I almost got 100k from factory pads and rotors. And never any brake dust or shimmy. Dodge did good in 09 in this area, or I just have a factory freak.. I did recently have new rotors and pads put on all around. No brake dust from these either. Can't say the same about the F150 though.

 

I can understand why someone would think that there has to be something fairly obvious going on like riding the brakes but that is not the case here I can assure you.

I just thought it was really strange to have this happen so soon and I have to admit I am surprised that it does not seem to be common elsewhere. But then again I live in a climate that is not exactly kind to vehicles (salt, wind, hills etc...) so you probably can't compare it to someplace where you only use your brakes to stop at a red light on a flat road.

I guess I learned something about downshifting though (thanks DirtyDog). The last thing I need is transmission problems but why is the shifter there for you to use if it is not meant for it? An example of where I usually use it is say descending an off-ramp and decelerating from 100 kph to a stop. I would downshift to 5th then 4th then 3rd (actually 4th, 3rd and 2nd I know) and then brake to a stop. I keep the rpms below 3000 when doing this (especially from 4th to 3rd which is the biggest change in gear ratio) and I apply some brake pressure as well. What I am trying to say is that I don't downshift abruptly at a high engine speed - in fact it kind of freaks me out that when descending a hill in tow/haul that the transmission will downshift automatically and the engine will turn at much higher rpms while descending the hill.

Anyways I'm going off on a tangent - LOL. I still think my brakes are crap though I'll probably end up going with Wagner or Monroe or whatever they have at NAPA

 

I don't think it’s anything you are doing. We had a brand new Jeep Cherokee in 98 that the rotors went totally shot on after only 11,000 miles. After a complete front brake job, rotors and pads were gone again at 20K. In attempts to meet MPG requirements they made everything as light as possible, the rotors were a target of that diet. I don't know why your Rams rotors are going so fast, probably the same reason I am on my second set of lifters after 50K miles, and they are noisy again. Some trucks just have their idiosyncrasies, yours are the rotors. BTW, after 52K, my brakes are 80% all the way around, go figure. Good luck in resolving your dilemma.

 

X2

Have them checked. It's not hard and a good brake shop will do it for free.

 

Thanks for the comments everyone. From what I can gather, it is def not normal for this to happen. Before I replace them (which wouldn't be until the Spring anyway) I will have them checked. I guess I'll have to put up with the vibration until then.

 

You can have them cut and if they are warped, cutting them will drastically reduce the vibration and hold you over for some time. While cutting them makes them thinner, it still buys time. At $10 or so each rotor, it's a cheap alternative!
I would check the slides to make sure they are still properly lube and allowing the pads to move properly, otherwise they will stick to the rotor and heat them up.

Tierods can also cause pulsation. This actually causes highway pulsation and stop when around 30pmh, where as brakes pulsate until you stop. When your exiting the highway and slow down, if you feel the brakes pulsating, release at 25mph and then resume braking. Generally mildly worn tierods will not pulsate at lower speeds but if you start the pulsating at higher speeds, they will continue until you stop. It's a phenomenon thats hard to explain.

Also, glazed pads can cause hotspot and make you feel like your rotors are warped. it's possible that something contaminate your pads. Check for any leaks(all 4 wheels) as rear brakes can trick the driver into thinking the fronts are bad.
Strut mounts can also cause vibration because they have a lot of force on them when the brakes are applied.

Also, to add to the discussion before... You can downshift, but it's not recc'd to do as much as you do. It's not meant to slow the vehicle down for normal driving. If I'm driving locally 50mph and under, I'll stick to 3rd gear. For some reason, these trucks get better mpg's when they stay at 2krpms. Keeps them in their power band and lugs them less. This is ONLY because of the constant speed up and slow down, going around corners and up hills etc. Obviously highway would benefit from lowest rpms when the speed is constant.
I have gained city mpg's from my Superchips tuner because I have altered my shift points to keep the truck higher rpms and down shift MUCH sooner with very little pedal effort but i am in a hilly area with lots of wind and sharp turns..etc Others may not benefit such as constant stop-go on straight flat roads.

 

this is a known problem with these rotors . my 09 never had this but . there is not the feeler gauge that tells you the pads are getting low

 

Had an 02 warped in 6000 mi . They turned them, and was even worse! Once warped the are shot in my opinion.They can put a dial caliper on them to see how far there out.

 

I'm with ya buddy. Mine ('09) went into warped mode at around 30,000 miles. About the same time my stock Wrangler crap tires went all scalloped on me. Do yourself a favor and order from Brakemotive. They have an ebay store. I got all 4 discs, drilled and slotted, plus pads, shipped free for like $250.00. The dealer wanted $500.00 to cut the original rotors and put on stock pads. Now I didn't use the pads as I went and got the NAPA Adaptive One pads. Now no more pulsating, no more brake dust and I love the stopping power of the pads 200% better than the stock pads. I did have to go out and get the E-brake shoes as well due to the fact that one of my shoes lining was just flopping around inside the rear drum of the rotor. So be prepared for that just in case. Those cost a whopping $100.00. I also bought the hardware kit for the rear e-brakes. Man those E-brakes are a bitch unless you pull the axles. Which as someone here mentioned you might as well do if you are near your diff fluid change anyway. I took the advice and am glad I did. But I did the whole job for basically what the dealer wanted just to cut the rotors. I have over 35,000 miles on the new rotors and they still look brand new. No rust or anything on them. I believe they are nickle coated or something like that....
Yeah it is a bitch they went on ya like that, but take the opportunity to upgrade to better stopping power if you can.....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FRONT-REAR-P...0be074&vxp=mtr

 

Interesting that you mention the Brakemotive drilled and slotted rotors. I actually ordered those for my '03 about a year before I sold her. I must admit they were quite good (I used the pads too) and the price was certainly right. I may give those a try again.

Btw check out your # of posts - 666 awesome!