Dodge Dakota/Durango Front Brake Caliper Replacement Video

Instructions for replacing the front calipers on your '02-'04 Dakota, and '01-'03 Durango. Steps will be similar for the earlier Dakota's and most other vehicles.
Loaded front drivers side caliper (includes pads) - amzn.to/2VgNXTD
Loaded front passenger side caliper (pads included) - amzn.to/2Pi335Q
Front drivers caliper (pads NOT included) - amzn.to/2XucwtD
Front passenger caliper (pads NOT included) - amzn.to/2KS3Fkg
Front brake pads - amzn.to/2KS4oSw
Front brake rotors (same for both sides) - amzn.to/2PikfZ9
Filming equipment:
Go Pro Hero 7 Black - amzn.to/2zY1sLT
Go Pro Hero 7 Black WITH SD cards and batteries - amzn.to/2zXxR54
Accessory kit - amzn.to/2ZWIQXc
iPhone 8 Plus space gray 256GB - amzn.to/2O0JMHG

[@STEEZY_T999]

This is one of the best automotive repair videos I’ve probably ever seen. Very detailed and well spoken. Thank you for blessing your knowledge on us!

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

Appreciate the positive feedback!

[@WinkOutdoors]

Thank you for showing the clip install. Everyone else likes to skip that part.

[@bucluv2950]

You'd think a new caliper would come with some instructions. But it didn't. Couldn't remember for the life of me how that front retainer clamp went back on until I watched your video. Actually someone had installed the old clamp incorrectly. Probably is what caused the caliper to fail in the first place. Great tutorial!

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

Thanks! Glad I could help out haha

[@brianrichard6043]

1st dont remove the brake line until last. You do not want the reservoir to go dry.. 2nd. Did not address the grooves on the pad rails. Tip grind and polish those surfaces. 3rd. No lube any where...squeek and sticking pads to come. 4th. Lube the pins. Brakes need to be able to relax when you let off the pedal. No lube= warped rotors. 5th. Replace the rubber brake line. You can't see the inside of the line for deterioration. Best thing done was the use of a 6 point wrench. Another tip is get the rotor off and clean the hub surface and rotor surface to bare metal and protect it with a thin layer of No2 grease.

[@Have.Brains]

Fantastic video, very good presentation and delivery on your part as well as giving all the information needed. Thanks!

[@jerrypruitt7432]

the best video that i have seen step by step showing all an completion. also great camera work. thats the way videos should all be made. i learned a whole lot an that is great.GOD bless.

[@8lazingSaddles]

I only watched this video to see how those clips on the outside of the caliper go on (which were missing from my truck), but discovered a very detailed and informative. Thanks for taking the time to make these videos. If we had had these videos back in the 80's and 90's when I was still an auto mechanic (for money), I wouldn't have needed to shell out thousands of dollars for repair manuals which in turn became obsolete within only a few years. I'm sure I would have made a few videos as well. Might as well pay it forward, right?

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

Right! Haha. Videos are life savers now days!

[@JohnDoe-le8fy]

Really good video man, thanks! Very detailed.

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

Thanks!

[@darrelsmith4549]

Great video brother 👏 Good major points and super on point, thanks for the in depth tutorial...

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

Appreciate it! Glad I could help!

[@tysauce1986]

Great video. My calipers didnt come with a new banjo bolt so I had to steal them from another caliper the parts store. The size is 10mm x 1.25. My manual confirms your torque value at 22 ft/lb. Ultimately I came here to see how you mounted the "upgrade" spring. Great video, thanks for taking the time.

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

Thanks for the feedback! Glad to help out!

[@ZackSkates757]

Absolutely amazing instructional video, thanks man!

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

Appreciate the positive feedback 🙏

[@faithanderson2238]

Stick the open end of the hose into a 20 oz bottle and fill it a quarter of the way with fluid then just pump the brakes until no air. One person ability unlocked.

[@javiersandoval1291]

Good job. Thanks

[@donaldbruns8309]

Helped me a lot

[@willowb2899]

Best video ever it made this process so easy

[@rickyrick9328]

You are very thorough. Just to add to this - you might want to check out a Phoenix Systems brake bleeder kit. It's a little pricey, but you can bleed brakes yourself including the master cylinder still on the vehicle. I never bench bleed a master cylinder now. I use this one-man bleeder. You "reverse bleed" - pushing new fluid from the bleeder screw through the brake lines into the master cylinder. The air bubbles up in the master cylinder. Very nice.

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

Thank you for the input!

[@Thundarr995]

I would pre- fill up the new caliper through the banjo bolt hole and hook it up to the line. That way you don't get a whole bunch of air in the line(s). If you get too much air in the lines, you'll have to take it to the shop and have them bleed the brakes with a bidirectional scan tool.. Remember, the new caliper is fully of air too.That spring thing that goes on the outside of the caliper isn't an upgrade. It's supposed to be on there and it needs to be there. Otherwise the pads will wear unevenly. After you're all done and bleed the crap out of the brakes. If the pedal is still spongy. Don't waste your time trying to get the air out of the system yourself. You got too much air in the system, the air got into the ABS module. You'll never get it out without activating the ABS motor/module. Btw,AUTEL Maxi-check Pro doesn't work for bleeding these ABS modules either. That's why I pre- fill the caliper and hook fluid lines up quickly.

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

Not to say it isn't impossible, but in 15 years of professional wrenching, I've never had this problem. In theory, the air from the caliper shouldn't be able to make it's way into the master cylinder, which is when you'd run into problems. But you are right if air gets into the master or the ABS module then it does become much more of a pain to bleed and you need a good scan tool like you mentioned. The new caliper pistons are always compressed, so there's very little air in the actual caliper. and only a small pocket should form inside the caliper once you connect the brake line, and of course gets purged when you open the bleeder.

[@shoja7264]

Very very very good video👍🏽👍🏽

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

Thank you!

[@seandoran6798]

What about the part the caliper screws into how to take that off an change the holes are stripped 😊

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

Which screws?

[@royleetheredneckryans1046]

Mines a 2 wheel drive with drums on the back. Do i bleed the back too or is the front alone okay?

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

You should be ok to bleed only the caliper that you’re replacing, as long as you didn’t run the brake fluid reservoir dry. If that happened, then both rear drum brakes need to be bled in addition to both front calipers.

[@darrelsmith4549]

What happens if you do run and drive on empty reservoir then refill and don't bleed anything... further more,what happens if you don't bleed the master cylinder 🤔

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

You'd have very weak brakes, if any brakes at all with all that air in the system.

[@marktreglia945]

Tony, what kind of side mirrors are those? I like them and would like to do the same to my Dakota.

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

They're actually factory 2nd/3rd gen Ram tow mirrors, and I modified the door to make them fit. I have an install video but it does require some drilling, cutting, and wiring.

[@phoenixreign7522]

Can you use the old spring from the old unit or do you have to use the new one with the new unit?

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

Springs? You mean just the brake pad retainers? They could be reused so long as they didn’t get hyperextended and lose their resistance.

[@MinnesotaFarmboy]

I've read that the caliper bracket bolts are 125 ft lbs and the banjo bolt for line connection is 35 ft lbs.

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

The caliper bracket or the caliper itself? Bracket removal is not required for this and the caliper bolts would probably snap by about 40-50 ft lbs but 35 sounds about right for the brake line banjo bolt.

[@MinnesotaFarmboy]

@@TonyTheTruckGuy yeah, I just included the caliper bracket specs for informational purposes. I believe you are right about the caliper bolts being 22 foot pounds.

[@firearmsinstructor320]

Curious...that fancy schmancy thing...? What is it called and can you get one stand alone?

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

The piece at 9:55? Not sure the exact name but I guess I’d call it a brake caliper retainer. You may be able to get it as part of a “brake pad hardware kit” but most of them time you need to buy new pads to get them.

[@firearmsinstructor320]

@@TonyTheTruckGuy That very piece...I have been searching high and low for it...Thank you sir for your prompt reply. All the best.

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

@@firearmsinstructor320 No problem, wish I could help more haha.

[@firearmsinstructor320]

@@TonyTheTruckGuy sir...you helped more than you know ...watching you do this job gave me the confidence to buy the parts and do it myself...My regular mechanic wanted $300

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

@@firearmsinstructor320 Yeah stuff like brakes and filters are good things to save money on by doing it yourself so long as you do it right. Best of luck!

[@standingintheshadows9670]

Spray wd40 on it help remove the rust and help clean it and always wipe it down when done

[@mariocontreras6076]

Why dont you replace the hose as well?

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

Sorry for the late reply, 300+ comments were "being held for review" for some reason. I assume you meant the brake caliper hose? They were a bit crusty, but no major issues. The damn things never want to unscrew from the other end where they meet at the frame rail and it always turns into a nightmare so I just left them alone until the day comes that they start leaking.

[@JjHarrisHONDA]

What do I do if my top one is stuck

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

Top what?

[@SniperSpec0ps]

That was awesome, thank you.

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

Thanks for watching!

[@Forlornguild]

Big problem with that style front brakes on Dodge is the rails the ears of the pads slide on. Can see in this video they're notched from previous pads.... that can be problematic and cause the brakes to stick or lock up. Best to file or grind those rails smooth if they have notches worn in them. Unlike most other brake calipers systems, the bracket with the rails on it cannot be replaced; its part of the whole spindle assembly, and it doesn't have hardware over the slide rails that can be replaced, only thing you can do is grind it smooth so pads slide easy.

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

Yeah, they should at least include shims with the new pads but it is a bit of a poor design.

[@Arizonacameron]

I have a 2000 durango and I've been looking for rims like yours where could I find those kind at

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

Sorry for the late reply, 300+ comments were "being held for review" for some reason. These are Black Rock brand and I believe I got them from Summit Racing.

[@dustinnadeau1457]

I love the search. It's not a damn 2005

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

Lol, no, but if you type in “2005 Dodge Dakota brakes” it’s still gonna pull up any video that closely matches that.

[@vyperpilot]

7mm doesnt fit my 2001 Durango.

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

For the caliper bolts? What are yours?

[@vyperpilot]

@@TonyTheTruckGuy for sure not 7mm on the passenger side. now I am reading the drivers side may be 7mm and the passenger 1/4 inch. wth pulled the wheel off three times today trying to get this sh$#t done.

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

@@vyperpilot 1/4” and 6mm are close in size but not quite the same. Is it an Allen bolt at least?

[@vyperpilot]

@@TonyTheTruckGuy Thanks. I know. 7 mm passenger. 1/4 inch driver side. Yes, allen.

[@TonyTheTruckGuy]

@@vyperpilot That’s ridiculous lol. Idk what they were thinking with these front ends.