jcn2nascar Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 Hi Frogbox. Thank you for the info on doing this upgrade. I just recently bought a 2010 DJ SXT with factory 17" wheels. It had new rotors and pads on it when I got it but there are already signs of the rotors warping. I plan on doing the front upgrade sometime in the near future and this article will be priceless! I was looking at the clearance between my current calipers and the factory rims and I am concerned that there will not be enough clearance for the bigger brakes. I read where the rims need to be 17" or larger. Seems like most have the 19" rims. Has anyone completed this upgrade with the stock 17" rims? Here are the rims I have: Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobitz68 Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 Stock 17's will fit. The clearance between the wheel and the larger brakes is minimal... Looking at it, one would wonder why they even bothered with 17's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Grant Posted December 18, 2015 Report Share Posted December 18, 2015 Great post! I too was having problems with the brakes on my Journey. The rear rotors warped badly after about 1 year. I usually repair most of my vehicles myself, however I decided to take this to dealer as the vehicle was only about a year old. The ensuing line of BS I received from the service staff was ridiculous. When I pointed out the premature wear on the pads and warped rotors I was told, and I quote "the brakes on these vehicles are built that way". Are you F@*#$*& Kidding Me !!! Keep in mind the rear went before the front ???? Anyhow, I found your posts and set off to do they same. I located a set of calipers from a 2015 Dodge Journey RT at a yard and went to work. Everything went smooth as silk, except the caliper mounting bracket / 'adapter' for the 2015 RT model is different from the 2011 and 2013 (it changed after 2013). So I had to purchase 2013 caliper 'adapter' / brackets, which cost more than the like new calipers I picked up from the wreckers. Brakes work great! I went back and picked up the rear calipers from the same 2015 DJ RT and installed them recently. Again, everything went smooth except the splash guards with cover the back of the rotors need to either be replaced or removed to allow for the larger disc rotor (303 mm). Also the flexible brake hose to each caliper has to be replaced as the original is too short because the new calipers are bigger too. The dealer will gladly 'hose' you for $50 a piece for these. Anyhow, all done and installed, and the vehicle brakes nicely, BIG difference. I am assuming there will be no more premature rotor warping now that the larger rotors can handle the vehicle's weight and shouldn't over heat...but according to Dodge thats not the cause for the premature wear / warping, its just built that way! THANKS AGAIN FOR THIS POST !!! Truely a life saver! Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phi delt reefer Posted January 25, 2016 Report Share Posted January 25, 2016 Great post! I too was having problems with the brakes on my Journey. The rear rotors warped badly after about 1 year. I usually repair most of my vehicles myself, however I decided to take this to dealer as the vehicle was only about a year old. The ensuing line of BS I received from the service staff was ridiculous. When I pointed out the premature wear on the pads and warped rotors I was told, and I quote "the brakes on these vehicles are built that way". Are you F@*#$*& Kidding Me !!! Keep in mind the rear went before the front ???? Anyhow, I found your posts and set off to do they same. I located a set of calipers from a 2015 Dodge Journey RT at a yard and went to work. Everything went smooth as silk, except the caliper mounting bracket / 'adapter' for the 2015 RT model is different from the 2011 and 2013 (it changed after 2013). So I had to purchase 2013 caliper 'adapter' / brackets, which cost more than the like new calipers I picked up from the wreckers. Brakes work great! I went back and picked up the rear calipers from the same 2015 DJ RT and installed them recently. Again, everything went smooth except the splash guards with cover the back of the rotors need to either be replaced or removed to allow for the larger disc rotor (303 mm). Also the flexible brake hose to each caliper has to be replaced as the original is too short because the new calipers are bigger too. The dealer will gladly 'hose' you for $50 a piece for these. Anyhow, all done and installed, and the vehicle brakes nicely, BIG difference. I am assuming there will be no more premature rotor warping now that the larger rotors can handle the vehicle's weight and shouldn't over heat...but according to Dodge thats not the cause for the premature wear / warping, its just built that way! THANKS AGAIN FOR THIS POST !!! Truely a life saver! Ian Ian, i had a similiar issue with my rears - Dodge redesigned the adaptor the pads sit in, so if you keep the stock brakes and use the new adaptor you might get better mileage from the rears. I had dodge comp me the brake job after i found the dealer swapped out the adapter when i had them do the brake job. I investigated further and they admitted the new design reduced binding. What's interesting though is the new design comes with new anti-rattle clips which aftermarket brakes DO NOT come with. The pads are also a slightly different design. When i redid the brakes this year i had to switch back to the old design pads (no one in the aftermarket world has this new design) and get new "old design" clips. Not sure if that will result in premature wear again but i find the new pads fit very snug and didnt move very freely. I greased them heavily but i think maybe grinding some of the contact points would improve the action and improve life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doodleysr Posted January 28, 2016 Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 I'm attempting to get my brakes replaced now on my 2009. The shop that's going to do it is being told by Dodge that in order for this to work the Hydraulic Control Module (I think) or ABS may need to be replaced. Something about the car recognizing that you've put different size parts on. Did anyone run into this problem or know if it's true? Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted January 28, 2016 Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 I'm attempting to get my brakes replaced now on my 2009. The shop that's going to do it is being told by Dodge that in order for this to work the Hydraulic Control Module (I think) or ABS may need to be replaced. Something about the car recognizing that you've put different size parts on. Did anyone run into this problem or know if it's true? Thank you. There was no mention of this in the OP's original how-to. I wouldn't think the ABS or any other module wold know what size anything is downstream. A caliper is a caliper. What shop is doing this? And why are they calling Dodge in the first place? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destination Posted January 29, 2016 Report Share Posted January 29, 2016 I'm still satisfied with using EBC slotted and dimpled rotors with Green Stuff pads. No more warping on my 2011 with excellent braking and pedal feel. I use them front and rear. I got about 20k from the first set of fronts, rears are still going at 30k plus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dj cowboy Posted February 1, 2016 Report Share Posted February 1, 2016 I might have some big news. I stopped by my local Autozone today to return my warranties wheel bearing. They were restocking the shelves in back because they now only carry calipers with the brackets mounted to them. That's huge news because you can now upgrade the front brakes without finding a junkyard for used ones, or paying an arm and a leg for ones from the dealer! silenze 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobitz68 Posted February 4, 2016 Report Share Posted February 4, 2016 (edited) I have had great success with them on heavy vehicles. I would avoid Drilled ones though... Edited July 12, 2016 by jkeaton Destination 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silenze Posted February 9, 2016 Report Share Posted February 9, 2016 I might have some big news. I stopped by my local Autozone today to return my warranties wheel bearing. They were restocking the shelves in back because they now only carry calipers with the brackets mounted to them. That's huge news because you can now upgrade the front brakes without finding a junkyard for used ones, or paying an arm and a leg for ones from the dealer! But would they take the smaller calipers and brackets as a core. Showing 72$ plus 45$ core charge jkeaton 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthrax Posted July 4, 2016 Report Share Posted July 4, 2016 I did the brake upgrade front and rear on my 2011 journey yesterday. I used scrapyard calipers from a 2014 and the difference in braking power is very noticeable. The only thing that's bugging me is the brake pedal is now soft. I know very well that this is normal since there is two caliper pistons to move with the same master cylinder. Now, i read that changing the master and booster did not solve this slight anoyance, but is it possible to just change the master cylinder. If they are compatible, the piston size of the new master could offset the pedal softness. I know from experience on motorcycles that it works with the right size master. Did anyone try that, changing only the master cylinder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKMS Posted August 18, 2017 Report Share Posted August 18, 2017 Hey, If I have 19" stock alloys and 19" steelies for the winters. Will the big brake kits clear the steelies? Also is upgrading the dust shield important as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SylvainB Posted August 28, 2017 Report Share Posted August 28, 2017 On 2016-02-09 at 2:34 AM, silenze said: But would they take the smaller calipers and brackets as a core. Showing 72$ plus 45$ core charge Nope here's the answer from rockauto : Thank you for your message. The core that is returned must match the item that is purchased so if you were to 'upgrade' the parts to newer/larger versions, we could not refund the core charges on them. That would be a little too expensive for me if they do not refund the core charges. I can't find used caliper here .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbacon Posted August 29, 2017 Report Share Posted August 29, 2017 Thank you! followed your directions and was successful with the swap, the brakes are a little soft but the pads and rotors are new so to be expected. cost me about 450.00 and couldn't be happier, also had to replace drivers side wheel bearing because of the pulsing of the old warped disk. Thanks again, you rock! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnycanuck Posted March 4, 2018 Report Share Posted March 4, 2018 I know that this is an old thread but I have a 2010 Dodge Journey and I am about to but my third set of rotors. I see that Frogbox did a successful swap on a 2011. I need to know for sure if the caliper brackets are the same dimensions? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted March 4, 2018 Report Share Posted March 4, 2018 10 hours ago, johnnycanuck said: I know that this is an old thread but I have a 2010 Dodge Journey and I am about to but my third set of rotors. I see that Frogbox did a successful swap on a 2011. I need to know for sure if the caliper brackets are the same dimensions? Thanks! Yes they are the same until the larger brakes came standard in mid-2012. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbacon Posted April 13, 2018 Report Share Posted April 13, 2018 My junkyard callipers are from a 2013 sxt and fit my 2010 sxt perfectly, also installed new rotors in 17” rims. Its been 7 months and emergency tested a few times, complete trust in this setup. Even painted them Red to make them look after market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Fix it Posted April 25, 2018 Report Share Posted April 25, 2018 Hi Frogbox, Thanks for this and i wasn't aware that this would even be possible since I've owned my 2010 DJ for only a few weeks now. I'll certainly keep this in mind if we find the brakes are undersized for the task at hand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam H Posted August 1, 2018 Report Share Posted August 1, 2018 (edited) A word of caution, I pulled a VIN from a 2013 or 2014 Journey off Autotrader and used a parts interchange at a junkyard. The caliper mounting bolts don't match. At some point they revised the hub and caliper with more spacing between bolts. EDIT: I should have run the VIN through a decoder, looks like the VIN listed was for a Caravan (listed incorrectly on Autotrader), or perhaps that is the vehicle VIN the Junkyard used for interchange. So, if anyone is sourcing parts, the dual piston calipers off a caravan DON'T interchange. Edited August 1, 2018 by Adam H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam H Posted August 3, 2018 Report Share Posted August 3, 2018 On 7/31/2018 at 8:03 PM, Adam H said: A word of caution, I pulled a VIN from a 2013 or 2014 Journey off Autotrader and used a parts interchange at a junkyard. The caliper mounting bolts don't match. At some point they revised the hub and caliper with more spacing between bolts. Apparently you can only edit a post once. I don't believe the hub/spindle was revised on the Journey, the parts interchange is simply incorrect on the Calipers being the same between the Journey and the Town and Country. I went to another junkyard to pick up a set of calipers. Their system also said Town and Country calipers would interchange, same problem. After more research, it appears that the rotor part numbers for a 2013 Journey and 2013 Town and Country are interchangeable, but the calipers are not. According to the junkyard interchange, the spindles for the Journey show interchange for 2011-2017, but are different than the Town and Country. This makes sense, as the calipers mount to the spindles. Attached picture shows 2012 Journey single piston caliper vs 2013 Town and Country two piston caliper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam H Posted August 7, 2018 Report Share Posted August 7, 2018 On 10/20/2014 at 3:48 PM, fox_raycing said: The front calipers and rotors are the same as the caravans but the rear calipers That's what the pats interchange will tell you, but it is incorrect. The front rotors appear to be the same judging by part numbers at various auto parts stores. I assure the front calipers are not the same. See above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam H Posted August 7, 2018 Report Share Posted August 7, 2018 On 12/18/2015 at 11:22 AM, Ian Grant said: I went back and picked up the rear calipers from the same 2015 DJ RT and installed them recently. Again, everything went smooth except the splash guards with cover the back of the rotors need to either be replaced or removed to allow for the larger disc rotor (303 mm). Also the flexible brake hose to each caliper has to be replaced as the original is too short because the new calipers are bigger too. The dealer will gladly 'hose' you for $50 a piece for these. I used 2013 rear calipers and the angle of the attachment for the flexible brake hose is a little different. I also noted the L bend at the caliper end is slightly more rounded. They stock lines will work, but you need to have the caliper positioned just right in the wheel well and then use a bit of muscle to get the caliper aligned to the bracket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sppmaster Posted May 20, 2021 Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 On 24.09.2013 г. at 5:02 AM, FROGBOX said: Well, I said I would do it, so I did. I was going to source all the parts new, but I was able to find a wrecked 2013 Journey and bought the calipers, brackets, rotors & pads for $150 total. That saved me about $350 from buying new and made it much less of a risk if it didn't work. First, the disclaimer...... PLEASE do not attempt this upgrade unless you know what you are doing. Use common sense when jacking & supporting a vehicle, they are heavy and can move. Always use jack stands. And most of all, be careful. First, here are some comparison pictures to show the huge difference between the brakes. As you can see, the calipers are much bigger. And, they are dual piston calipers too, meaning you get more pressure on the pads for better braking. The rotors are also much larger. The old ones are 302mm and the new ones are over an inch bigger at 330mm: I did want to replace the pads & rotors, but since these brakes are so new being available only on 2013 & late 2012 cars, the aftermarket availability is limited for replacement pads & rotors. So if you can wait to do this upgrade till aftermarket parts are available, you can save a few bucks. I will be throwing on a set of new ceramic pads & rotors next year. I hate the brake dust created by the OEM pads. Unfortunately I cannot see any pictures on the first three posts. They just don't load. Did anyone have an archive of these really useful posts (first, second and third one) to save this excellent job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted May 20, 2021 Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 27 minutes ago, sppmaster said: Unfortunately I cannot see any pictures on the first three posts. They just don't load. Did anyone have an archive of these really useful posts (first, second and third one) to save this excellent job. Nope. Photobucket screwed everyone when they went to a paid platform. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sppmaster Posted May 20, 2021 Report Share Posted May 20, 2021 1 minute ago, jkeaton said: Nope. Photobucket screwed everyone when they went to a paid platform. If anyone is able to pull it from here Internet archive here www.archive.org I've tried but I can see only a few pics. Can anyone try to pull the archived page. Maybe we still have a chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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