2006-2007 Dodge Magnum Front vs Rear Brakes: What Wears First and What to Replace

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

On a 2006-2007 Dodge Magnum the front brakes almost always wear out first, because the front axle does most of the stopping on any car and the Magnum is a heavy, nose-heavy wagon. Plan on front pads and rotors being the regular service item, and inspect the rear pads, rotors and the parking brake shoes hidden inside the rear rotor hat at every front job so the rear never surprises you.

How the Magnum Brake System Is Laid Out

Every 2006-2007 Magnum uses disc brakes at all four corners. There are no rear drums for the service brakes, but there is a small drum built into the center "hat" of each rear rotor. Inside it sit a pair of parking brake shoes that press outward when you set the parking brake. That drum-in-hat design matters later, because a rear brake job on a Magnum is really two jobs: pads and rotors, plus a look at those shoes.

What sits at the front depends on the engine and trim:

The non-Brembo calipers use phenolic pistons, which help with heat and noise. Upgraded versions also get larger vented rear rotors, so the rear parts are trim-specific too. Always shop by your exact trim and engine, not just the year.

What Wears First and Why

When you brake, weight shifts forward and loads the front tires. Brembo's official partner Race Technologies puts it plainly: the front of the vehicle does the majority of the work, and the exact split depends on weight distribution, wheelbase and center-of-gravity height. The Magnum carries a big engine up front, so the front pads and rotors see more heat and more wear every stop.

In real ownership that usually looks like this:

• Front pads are the first wear item. They will typically need replacement well before the rears.
• Front rotors wear and heat-cycle along with the pads. On a heavy car, rotors often need replacing at the same time as pads rather than resurfacing.
• Rear pads last longer, but they do wear, and stability and traction control systems work by braking individual wheels, which adds rear use. Do not assume the rears are fine because the fronts were just done.
• Parking brake shoes wear slowly, but they can glaze or stick from disuse, especially on cars where the parking brake is rarely set.

Symptoms and How to Tell Front From Rear

• Squeal from the front on light braking: usually worn front pads. Check pad thickness through the wheel spokes or with the wheel off.
• Steering wheel shake when braking from highway speed: points to front rotor thickness variation. Chrysler's tolerances on this platform are tight: disc thickness should not vary more than 0.0004 in. (0.010 mm) and total runout should not exceed 0.0014 in. (0.035 mm), per Brake and Front End. That is why pulsation shows up early on these cars.
• Pulsation felt in the seat or pedal but not the wheel: more likely the rear rotors.
• Grinding from the rear: rear pads down to the backing plate, or a parking brake shoe dragging inside the rotor hat.
• Parking brake travels too far, or the car rolls on a slope: the shoes need adjustment or replacement.
• Soft or sinking pedal, or fluid on the inside of a rear tire or under the car: a leaking line or hose. Stop driving and inspect.

Recalls That Touch the Brakes

Two Magnum recalls on the NHTSA record involve the brake system. Check your VIN on nhtsa.gov to see whether your car was covered and whether the work was done:

• 2006 Magnum, campaign 06V149000 (hydraulic service brakes): inadequate clearance between the rear brake tubes and the exhaust gas recirculation tube could let the brake tubes wear through and leak fluid. Dealers were to inspect, replace damaged rear brake tubes and install a clip to hold clearance.
• 2007 Magnum, campaign 06V493000 (ABS control module): ABS software could cause rear brake lockup under certain braking conditions. The remedy was reprogramming the ABS control unit.

If you are working on rear brake lines on a 2006, look closely at the routing near the EGR tube while you are there.

The Fix: Which Parts and What to Replace Together

Front brake job. Replace pads as an axle set and, on most high-mileage Magnums, replace the rotors with them. Shop brake pads for the Magnum and matching front brake rotors by exact trim. Ceramic compounds are a good daily-driver choice for low dust; see ceramic brake pads. For the SRT8 Brembo calipers we carry the DBA SP500 Street Performance front pads (DB2259SP) for the 2006-2007 Magnum SRT8, a copper-free ceramic street compound made for the four-piston Brembo pad shape.

Rear brake job. Pads and rotors again as a set. With the rotor off, inspect the parking brake shoes, springs and adjuster. Replace glazed, contaminated or thin shoes with new parking brake shoes.

Replace at the same time:

• Abutment clips (pad slides): the service procedure calls for replacing them with every pad change. Pick up a brake hardware kit.
• Brake fluid: old, moisture-laden fluid is hard on ABS parts. Use the fluid specified on the master cylinder reservoir cap. Pressure bleeding is recommended on these ABS-equipped cars.
• Calipers: if a slide pin is seized or a piston will not retract, replace the caliper. See brake calipers.
• Hoses: cracked or swollen rubber hoses should go on a car of this age. See brake hoses.

How Hard Is the Job?

Front pads and rotors on a V6 or V8 Magnum are a straightforward driveway job for someone with a floor jack, jack stands and a torque wrench. The SRT8 Brembo front is also simple for pads, since they come out of the fixed caliper, though the caliper has to come off to change the rotor. The rear is more involved because of the parking brake shoes and their star-wheel adjuster, which is reached with the rotor removed.

Published torque values for this platform, from the Brake and Front End service article:

Confirm against the factory service manual for your exact trim before you tighten anything. Two tips from the same source: push caliper pistons back using a piece of wood rather than a metal tool, and when bleeding the ABS system, raise the car about 10 to 12 inches so you can work comfortably.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to replace front and rear brakes on my Magnum at the same time?

No. Brakes are replaced by axle, and the fronts usually wear out first. Replace both sides of the worn axle together, and inspect the other axle at the same visit.

Are Magnum SRT8 brake pads the same as the R/T or SXT pads?

No. The SRT8 uses Brembo four-piston fixed calipers with their own pad shape. V6 cars use single-piston calipers and V8 R/T cars use dual-piston calipers, and each takes a different pad.

Why does my Magnum's steering wheel shake when I brake?

Most often front rotor thickness variation. Chrysler allows very little variation on this platform, so rotors that are slightly worn or were overheated can cause shake. New rotors, correct lug nut torque and a proper pad bed-in usually fix it.

Does the Magnum have rear drum brakes?

No. All four wheels have disc service brakes. The only drum is the small parking brake drum inside each rear rotor hat, with its own shoes.

Can I upgrade only the front brakes?

Yes, and the front is where most of the braking work happens. Keep brake balance in mind: a properly matched rear setup can improve thermal capacity and control, so a big front-only change should use parts designed for the car.

Sources

1. Brake and Front End - Brake Job: Dodge Magnum, Challenger, Charger - caliper types by engine, rotor tolerances, torque values, drum-in-hat parking brake, abutment clip and bleeding notes
2. NHTSA recall data - 2006 Dodge Magnum - campaign 06V149000 rear brake tube clearance
3. NHTSA recall data - 2007 Dodge Magnum - campaign 06V493000 ABS software rear lockup
4. Race Technologies (Brembo official partner) - front vs all-four big brakes - front axle does most braking work; brake balance