So, about a week ago I get in the "wife's Liberty" and drive a couple of blocks in the rain only to hear metal to metal when I apply the brakes coming from the front passenger side. I ask how long that's been going on, she says it only happens sometimes (wtf?). Anyways, I get some fancy smancy ceramic/hybrid pads from Napa for all 4 and ordered some rotors from RockAuto (which have not been installed yet). I put the new pads on the old rotors while I'm waiting for the new rotors to arrive. I did notice that both passenger side pads (front and rear) were worn down more than the driver's side and the respective pads had un even wear from inside to outside. Fair enough, I change them out and think I'm good to go.

I then drove the Liberty 40 miles home from the shop that I have access to. Park the car and the smell hit me. Apparently the rear passenger side was dragging the whole way home and the front passenger side as well (but not as much as the rear it smelled/looked/spit sizzle test like).

After some research it sounds like the front pins need to be removed, cleaned, re-lubed and probably inserted back without the rubber sleeves. Check: No problem

However, what's going on in the rear? The only thing I did differently from when I drove it to the shop to when I drove it home (when it got hotter than hell) was to apply the parking brake while working on it.

Do you guys think it's the parking brake mechanisms (pins? springs? I got nothing there) that are causing the sticking? Or would it possibly just be the same pins on the caliper that I'll be working on in the front?

And most importantly, how do I loosen things up temporarily enough to drive the 40 miles back to the shop without causing a rotor or pad liquid meltdown mess or worse, a lock up?

caliper problems are far too common on Liberty's - just clean & lightly grease the slider bars - I think that's the main issue..

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2005 CRD
stuff
Skeptic quod gratis asseritur, gratis negatur

x2, clean and grease the slider posts, they freeze up easily. Buy a new hardware kit to replace the stainless channels that the pads ride in. Put a little brake grease in that channel so the pads slide nicely. Clean, clean, clean is the key.

Hardware kit is cheap, less than $10 bucks from autozone.

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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.
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The fancy new pads actually came with new hardware, and for that price they had better. But 10-4 on the lube, I'll clean and lube everything up. Thanks for the help.

Just to be fair to the CRD - 1) this is a KJ issue not a CRD issue as the brakes on the CRD and gasser are the same but 2) in reality it's not particularly a KJ issue as I've seen similar problems on other disc brakes, going back decades, that use a slider caliper assembly. In the early days of disc brakes many/most designs had a fixed caliper with dual pistons (1 on each side) and the problem was virtually nonexistant but then the bean counters/engineers decided single piston slider calipers were an "improvement". IMHO about as much of an improvement as "plastic" caliper pistons.

Pardon the semi-old timer rant.

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Sold to LOST member my 05 Ltd, GDE Stg II turbo + TCM tune, SunCoast TC w. Transgo kit, Steiger window regulators, Samcos, Fumoto valve, 2nd gen filter head with Lub. Spec. bleeder, Hayden clutch & 11 blade fan, inverted spare, P-1 battery, BF Goodrich Long Trail TAs, Etecno1 glow plugs, timing belt at 50K miles/8 yrs

Sticking brakes is a big issue nowdays from the use of phonalic pistons and not steel pistons.

X2

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2005 CRD Limited

I would recommend bleeding old brake fluid, mighty vac helps and friend. I found this plastic clear stuff in lines, never seen this on any other vehicle I have done brakes. Greasing sliders good idea with synthetic type. I put all new rotors and pads on CRD at 100k even if it did not need them. Dot 3 is correct fluid not 4. I agree on stainless hardware get it, now watch how you take old ones off for reference.

Here's a previous post on this:

"There is no difference between the gas and diesel KJs, in this regard. The local Jeep shop I checked with in my area has been seeing this for years on scores of Libertys and has been successfully addressing it by simply deleting the front slider pin rubber sleeves.

BTW, they have never seen a problem with rattling after leaving out the sleeves. We have over 70,000 miles on ours since deleting the sleeves. No rattles and the calipers are still nice and free.

So, there seems to be no downside to this mod. However, there is to leaving the sleeves in. By the time you realize your pins have jammed, you have trashed a rotor or two, plus the pads.

BTW, the other "local knowledge" regarding KJ brakes is that if you have a hard time retracting the pistons when replacing pads, it's time for rebuilt calipers. Apparently, nobody has come up with stainless steel pistons, yet. The composite ones eventually jam and do not retract properly.

Also, the flexible brake lines can collapse internally and keep the pistons from retracting, causing the brakes to drag or even fully lock up. (Happened to us.) This is hard to diagnose because it goes away when the brakes cool down."

DOC

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2005 KJ CRD Ltd Detroit TrueTrac Bilsteins G2 GDE "HOT" ECU GDE TCM "Tow Tune" "euro" TC SEGR Weeks Elbow New HG at 130K ARPs Clean CAT aFe Filter Magnaflow Exhaust EHM Cumminos In-Tank Lift Pump Hayden Fan Clutch Nylon Fan VH Enabled with GDE lower shutoff point Recalibrated Temp Gauge Tekonsha Prodigy Sears P-1 ZDDP

How often do you bleed/change brake fluid? Regular DOT 3 ought to be changed yearly, as it is highly hygroscopic and absorbs water from the air very quickly. This does two bad things; promotes corrosion and lowers the boiling point of the fluid. Trust me, the first time you boil a brake system you get fanatical about fluid changes.

You also ought to change the fluid before changing calipers or any other brake work. Why push old contaminated fluid through new calipers?

Use only fresh fluid from a store that sells a lot of it, OR use ATE super blue, which is the best DOT 3/4 fluid I know of, and which can extend fluid changes to two years. failure to regularly flush the brake system and change the fluid is a prime cause of caliper problems.

Also , to make this easy, use speed bleeder screws on the calipers; they are like fumoto valves for the brake system.

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Grid power- the one true essential

2005 Liberty CRD- ARP studs, Fumoto, Hayden FC, inline Tstat, ETechno 7v GP, Platinum P1, in-tank lift pump.
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If you're having problems with the front brakes, check the rubber brake hoses. I had to change both sides on my '06 last year, both hoses had several buldges in them.

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2000 Dodge SLT 4x4 CTD Intense Blue, a few go fast goodys

2006 Limited CRD 4x4 Inferno Red, GDE ECO tune