Brakes scrape during/after dust storm

My 2-door Wrangler JL Rubicon has a dealer installed 2" Mopar lift with Fox 2.0 shocks.

While driving on the highway in New Mexico in dust storms (blowing sand/dust coming from driver's side), there is the problem that for 15 minutes after encountering the blowing sand, when I apply the brakes, it sounds exactly like the right-front tire is rubbing on the fender liner or the fender. The problem clears itself with more driving after leaving the sand storm. The sound is pretty loud.

I think I have also heard a similar sound (to a lesser degree) while driving in rain and hitting a dip in the road.

A visual inspection shows nothing obviously wrong. Pushing down on the front bumper so the suspension flexes up and down does not make any bad sounds. The sound only seems to occur during tire rotation. I am not seeing obvious damage to the brake rotors.

What might this problem be? It makes me nervous that sand must be going where it shouldn't because it might wear something out.

If there is a problem, I want to get it fixed under warranty.

Ideas?

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Small Rock caught between the dust shield & the rotor?
I should have mentioned that this has happened two or three times already. First time was at around only 2000 miles and now at around 10k miles.

The wind storms are really powerful with fine sand blowing across the road. The wind always seems to come from the southwest and I am driving west such as on IH 40 or 60. This means it is possible that sand accumulates on the side away from the wind.

I have never heard this sound from any other wheel.

It seems unlikely to be something as large as a rock, especially since there is obviously dust and fine sand in the air.


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I would feel more comfortable if the dealer was to do this since it is still under warranty. [emoji3]

Unfortunately, I live in Dallas, Texas and Jeep dealerships there don't seem to have much knowledge about actual off-roading or things like dust storms. If there is any issue which can only be reproduced on actual dirt, they are helpless. Customers here mostly buy Wranglers as a type of family SUV or style choice.

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Sounds like you should take it in.
I took the Jeep in to the dealer to have the brakes looked at. They told me that they removed the caliper and did not find any sign of something strange or abrasion on the inside of the rotor.

I have been having a continuing problem with a rattle while on dirt from the left front corner. This was the third time that I brought it in to the dealer to try to find the problem. This is a 2-door Rubicon JL with the 2L turbo and a 2" Mopar lift added by the same dealer. The rattle happened all the time on dirt (which we have none of here in Dallas) but only rarely on pavement. Needless to say I was getting pretty frustrated.

As far as I could tell there was no suspension issue. However, when the engine was cold I tried wiggling things in the engine compartment and found two shiny lines running toward the radiator from the firewall area (maybe cooling for the battery) that if I wiggled those hard, I heard a rattle near the windshield washer bottle. The tech found a clamp that was hitting the washer bottle when this pipe was wiggled. He fastened things down better and (knock on wood) the problem is solved since the left front seemed totally quiet on the drive home although I tried to provoke it. Just sharing in case someone else has the same problem.
 

TrailHunter

Hooked
I took the Jeep in to the dealer to have the brakes looked at. They told me that they removed the caliper and did not find any sign of something strange or abrasion on the inside of the rotor.

I have been having a continuing problem with a rattle while on dirt from the left front corner. This was the third time that I brought it in to the dealer to try to find the problem. This is a 2-door Rubicon JL with the 2L turbo and a 2" Mopar lift added by the same dealer. The rattle happened all the time on dirt (which we have none of here in Dallas) but only rarely on pavement. Needless to say I was getting pretty frustrated.

As far as I could tell there was no suspension issue. However, when the engine was cold I tried wiggling things in the engine compartment and found two shiny lines running toward the radiator from the firewall area (maybe cooling for the battery) that if I wiggled those hard, I heard a rattle near the windshield washer bottle. The tech found a clamp that was hitting the washer bottle when this pipe was wiggled. He fastened things down better and (knock on wood) the problem is solved since the left front seemed totally quiet on the drive home although I tried to provoke it. Just sharing in case someone else has the same problem.
Hope that fixes it! I’ve had a squeek for a few months now that sounds like a bird under my Jeep.. Any small bump or the Jeep settling after I stop triggers it... it’s really starting to piss me off.. lol
 
It seems like relatively small issues can cause big annoyances. I won't know for sure if the issue is fixed for sure until I get back on dirt. The approach of grabbing onto stuff and wiggling it to see what happens seems useful.
 
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