🔧 Durango - Serpentine Belt Replacement

The serpentine belt drives key accessories like the alternator and A/C. Replacing it prevents squealing, cracking failures, and sudden loss of charging or cooling performance.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 0.8-1.5 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on a cool engine; keep hands away from the fan and pulleys.
• ⚠️ Key OFF, keep keys out of the vehicle so nobody starts it.
• ⚠️ Support the truck with jack stands if you lift it; never rely on the jack alone.
• ⚠️ Do not put fingers between the belt and pulleys while releasing tension.
• ⚠️ Battery disconnect is not required, but avoid shorting tools on the alternator.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• 22mm socket
• 1/2" drive breaker bar
• 15mm socket
• 3/8" drive ratchet
• 3/8" drive extension set
• 8mm socket
• Trim clip removal tool
• Flashlight
• Mechanic gloves
• Safety glasses

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Serpentine belt - Qty: 1
• Serpentine belt tensioner - Qty: 1 (optional if noisy/weak)
• Idler pulley - Qty: 1 (optional if pulley is rough/noisy)

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, shift to Park, set the parking brake, and chock the rear wheels.
• Open the hood and take a clear photo of the belt routing sticker (usually on the radiator support/underhood area). If no sticker, sketch the routing before removing the belt.
• Tip: Lay the new belt next to the old one.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift the right-front corner for access

• Place wheel chocks behind the rear tires.
• Use a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) under the correct front jacking point and raise the right-front corner.
• Set the vehicle onto jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Use a 22mm socket with a 1/2" drive breaker bar to remove the right-front wheel lug nuts, then remove the wheel.
• Reinstall later: Torque lug nuts to 135 Nm (100 ft-lbs).

Step 2: Remove the right-front inner fender/splash shield section

• Use a trim clip removal tool to pop out plastic push-clips.
• Use an 8mm socket with a 3/8" drive ratchet to remove any small screws/bolts holding the liner edge.
• Pull the liner back enough to clearly see the belt and tensioner.

Step 3: Locate the belt tensioner and relieve belt tension

• Shine a flashlight to find the automatic belt tensioner (it’s a spring-loaded arm with a pulley).
• Put a 15mm socket on the tensioner’s hex (this is the “tooling point” used to rotate the tensioner).
• Use a 1/2" drive breaker bar to rotate the tensioner slowly to unload the belt. (A breaker bar is a long-handled bar that gives you extra leverage.)
• Tip: Move the tensioner smoothly—don’t jerk it.

Step 4: Remove the old belt

• While holding the tensioner rotated with the breaker bar, slip the belt off the easiest-to-reach smooth pulley (usually an idler).
• Slowly let the tensioner return to its resting position.
• Remove the belt from the remaining pulleys and pull it out through the wheel-well opening.

Step 5: Route the new belt on the pulleys

• Compare the new belt to the old one (same rib count and similar length).
• Route the new belt following the underhood belt-routing diagram.
• Make sure the belt ribs are fully seated in the grooved pulleys (crank/alternator, etc.).
• Leave the belt off one easy-to-reach smooth pulley last (this gives you slack to install it).

Step 6: Apply tension and fully install the belt

• Use the 15mm socket and 1/2" drive breaker bar to rotate the tensioner again.
• Slip the belt onto the last pulley, then slowly release the tensioner so it tightens the belt.
• Do a final visual check with the flashlight: the belt must be centered on every pulley and fully in the grooves.

Step 7: Reinstall splash shield and wheel

• Reposition the liner and reinstall screws with the 8mm socket and 3/8" drive ratchet.
• Reinstall push-clips with the trim clip removal tool (press them in firmly by hand).
• Reinstall the wheel and hand-start lug nuts.
• Lower the vehicle using the floor jack.
• Tighten lug nuts in a star pattern: Torque lug nuts to 135 Nm (100 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• Start the engine and let it idle while you watch the belt for 20–30 seconds (keep hands/tools away).
• Listen for chirping/squealing; if you hear it, shut off the engine and re-check belt alignment on every pulley.
• Turn A/C on and headlights on briefly to verify normal operation under load.
• Tip: A mis-seated rib causes fast belt damage.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $180-$350 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $35-$80 (parts only)

You Save: $145-$270 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 0.8-1.2 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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