off".

With the Caliper off, there is nothing that would hold the rotor on. It is rests on the wheel studs. The caliper "holds" it in place, as does the rim when the lug nuts are tightened down.

If your rotors were warped, you would feel a pulsating in the front end when braking or intermittent noise when braking.

That has been my experience with brakes anyway. Maybe different on the "D", but I can't say as I have not had to replace them on mine (well, okay I have replaced them, but the mechanic did that when he recently replaced the ball joints on the front end).

 

Yeah, the brake rotors get held in place by the wheels.

 

Thanks Fellas! I was worried something was amiss. If that's the case then I'm going to say, "screw it" to Midas and buy my own rotors. The ones I get as Midas last about 4-6 months and then they're warped. My tie-rods are shot and they need replacing and then an alignment, followed by 2 new front tires.

WOW! Midas charges me $160 for economy front pads and rotors and then $85 labor.

This is what I can get from RockAuto:
POWER STOP Part # K213836 Extreme Truck & Tow Kit; Incl. Silver Zinc Plated Cross-Drilled And Slotted Rotors w/Z36 Truck And Tow Pads
Front
$157.79

 

Have confirmed the rotors are warped?

You mention the tie rods are shot. That could be the vibration you are getting in the front end.

 

Actually no, I haven't. I just know I've had to replace them not long after new ones are put on. When I bought it, I got a quote from Midas and they mentioned the tie-rods needed replaced. My front tires wear really fast. I bought a new set about 18 months ago and one has blown from exposed cords and now with a spare on the other side, it won't be long before the right side gets down there as the outside edge is rounded and the tread is gone.

Maybe it's not bad rotors but tie-rods that are the core problem.

 

Yes, you have an alignment issue such as bad tie rod ends if you burnt through tires in 18 months. Warped rotors on the other hand would as the poster above stated result in a surging effect when you apply the brakes. Honestly it sounds to me like the front end of your d is heavily worn and time to go through the whole thing and asses the condition as in ball joints, tie rod ends, wheel bearings, idler arm ect.

 

I agree. Besides the front end work as a full package, I don't see the point of doing band-aid things elsewhere too, people swap out the muffler only rather than the full exhaust, only to start getting O2 issues a few months later... or they try to find the $100 fix for the transmission not shifting and throwing codes.

If you plan on keeping the truck, just fix everything right the first time. It's so nice to know the next trans or exhaust or front end issues is not just around the corner.

 

Well guys I finally got the problem fixed. I'm pleased and pissed at the same time. Expecting the pay the ballpark of Midas's last quote for tie-rods, tires and brakes ($1400+), I knew I didn't have the cash for all of it. So I spotted an ad in a flyer from Firestone for a credit card. Not having the most polished credit I figured I'd get turned down but tried anyway. In less than 5 minutes on the internet I was approved for a line of credit of $900. So I printed off the account# and took the Durango in there yesterday. At this point, my tires are about 18 months old. The rears are perfect and the left front blew about three months ago and I had a great spare. In the last 2 weeks the cords started showing on the right side. I knew I was on borrowed time. So I have them do a thorough inspection. Turns out there is NOTHING wrong with my tie-rods. Bushings are showing minute signs of wear. The pads are worn down and the rotors are warped. But none of that was causing the clunking. The mechanic said the last time the alignment was done, it was either only partially done or not done at all. One of the bolts that holds the control arm wasn't even tightened down, allowing a LOT of movement where there shouldn't be any. They showed all this to me while I was looking at everything with them.

When we left with two new tires, with full hazard package and a full alignment, with warranty for $377, they gave me a full printout of the align. The alignment report shocked me. The left front camber was as -1.8 degrees. It's now 0.2, The left front caster was 5.4. It's now 3.4. The left front toe was 1.72. It's now .05. The total toe was -1.46. It's now 0.09. The steer ahead was -0.99. It is now 0.01. The right front was fine all except for the toe. It was 0.25. It is now 0.03. It doesn't matter whether you understand what those things mean. What IS important is the DIFFERENCES in the before and after numbers is tremendous and the effect it has on your ability to steer, stop and maneuver is huge. All I can say is DON'T go to MIDAS!

Now I need to deal with the brakes and I figured I'd upgrade the rotors and pads myself. What do you all recommend? I'm not going to be changing rotors, although I think that ultimately for a vehicle the size and weight of a Durango should at least have dual-piston calipers.That's just my opinion. I've seen them on small SUV's. Anyway, do you think the HD package I posted previously is an adequate upgrade?

 

And Midas strikes again!

You said the rotors are warped, you NEED to either replace them or have them turned down to fix the warp. I recommend replacement personally. Warped rotors will cause a surging feel in the brakes and can adversly effect you braking which as you can probably guess is not safe. Please do yourself a favor and fix it right, for your safety and others.