1991-1996 Dodge Stealth Front vs Rear Brakes: What Wears First and What to Replace

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

On a 1991-1996 Dodge Stealth the front brakes wear out first, usually well before the rears. The front axle does most of the stopping, so expect to replace front pads more often than rear pads, and always inspect the rears when the fronts are apart, because rear pads are easy to forget until they are metal on metal.

This guide covers how the Stealth brake system is laid out, why the wear is uneven, how to tell which end needs attention, and what to replace together so the car stops straight.

How the Stealth Brake System Is Laid Out

The Stealth uses disc brakes at all four wheels. There are no rear drums to service. Each corner has a rotor, a caliper and a pad set, so front and rear jobs look similar, but the parts are not interchangeable between axles.

The trims matter for parts. The front-wheel-drive cars (listed in pad catalogs as 2WD) and the all-wheel-drive R/T Twin Turbo (listed as 4WD) use different brake hardware. The Twin Turbo is a heavy car, about 1690 kg at the curb on a 1996 model, with standard anti-lock brakes and 17-inch tires. That is why pad catalogs split the Stealth by drivetrain and, in some cases, by year range.

The practical takeaway: never order Stealth pads by "Dodge Stealth" alone. Match the year, the engine, and whether the car is front-drive or all-wheel drive.

Why the Front Brakes Wear First

When you brake, the car's weight shifts forward. The front tires get pressed into the road harder and can use more braking force, so engineers set the brake balance toward the front. On a typical passenger car the front brakes handle about 70 percent of the stopping work. More work means more heat and more pad material worn away, so the fronts wear faster.

The Stealth adds a few reasons of its own:

• Front-heavy layout. The V6 sits over the front wheels, and on front-drive cars the transaxle is there too. That adds load to the front axle during a stop.
• Performance use. These are sporty cars, and many have been driven hard. Repeated high-speed stops put most of their heat into the front rotors.
• Age. These cars are around 30 years old. Caliper pistons and slide pins that have never been serviced stick, which can make one wheel wear far faster than the others.

Rear pads last longer, but they do not last forever. A seized rear caliper slide or a parking brake that does not fully release will wear a rear pad down quickly and can even make the rears go before the fronts.

Symptoms: Is It the Front or the Rear?

Most brake complaints on a Stealth point to the front, but a few clues help you find the right end:

• Steering wheel shake when braking usually means unevenly worn or warped front rotors. A rear rotor problem is felt more in the seat and the pedal than in the wheel.
• A high-pitched squeal is often the wear indicator tab touching the rotor. Check both ends; the fronts are the likely source.
• Grinding means metal on metal. Stop driving and inspect all four wheels right away.
• Pulling to one side during braking points to a sticking caliper, a collapsed hose, or contaminated pads on one side, most often at the front.
• One wheel much hotter than the others after a drive is a dragging caliper or parking brake. On the rear, check that the parking brake releases fully.
• A soft pedal or fluid on the inside of a front tire needs a close look at the front brake hoses, especially on these older cars (see below).

The surest check is visual. Pull the wheels, look at the pad thickness through the caliper, check both the inner and outer pads, and feel for a lip at the outer edge of the rotor.

The Front Brake Hose Recall

Stealth owners should know about a brake hose safety recall. According to the recall record for the 1992 Stealth, at full steering lock with full suspension travel the front wheel-side brake hoses could crack and leak brake fluid. The remedy was for dealers to replace both the left and right front wheel-side hoses with revised hose assemblies.

Whether or not your car had that work done decades ago, any rubber hose this old is due for inspection. Look for cracks, bulges and chafing, and turn the wheel lock to lock while you watch the hose flex. When in doubt, replace hoses in pairs. We carry replacement brake hoses and brake lines. You can check your own VIN for open recalls on the NHTSA recall site.

What to Replace at the Same Time

Doing the job right once is cheaper than doing it twice. When the fronts come apart, plan on:

• Pads in axle sets. Always replace both sides of an axle together. For front-drive cars, EBC Redstuff front brake pads for the 1991-1996 Stealth 3.0 2WD are a ceramic performance compound with low dust. Browse more options in our brake pads and ceramic brake pads collections.
• Rotors, or at least a measurement. If a rotor is below the minimum thickness stamped on it, deeply scored, or causing a pulsation, replace the pair. See brake rotors.
• Hardware. New clips and anti-rattle springs keep pads quiet and sliding freely. A brake hardware kit is inexpensive insurance.
• Caliper service. Clean and lubricate the slide pins. If a piston is sticking or a boot is torn, a replacement caliper is usually the better fix on a car this old.
• Brake fluid. Flush with the fluid type listed on the master cylinder cap or in the owner's manual. Old fluid absorbs moisture and corrodes calipers and ABS parts from the inside.

If the rear pads still have plenty of material when you do the fronts, leave them, but clean and lube the rear slides and confirm the parking brake releases. That is often what keeps the rears lasting as long as they should.

How Hard Is the Job?

A front pad and rotor job on a Stealth is a reasonable driveway project for someone with a floor jack, jack stands, a torque wrench and basic hand tools. The Twin Turbo's brakes are just as approachable, though its parts differ and cost more. Torque the caliper bolts and lug nuts to the values in the factory service manual.

The rears take a little more care because the parking brake is involved. Check the service manual for how your car's rear caliper piston retracts and how the parking brake is adjusted afterward, rather than forcing a piston that will not move.

After any pad job, bed in the new pads with a series of moderate stops from speed, letting the brakes cool between runs, and avoid holding the pedal down hard on hot rotors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to replace front and rear brakes at the same time on a Dodge Stealth?

No. The fronts wear faster, so it is normal to replace front pads more often. Inspect the rears every time and replace them when they are worn, always as a left and right pair.

Does the Dodge Stealth have rear drum brakes?

No. The Stealth uses disc brakes at all four wheels.

Are the brake pads the same on a Stealth R/T Twin Turbo and a front-drive Stealth?

No. The all-wheel-drive Twin Turbo uses different brake hardware than the front-drive models, so pad part numbers differ. Match your drivetrain and year when ordering.

Why are my rear pads wearing faster than my fronts?

That is not normal on a Stealth. The usual causes are a sticking rear caliper slide or piston, or a parking brake that is not fully releasing. Fix the cause before installing new pads, or the new ones will wear the same way.

Was there a brake recall on the Dodge Stealth?

Yes. A recall covered front wheel-side brake hoses that could crack at full lock and full suspension travel; dealers replaced both front hoses with revised assemblies. Check your VIN on the NHTSA recall site to see if any recall is open on your car.

Sources

1. Center for Auto Safety - 1992 Dodge Stealth recalls - front wheel-side brake hose recall: hoses can crack at full lock and full suspension travel; dealers replace both front hoses
2. Auto123 - 1996 Dodge Stealth R/T Twin Turbo specifications - four-wheel disc brakes, standard anti-lock brakes, all-wheel drive, 1690 kg curb weight, P245/45R17 tires
3. UroTuning - EBC DP3954C Redstuff front pads - DP3954C fits 1991-1996 Stealth 3.0 2WD, front position; Redstuff compound description
4. UroTuning - EBC DP3987C Redstuff rear pads - DP3987C fits 1991-1993 Stealth 3.0 4WD, rear position, a separate part from the 2WD pads
5. Motorist Assurance Program - Which brakes go bad first - front brakes handle about 70 percent of braking force and wear first