My wife's 2003 Grand Cherokee fell victim to warped rotors, but after completing the repairs, I'm surmising that her driving style didn't cause the problem. While removing the lug nuts with a breaker bar, I felt a disparity in the effort required to loosen them. Hmmm. That can't be good. I wondered what the torque was on the other wheel, so I used a torque wrench to loosen the lugs. Torque varied from 80 to 125 lb/ft on the R/F wheel! Just for safety's sake, I checked the rear wheels. Same sad shape. Torque was all over the map. Moral of the story - when the dealer is doing warranty work (power window) and asks if you want your tires rotated - tell 'em "No, thanks" - unless you can oversee the job. Incidentally, the old rotors and pads had 29,000 miles and wore evenly, with no glazing or hot spots. The pads have 5/16 of friction material left. My money says that the dealer's tire-jockey has caused me (and likely many others) to suffer from warped rotors. Intentionally, perhaps? Hard to prove. Word to the wise - the 2003 WJ has rotors made of soft cast iron. Inattention to wheel torque can destroy them in a heartbeat.
- posted
18 years ago