OK... so after doing a 2200 mile road trip this past week... off and on highway/city driving. We are pulling into our neighborhood in my wifes 2003 KJ and as she's turning and hitting the brakes pretty hard... we notice a grinding sound. Almost like what you feel w/the ABS kicks in... although there was no pulsing on the brake foot pedal. The noise went away immediately when letting off the brakes. Pulled in and unloaded the KJ.

I took it back out for a test drive and tried to re-peat the same noise. I was braking pretty hard, but smoothly and couldn't get it to repeat the noise until I did what I would call a panic stop (no traffic around...) I did then get that same grinding type noise. I crawled under the KJ and couldn't see anything leaking, broke, etc... My feeling is that the KJ was somehow bottoming out (133K miles on the front Struts) and hitting the bump-stop. I replaced the front brake pads and rotors about 6 months back and they appear to be in good working order (not warped or worn away).

Both front hubs have been replaced a couple times each under Mopar recall and I don't suspect those as there is no noise under normal driving.

Not sure what to check?? Any suggestions??

KJ has 133K miles (only 3.5K on new motor) and she's running fine... even averaged 19.5 mpg on the road trip.

loose surface or asphalt?

I had something like that happen to me, thought the front end was coming apart, got out to look and almost busted my a** on the glaze ice. Thats the only time I've heard it. Sickening sound, sounds like metal on metal, but it was just the ABS kicking in.

_________________
2005 CRD "Ol' Blue"
Red Ryder carbine-action, two hundred shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing which tells time.
My build page- RL Komodo Rear and TJM Front Bumper, armored, lifted, JBA Steel D30, 4.10s and ARB air lockers.

Thanks for the reply. Did you get any foot pedal kick-back or feed-back when this happened to you? The only time I've had my ABS come on in any vehicle I owned... was my '96 Mustang Cobra and w/that I could feel a kick-back type feel on the foot pedal. I didn't notice any pedal feedback on the KJ. Could be just the different systems of ABS being used... I don't know.

Also... could be some loose gravel on the road area in question... I'll have to go back and double check this evening.

I find the ABS on this vehicle sounds like the front end is going to blow apart when it comes on without much pedal feedback. Other vehicles I have driven with ABS are much quieter when activated and you get the pedal feed back.

_________________
2006 Liberty CRD Limited

Provent @ 43,000 km
SEGR in progress
SAMCO Sport hoses @ 48500 km
Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac LT225/75R16