I am sorry if this is long

Hello all I have two questions that I need some information about the rear end and front brake pad replacement any help in this matter will be much appreciated. I

VEHICLE SPECS.
1999 Durango
5.9 Liter
Loaded
It has a factory tow package (I don’t think it is aftermarket)

Question one is about the rear end.

I have been noticing a clunking noise in the rear end it seems to only happen when I am turning right or left and at low speeds usually when I leave a stop light. I do not notice the notice when I am going straight. I took it to the dealer for them to take a look at it but of course when they took the vehicle out to test drive to identify the problem they could not get the rear end to make the noise. (Really aggravating) But it seems to be all the time now.

Question two is about front brake pad replacement.

I am going to need to replace the front brake pads. Has any one done a brake pad change with an aftermarket brake pad that has a low brake dust? I see so many Durango’s with front brake dust accumulation on the front wheels it looks so terrible, so I want to change to another manufacture of brake pad. I would even be willing to change the rotors if its need to get rid of the dust.

Thank you for any information any one can provide regarding these questions

 

No clue on the first question but as for brakes go for ceramic pads the dust takes longer to accumulate and they work much better than the other types of pads. You can also look around for brake dust shields for the D They are very cheap I think I've seen them online for about 20 bucks. Good luck.

 

I have had a problem with the rearend of my 01 durango toke it in to get checked out and lets say 800 bucks later (bearings, gears and seals) i got it back. the problem i had sounds like yours but mine only happened after highway speeds that i mantained for 15min or longer, soon as i got off the highway and came to a compleat stop and started to go again it felt like i was draging somthing, did it on right turns and left turns as well. This is my first time to this site and i just happen to see your post.

 

if you want my 2 cents for sure take your rear tires off and look at the drum breaks back there and for the front I agree with meangreen I went cheep because I didn't have the money and just bought rotors and pads from auto zone.. bought the duralast break and rotor because of the warrenty tell I can up gread my intire front breakss. but as well you will always have a lot more break dust up front because you have drums in the back and they don't work as much as the front do.. so I would try and look up those dust blockers that meangreen stated though I have not seen them..Meangreen what sites did you see those on.... as more i am going to buy a after market rims that are further apart then the ones on there now and I keep a rag in the car takes about 2 minutes to wip them off and hey they look clean again... :-).. any ways good luck with that..... JP

 

I just recently got my front OEM pads replaced finally after putting 70k miles on them. Still have about 50 percent pads left but I guess they are dry rotting or something. When I hit the breaks, the front breaks loose off/on, really scared the heck outta me. Felt like I hit a patch of ice and no breaking power for a second or two. Also, the OEM pads were dusting the hell out of my OEM rims! I have to wash the front rims once a week! (thouroughly wash them where the inside rims shine also!). If I recall, when I first got my D, the OEM front breaks never worked well. Lots of times I really thought I was gonna kiss someone *** really good as the front breaks seem not to break well and the rear anti-lock brakes are squealling all the time. But now I have gotten ceramic pads. Man I love it, those pads costed me almost a $100 bucks for a set, but after testing driving them, it was worth it. Break dust is very light, My rims are lightly coated after 4 months of use and the best thing is, it is super easy to clean unlike the regular dust produced by metallic pads. I feel like I have a brand new breaking system. Durango stops really good with little or no fading.

My rear drum discs are still OEM, the OEM pads are still in great shape so I am leaving them in place.

as far as your rearend, have you check to make sure the fluids are full? Also, check to see if the fluids has ever been changed? I changed my fluids out around 60k and the color was not the color of the clean fluid. Now I am shortening my fluid cycle on the axles to change out every 30k. The same as my tranny and transfer case fluid change.

 

I know I've seen them cheaper than this but this is what you want to keep the rims clean, not the best lookers but the only other way is follow Jp's advice and keep a rag handy. That's what I would do if I had nice rims. If you're still stock though these will look fine as the dust shield shouldn't be too visible.
http://www.stylinconcepts.com/parts....0dust%20shield

 

clunking in the rear end..jesus, am i back on the GM forums..

Check your diff, slow speed turns and clunking noises usually point me to the differential.. I know zippy about MOPAR rear ends though, but I knew enough about them to buy the extended warranty..

Good luck, might be an easy fix with the proper Gear oil/Friction modifier...

 

Question 1 - As others have mentioned try changing the diff fluid. I would use Mobil 1 whether or not you have a LSD.

Question 2 - I just put on a set of Akebono ceramics about 500 miles ago. Stops great, and NO DUST!!!!! I have used these pads in the past on my C3500 dually that did a lot of towing. They worked great there, and they are fine for the Durango. They list for around $150, but I paid like $70ish for them.