2020 Durango RT loud grinding noise...

[Cray Paper]

We have a 2020 RT Durango and it has been issue free until today. I bought it new in Dec of 2020 and it has 20K miles on it. Went to visit my parents and on the way home I could hear a metallic sound coming from the drive train at 50 MPH or less. I thought I ran over a trash can or a skid plate came loose and was dragging on the asphalt. No check engine light or other lights indict acting an issue. Thought a rock got stuck in a caliper or heat shield came loose. The sound isn't speed related per say, but goes away above 45 MPH. At lower speed the screeching is louder but lessons with speed. At less than 35 MPH a clicking on top of the screeching noise is apparent. I thought a front brake pad broke and pulled the front wheels but they look fine.

A RT Durango has the same running gear as a Cherokee, any idea what would cause this metallic screeching sound?

 

[Dalton]

if its awd or 4wd quick guess would be transfer case

 

[wishiknew]

We have a 2020 RT Durango and it has been issue free until today. I bought it new in Dec of 2020 and it has 20K miles on it. Went to visit my parents and on the way home I could hear a metallic sound coming from the drive train at 50 MPH or less. I thought I ran over a trash can or a skid plate came loose and was dragging on the asphalt. No check engine light or other lights indict acting an issue. Thought a rock got stuck in a caliper or heat shield came loose. The sound isn't speed related per say, but goes away above 45 MPH. At lower speed the screeching is louder but lessons with speed. At less than 35 MPH a clicking on top of the screeching noise is apparent. I thought a front brake pad broke and pulled the front wheels but they look fine.

A RT Durango has the same running gear as a Cherokee, any idea what would cause this metallic screeching sound?

maybe brake rotor metal to metal

 

[monkeyswrench]

It could also be a wheel bearing issue, or u-joint/CV

 

[hav19]

With only 20k miles my first thought was a rock between the brake rotor and backing plate - However (depending on which engine) these vehicles have a known issue with water pump failures- I would check it closely…..

 

[Dan Lorenze]

Your description sounds like the problem I had with my Tahoe, it was a Hub Bearing that wore out on one side, makes the grinding noise at slower speeds. I replaced both sides fairly easy and wasn't expensive.

 

[Cray Paper]

My thought was a rock got lodged between a rotor and caliper / brake pad, used to happen a lot on GM trucks. The the sounds this was making also had a thin sheet metal banging sound, like a heat shield or skid plate hitting something spinning. I tried backing up several times to dislodge a possible rock, no luck but the sound wasn't present. My wife stood on the sidewalk as I drove past her, she said it was coming from the front and was louder on the drivers side. I pulled the drivers front caliper last night and didn't find anything. I pulled the passengers side front wheel this morning rotated the rotor by hand and heard the noise, found a small rock above the brake pads on the engine side of the caliper, one side was against the rotor and the other was against the sheet metal backing plate.

BTW, if your pulling a late model Durango front brake caliper, you need a 11mm allen wrench. None of our local automotive parts places or Lowes carry that size...but a 7/16" allen wrench will work in a pinch. Between the Durango and my wife's sons Chrysler 300 my home automotive tool inventory has substantially in creased in the last 6 months.