I'm still having problems with the front brakes on my 99 Dak getting super hot during normal stop and go traffic. I'm talking about so hot that the entire wheel is hot. Meantime the rear drums are warm, not hot, you can touch them with your hand. I took it to the Dodge dealership and they changed the rear sensor for the 4 wheel anti-lock. That hasn't helped. It's like the front pads are getting a lot of braking pressure but the rear drums aren't. I don't have any problems with my 01 Durango even when I pulling a 4,000 lbs trailer. Before I go to another brake shop, has anyone had a similar problem? Any suggestions?

 

it could be a seized caliper

 

why do you see this as a problem? brakes get hot, period. vented rotors will help pull the heat away, brake ducts will also help keep them cool. did you bed them in properly?

27. DIY brake install
https://dodgeforum.com/m_959389/tm.htm

read the bottom part of the install... talks about bedding your brakes in properly.

 

look at ur pads, this will tell ya what is going on, uneven wear ect...but sounds normal to me...

 

I dont know if this even would apply to you, but I will say what I know.

Chrysler/Dodge has been guilty of using crappy quality rotors and brakes for the last 10-15 years. You can search this entire forum and find hundreds of posts in every section about horrible quality rotors and bad braking situations. We've had people who do normal daily driving and have had brakes/rotors shot after a meager 10-15k of driving.

What it basically amounts to is this....you need to look at after market rotors/brake pads. They need to be good quality, middle of the pack or better. I'd recommend vented rotors and Hawk or Green Stuff brake pads. They're reasonable in price and good quality.


Now, assuming that you get your brakes done at a place like Meineke or CarX, then I can list a few other issues. If you dont know, your front brakes do about 75% of the total braking for your vehicle. Now, for a truck like a Dakota, that will generate a lot of heat. It's simple science really. You may want to look at your current brakes/rotors to make sure there is no damage to those. If either is damaged, these could help generate additional heat as they are not working correctly (cracked or warped rotor, glazed or worn down pads).

Something else to consider is your tires/rim package. If you are using a big tire/rim, you may need to look at upgrading your brakes. Larger wheels and tires require more stopping power, and this can fry a plain jane brake setup. I'm not saying you cant get away with it, I'm merely giving you a list of things to check. Tire pressure is another thing you may want to check. If your tire pressure is too high or too low, this can also affect braking.

Other then that, its either a bad caliper or you simply need to lift the lead foot a bit. I hope this helps!

 

I know my lead foot has caused me some brake problems, I've since then changed that small problem....but not driving it likeI stole it. But I've already done the damage, that I need to fix.

 

I've had issues with my front Brakes in the past. Driving back and forth from work was about 9 miles on country roads...lots of breaking. When I would get to work/home sometimes there would be an odor coming from under the truck that i just couldnt place (obviously i found out later it was hot brakes). The kicker was it wasnt a constant thing..and i couldnt dupicate it. Probably happend once a month and the only issue was the smell. After about 2 years of this one of my front pads finally siezed up really bad so that i figured out what it was..but again it would stop right away..and i couldnt dupicate it (and was only left front)About 6 months later was driving home and the breaks siezed so bad after a stop light, thatI could barely get the truckout of 3rd gear. I had to stop and beat on thecaliper with my Mag light to get it to letgo, but every timeI had to stop at a light it would sieze back up.
I had my entire front brake system replaced. By now my rotors were warped etc, and I had a few leaks in a break line (left side). I replaced it all with aftermarket gear and havnt had an issue since. Upgraded pads too and hardly ever have brake dust on my front rims now....Rims used to beblack with brake dustafter about 2 weeks.
This story probably doesnt help you....but something to think about or keep in mind.
Good luck!
Bryan

 

You can always break down your calipers and see if the pistons are seized. Sounds to me like regular brake wear. You have to keep in mind that the friction produced between two pieces of metal grinding together at high speeds puts of an incredible amount of heat. The only thing I can really suggest (as I don't think you have a problem at all) is to open the brake fluid reserviour cap for a moment, then put it directly back on. This would release any un-needed pressure that has built up.

 

could be a stuck caliper. How may miles on the truck? The pads could have glazed over from improper new pad break-in. I would take it to a brake specialist and have the calipers and pads tested.

 

uneven indacates stuck calipers...

still lol