PhillipPop Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 Hello, I have a 2011 Journey Mainstreet with 8000 miles on it. I have a problem with excessive brake dust on only the rear wheels- both! The front pads are barely depositing any brake dust on the rims, but the rear are "Nasty"! I called the Service department here to set asn appointment- but was told that because of past brake issues the 2011 went to a different proportioning system in which the rear brakes are the primary brake wheels and the front secondary. Anybody have any knowledge of this, or experiencing excessive rear brake dust as compared to the front wheels? I have a feeling the lazy service deptartment was just blowing smoke up me @$. Thanks, Phillip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goaltender Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 (edited) Hello, I have a 2011 Journey Mainstreet with 8000 miles on it. I have a problem with excessive brake dust on only the rear wheels- both! The front pads are barely depositing any brake dust on the rims, but the rear are "Nasty"! I called the Service department here to set asn appointment- but was told that because of past brake issues the 2011 went to a different proportioning system in which the rear brakes are the primary brake wheels and the front secondary. Anybody have any knowledge of this, or experiencing excessive rear brake dust as compared to the front wheels? I have a feeling the lazy service deptartment was just blowing smoke up me @$. Thanks, Phillip It's normally the front brakes that are the ones used most often. You'll always find the front brakes to be worn out more than the rears...not sure what ya got there. Sounds like something is out of whack...the fronts may not be working as hard as they should be....may need an adjustment or could even be air in the front lines ??...Hope this helps. Edited October 23, 2011 by Goaltender Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2late4u Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 Hello, I have a 2011 Journey Mainstreet with 8000 miles on it. I have a problem with excessive brake dust on only the rear wheels- both! The front pads are barely depositing any brake dust on the rims, but the rear are "Nasty"! I called the Service department here to set asn appointment- but was told that because of past brake issues the 2011 went to a different proportioning system in which the rear brakes are the primary brake wheels and the front secondary. Anybody have any knowledge of this, or experiencing excessive rear brake dust as compared to the front wheels? I have a feeling the lazy service deptartment was just blowing smoke up me @$. Thanks, Phillip i have a 2011 mainstreet with about 10 k miles on it , i have noticed that the rear wheels do seem to collect more dust than the front but not enough for me to be worried about ,of course i dont do that much city driving. i did have the dealership at my last oil change they had to turn the front rotors due to a little vibration,wasnt to thrilled about that, as i said i thought they should have replaced the rotors but the service manger said they werent bad enought to be replaced.but i do have it on record and if i have any more problems they will be replacing them as rotors should last 50 to 100 k before having any problems.dont think they will last that long on my journey i have had dodge caravan for the last 15 yrs and never had any problems out of them and did my own brake jobs. will have to learn how to replace the rear disk as i have never changed any of theem before Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhillipPop Posted October 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 (edited) Thanks, one each way- not quite right, but the other having the same rear more than the front. Rims don't seem to be heating up from a stuck caliper. Good or bad, the thing I do like is it doesn't seem to nose dive under firmer braking. (Nice in speed traps and approaching cops!) Edited October 23, 2011 by PhillipPop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisPollard Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 Simple physics demands that the front brakes do the majority of the braking. In braking, weight is distributed to the front wheels. That also takes weight OFF the rear wheels. So you could wind up with the rear wheels locking while the fronts are still not applying enough force to stop you safely. I believe this tech is talking out his posterior and should go back to school to learn how brakes actually work. Front brakes account for about 2/3 of all your braking force. This is why front disc/rear drum brakes are STILL a commonly found combination, but you will NEVER EVER EVER see front drum/rear discs on a vehicle. That's because disc brakes are superior to drums, and they do most of your braking. They were blowing so much smoke up your @$$ you should be burping smoke signals. If I was running a service department and heard one of my mechanics spouting that kind of bullplop, I'd fire him faster than the customer could make it to the front door to take their vehicle to another dealership. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armendegga Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 Wow... That's quite the 'information' that they gave you... I'm not sure why people feel the need to make crap up if they dont' know the answer. As has been discussed already, it's mostly the front that does the braking. The front's account for probably 75% of your braking. My guess would be because if your rear were to do most of the braking, it would cause the rear end to pitch down, and give you less traction on the front for turning/maneuvering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAC Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 (edited) Rear brakes do most of the stopping? First time I've ever heard that one! I think your dealer is talking out of the hole where the sun don't shine! My 2009 R/T always had much more brake dust on the front than the rear wheels. Back in July I had the front pads and discs changed (friction linings, rotors in US language!) I had original Mopar parts fitted and the front brakes are much better at keeping the dust down. Whereas I was having to clean the wheels about every 100 miles or so now the fronts show almost no dust at all. The rear brakes however still have the same amount of dust as they ever did and now comparing to the front it's alot. My guess is your car has the new type of pads on the front (less dust) an the original type pads on the back (more dust). I don't know if new rear pads have been superceeded by a different material like the front to cause less dust but when they are due for replacement they might be. In the meantime keep your bucket and sponge handy! Edited October 26, 2011 by BAC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Posted October 26, 2011 Report Share Posted October 26, 2011 I have also noticed a lot more brake dust on the rear wheels than on the front in our 2011 Journey. I was going to ask the dealer about it next time we are in for service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destination Posted October 26, 2011 Report Share Posted October 26, 2011 I have noticed excessive brake dust build up on the rear wheels of my '11 Crew since day one. So much so that I mentioned it to a friend who is a mechanic. he was concerned and said to keep an eye on the pad wear, so 6,000 miles later I am doing that on a regular basis. I have not removed the rear wheel, but have looked in there with an inspection mirror, and the pad thickness seems decent at least on the outboard side. I can't get a good look at the inboard pad. he also mentioned it might be an air flow thing. I'm assuming he's thinking that the pad dust is not being swept away, or flung to the rim due to the way the wind is traveling through/around the rear wheel. I am going to have this checked out when I bring it in for a winter oil change. it is the strangest thing. Disc brake cars are supposed to have dirty front wheels, not rears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armendegga Posted October 26, 2011 Report Share Posted October 26, 2011 This is the interesting thing... I've seen many complaints about brake dust on the Journey, however, I have had 0 brake dust issues at all. I have around 10,000 km on it currently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisPollard Posted October 27, 2011 Report Share Posted October 27, 2011 When I waxed mine on Monday, I noticed when cleaning the rims that there was a bit more brake dust on the rear wheels than the front. Never thought about the airflow aspect of it - that's something that's entirely possible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destination Posted November 1, 2011 Report Share Posted November 1, 2011 service dude at my dealer said to be sure to clean the wheels regularly - apparently that dust is corrosive (?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik09sxt Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 I have an 09 sxt awd that I got last Feb.. It had rears replaced when I got it and I had the fronts replaced a couple months ago under the chrysler ext brake warranty. I also have more dust on rears than front, so perhaps there was a material change sometime this year. Perhaps this may be an air flow issue associated with certain wheels. I have the 19's and maybe it doesn't affect the 17's or those with aftermarket. Those that do have the rear dust problem, what wheels do you have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisPollard Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 I have the 16" steel wheels, and I also find the rear gets a bit more dust than the fronts, but not significantly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisPollard Posted November 7, 2011 Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 I took a look down the side of my Journey this afternoon before I went to wash it. I noticed something in the road grime. Distinct patterns that showed the airflow down the side of the vehicle after coming in on wet roads that appear to have been salted at some point while I was on vacation. Also, the front and rear wheels looked vastly different. The front wheels (rubber/rims overall) where reasonably clean. The rear wheels (rubber/rims overall) where absolutely FILTHY. I snapped some pics on my phone that I'll upload at some point. I am now entirely convinced it IS an airflow difference causing the rear wheels to show more brake dust. From the way the dirt stayed on, it looks like the rear wheels actually see very minimal airflow over the surfaces. The front wheels get much more direct air exposure - the rear wheels are much more protected by the flares in the body panels. So Destination - I think your mechanic was onto something. I don't believe it's a wear problem, just a case of the evidence of brake wear not being swept away as you drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2late4u Posted November 7, 2011 Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 service dude at my dealer said to be sure to clean the wheels regularly - apparently that dust is corrosive (?) brake dust will eat into and pit any wheel if left on and never cleaned off. look at most cars where people never rotate their tires and never clean them, the fronts will be mostly black and the rear wheels will look like new. all brands do this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destination Posted November 8, 2011 Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 I've taken to waxing my wheels now with a teflon detail spray marketed for motorcycles. It works well, and cuts down on the buildup. It makes the surface really slick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik09sxt Posted November 8, 2011 Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 I've taken to waxing my wheels now with a teflon detail spray marketed for motorcycles. It works well, and cuts down on the buildup. It makes the surface really slick. What is the name of this teflon spray? And where do you get it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destination Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 Honda makes some, available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Honda-Spray-Cleaner-Polish/dp/B00383T62O and this teflon bicycle detailer is what I'm using lately: http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/ProductDisplay?storeId=10052&langId=-1&catalogId=10551&productId=1091224&utm_source=Commission_Junction&utm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=datafeed&PID=2187177&cm_mmc=CJ-_-9223372036854775807-_-2187177-_-Finish+Line+Pro+Detailer+Showroom+Polish+and+Protectant this doesn't have Teflon but works almost as well: http://www.lowes.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&cId=SEARCH&productId=3027532&cm_mmc=SCE_gps-_-gps-_-gps-_-Meguiar%27s%20Quik%20Detailer&CAWELAID=1023651730 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Windancer Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 (edited) This is the interesting thing... I've seen many complaints about brake dust on the Journey, however, I have had 0 brake dust issues at all. I have around 10,000 km on it currently. Ditto for me too and I have 17,000 kms.. terry Edited November 10, 2011 by Windancer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NiceTrip Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 If your rear wheels are making more dust than the fronts, something is definitely wrong. Most likely the brakes aren't relasing fully and are slightly dragging. When I did my rear brakes - at less than 36k miles - the left rear pads were worn completely away while the rights still had plenty of lining. Upon disassembly, I found the left caliper pins had no lubrication and a thin coating of rust. I cleaned an lubricated them thoroughly, and immediately took it to the dealer to complain about the defect. They replaced both rear calipers under warranty, but the funny thing is - the pins aren't in the calipers, but in the brackets. And I'm pretty sure they didn't change the brackets. Oh well, I think my lube job on the pins is doing the trick because I haven't had any more problems. Journey_SeXT 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Germax Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 Same with my '10, replaced calipers under warranty at 46.000 miles, only a $ 50.00 copay....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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