Couple of surprises doing brake job on 2015 Renegade

[YY1]

So I can see the left side rotor has gouges in it.
Stops fine.
A few weeks ago I started hearing a noise like the pad wear indicators.
Almost 75K mines, so I figured pads and replace that one rotor while I'm at it.
Ordered Bosch parts.

Surprise #1- lug bolts.
Yep bolts. Totally did not expect that.
(Actually surprise #1 was no jack. No spare either, but does have a compressor and "fix a flat can...and the scissors jack I have that fits the pinch weld location didn't go high enough so had to find a "flat" spot on the K frame)

Surprise #2- "Powered by Koni" strut label. That's cool. have to assume that's OEM.

Surprise #3- there's a "caliper cage". Also holds the pads. ??? that's knda' odd.

Surprise #4- rotor is "bolted" to the hub with a totally non-standard, tapered, long shouldered hex set screw- WTF?? Bet dealer is only source for lost or broken and $$$$$. Don't like that idea AT ALL.

Surprise #5- caliper "cage" traps rotor and is bolted on TIGHT.
No room to get torque multiplier on end of 1/2" ratchet.
Wonder what the torque spec is.

Was 2/3 done and had to put it back together as a storm was a'brewin'.

Surprise #6- pads no where near wear indicators.

Surprise #7- dead lizard wedged between caliper and rotor! Half ground away.
Maybe that's what was making the noise.

 

[BIGSHCLUNK]

Sorry these are not "Jeeps" .... Euro made as I recall. Now as for the lizard thing.....

 

[Don Frelier]

That is the european design.
You don't really need the bolt in the rotor it just helps for assembly at the factory.
*I just put it back in with never seize, they last surprisingly well.

 

[Don Frelier]

The cage bolts likely have thread locker on them.
I'm sure they are pretty tight but not torqued as high as you might think.

 

[Triplegreen500]

Most of the guys at the Jeep shop where I worked just used a 3/8" air ratchet to r&r the cages. Not super-high torque at all.

Yes, anti-sieze on the hex bolt! Get the threads, AND the underside of the head flange!

And yes...it's a Fiat 500. Seriously.

 

[patrick66]

And yes...it's a Fiat 500. Seriously.

True story. Same suspension and chassis, and I believe the same engine and transmission as the FIAT 500 four-door SUV-looking thing.

 

[YY1]

That's a great possibility.

Next time I will turn the wheels so I can get a better angle and cheater bar on it.

I was kinda afraid I was gonna lift it off the jack/stands.

 

[YY1]

The underpinnings are the same but the body and interior are quite different.

We looked at 500L and 500X. They are dramatically different from the Renegade and each other.

 

[Don Frelier]

That's a great possibility.

Next time I will turn the wheels so I can get a better angle and cheater bar on it.

I was kinda afraid I was gonna lift it off the jack/stands.

Sometimes a good old fashioned box wrench put some pressure on it and then hit it with a mash hammer up kinda close to the bolt.
If you can't get an impact on it that is...

 

[Mike67]

I think my 02 Ram has that same mounting cage if I rember correctly.

 

[Bee1971]

Good to know about brakes

As i have a 2017 that we bought brand new - Daily driver back forth work

Now has 50,000 Miles - Only issue was drivers door weatherstripping under warranty numerous times

1.4 Turbo - Manual 6 Speed

Other then oil changes and tires
Dont jinx myself

 

[rmchrgr]

I think my 02 Ram has that same mounting cage if I rember correctly.

Yes, they all have them. Take the cage off. You just need a swivel impact on an air ratchet or 3/8" impact. Probably a 13mm. Sometimes they are hex.

It can be hard to see how much pad material is left. 2-3mm is usually time to replace but if you're getting new ones you need to replace or cut the existing rotors. Hard to tell exactly how deep those gouges are but they look kinda bad, not sure if they can be cut safely or not. No one cuts rotors anymore though.

If you are changing rotors, they can get rusted on so spray some WD40 on the mounting face before trying to wrestle them off. Sometimes they are bad enough where you have to beat them off with a BFH. If you're getting new rotors and they're stuck just hammer them off. Make sure to clean the hub mounting surface face with a wire wheel.

 

[YY1]

Bolt heads for the cage are 16mm.

Awfully big, I thought.

Had to spray penetrant and beat hub area plus use pry bar to get rotor free.

I knew it was gonna be trapped by that cage, but I had to see. Sometimes you get lucky.

 

[JoePole]

Wish surprise #7 was that effing Geico Lizard.

 

[Mike67]

Yes, they all have them. Take the cage off. You just need a swivel impact on an air ratchet or 3/8" impact. Probably a 13mm. Sometimes they are hex.

It can be hard to see how much pad material is left. 2-3mm is usually time to replace but if you're getting new ones you need to replace or cut the existing rotors. Hard to tell exactly how deep those gouges are but they look kinda bad, not sure if they can be cut safely or not. No one cuts rotors anymore though.

If you are changing rotors, they can get rusted on so spray some WD40 on the mounting face before trying to wrestle them off. Sometimes they are bad enough where you have to beat them off with a BFH. If you're getting new rotors and they're stuck just hammer them off. Make sure to clean the hub mounting surface face with a wire wheel.

Ya I didnt have any issues with mine, being a truck I was able to use a breaker bar.

 

[Triplegreen500]

If you turn the wheels, you have room to use a breaker bar to pull the cage.