Brakes are safety-critical. If the pedal feels soft after a job, do not drive. Bleed the system or take the truck to a shop. Front pads on a non-SRT8 WK are about 90 minutes of work and $110–220 in parts.
Front brakes on the WK are a standard sliding-caliper, two-piston job — straightforward if you've done brakes on anything else, but the WK is a heavy truck (4,400–4,800 lbs depending on trim), so do not cheap out on pads or rotors. Akebono, Centric, Wagner OEX, and Bosch all make decent OE-replacement pads. Avoid the lifetime-warranty bargain pads — they fade fast and squeal. The SRT8 uses Brembo 4-pots and a different procedure; this guide is for non-SRT8 WKs only.
You'll want to do both sides at once even if only one is squealing. Pads wear unevenly side-to-side on a heavy unibody truck, and a new pad on one side and worn on the other will pull the truck during stops.
Loosen the front lug nuts before lifting, then raise the front of the truck on the frame rails and set it on stands rated for the weight. Pull both front wheels. The caliper bolts are 13mm (slide pins) on the back of the caliper. Pop both pins out, lift the caliper off the carrier and hang it from the coil with a bungee or zip tie — do not let it hang from the brake line. Slide the old pads out of the carrier.
The carrier itself is held to the knuckle with two larger bolts (typically 18mm or 21mm depending on year). To swap rotors you need to pull the carrier off — these bolts are torqued tight from the factory and may need a breaker bar. Behind the carrier, the rotor slides off the hub once the small Phillips retainer is out (or, more commonly, it's already rusted off and the rotor is stuck). A few hammer hits at the rotor hat usually frees it.
Wire-brush the hub face before installing the new rotor. A rusty mating surface causes lateral runout and steering shimmy under braking. Bolt the carrier back on, slot the new pads into the carrier with the wear-indicator clip on the inboard pad facing inward, compress the caliper piston with a C-clamp (open the bleeder first to push the old fluid out the bleeder, not back into the master), and slide the caliper back over the new pads. Reinstall the 13mm pins with a dab of caliper grease.
Pump the pedal until it firms up before you move the truck. Bed in the new pads with 8–10 moderate stops from 40 to 10 mph, then let the brakes cool for 10 minutes before driving normally.
| Part | Vendor | Est. price |
|---|---|---|
| Front brake pads (non-SRT8) — ceramic | Akebono / Centric / Wagner OEX | ~$55 |
| Front rotors, pair (non-SRT8) — Centric 120.67042 / 120.67043 | Centric / Bosch / Raybestos | ~$90 |
| Caliper slide-pin grease | Permatex / Sil-Glyde | ~$6 |
| Caliper bolt (if needed) | Crown Automotive / Mopar | ~$8 |
Written and maintained by an AZ wheeler and driveway wrencher. Always cross-reference your factory service manual — modifications affect vehicle safety and warranty. Work at your own risk.