I CAN'T GO ANYWHERE, IF I HAVE TO USE THE BRAKES AT ALL, AND I NEVER WANT TO GET IN A BACKUP ON ANY HIGHWAY, FOR ROAD CONST OR AN ACCIDENT, BECAUSE THE BRAKES LOCK UP AND I AM DRIVING DOWN THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH SMOKE ROLLING FROM THE BRAKE SHOES AND HAVE TO PULL OVER AND WAIT ABOUT 2 HRS BEFORE I CAN ATTEMPT TO DRIVE HOME. WHAT I HAE BEEN TOLD AND WHAT I SEEN ON HERE IS TO REPLACE THE CALIPHERS AND GO TO CERAMICS, I THINK ITS THE AMOUNT OF PAD MATERIAL THEY PUT ON THE SHOES, I REPLACED THE SHOES TWICE, FIRST TIME HAD NO PROBLEM, THIS TIME THE SHOES WERE AWFUL TIGHT ON THE ROTORS AND THE PISTON WAS COMPLETELY BACK. JUST A THOUGHT. WE WILL SEE, MY DAD IS AN ASME CERTIFIED MECH WHO HAS WORKED FOR CHEVY DEALERS. WE ARE GOING TO SHAE THE PADS AND SEE IF THAT HELPS, WISH US LUCK.

Driving down the freeway about 20mph in traffic, brake smell inside vehicle, truck then started to pull to the right when driving straight, and then pulled to left while braking. Felt like a flat tire. Pulled over, passenger brake was smoking/hot. Once it cooled off it released. I drove to a tire shop and removed tire, sprayed with lube all over the rotor and pad and caliper, had no knowledge yet of this major problem which is now being investigated. I have not fixed the problem myself yet, but it seems from reading this thread that everyone has this problem over and over and some folks have changed everything and still have it happen (changed rotors, pads, brake lines, master cylinder, to the point that there is nothing left to change. The only thing left is the ABS stuff. My advise in the meanwhile is to completely remove/bypass the ABS unit if possible. Its got to be that part of the system. I bet the durangos have the same problem (they seem to share a ton of parts, hoods, doors, interiors, etc, so they should be having the same problem). It sounds like there will be a recall once the investigation goes that far. It seems like its just begun this year thanks to a poster in this forum. Good job. Your comments about your ABS experiences make me believe it must be the culprit.

Update from Aug 18, 2012: Replaced the caliper and it works great now, I tried disconnecting the ABS and it disconnected the speedometer too - and as a result the engine stalls when coming off the freeway due to the ABS also disconnecting the Speed Sensor which helps control idle. But ABS wasnt the problem anyway...

And finally, I made a mistake above on the side of the caliper that was sticking, it was the left/driver side. The bottom line is it is simply the phenalic (plastic) pistons inside the calipers that cause them to stick. If you research other vehicles with the same p[roblem, they are all phenalic pistons!! The chevy trucks from the mid 2000's also stick. The new Dakotas come with metal piston replacements, but the old Dakotas do not, they only offer phenalic caliper rebuilds. You could also go aftermarket and buy a $250 caliper with a steel piston and be done with the problem as well. Phenalic (plastic) pistons expand and contract at different rates and start to stick once they get hot after 40-50k miles get on them. Make sure when you get a new (rebuilt) caliper, that the brand your buying includes a NEW phenalic piston inside the rebuilt caliper. Doing this should get you another 50k miles, before they start sticking and require replacement again. The GOOD news is that a caliper is really cheap (less than $50 bucks) and it solves the problem. Also, change the brake hose connected to the caliper ($10 bucks) and you did it right.

Here we go again. While driving on highway headed home, smelled acrid smoke somewhat like electronics burning. Let up windows and switched on AC thinking it was a fire somewhere along road. Got home and found the (near) fire -- it was in the front passenger side/right wheel well. Smoke pouring out. Dodge brakes -- the gift that keeps on giving!

The rotor was very hot but I stopped before it got so hot as to crack it like what happened with same problem a few years earlier. Let the truck sit a few days and then went to work. Took wheel off, brake cylinder was no longer seized up. Pushed cyl back in to remove the calipers. Slide pins were dragging a bit and one looked corroded. Replaced pins on both right and left front calipers and lubed them up well and bled/replaced fluid in both front and back lines/cylinders with Prestone synthetic stuff. Thought maybe I'd solved it. But no! Today the left front cylinder got jealous and decided to lock up and generate a ton of heat for itself. Slide pins were not the problem. Still haven't solved this.

I've searched and read about the following theories of why this happens:

1) Phenolic cylinder pistons absorb moisture, swell, and resist releasing/retreating back into the cylinder. Don't know how this reconciles with cylinder seeming to free up right after lock up?

2) Crappy and cheap guide design where pads can't slide freely at the top and bottom slide tabs and therefore hang/jam up.

3) Other wild theories ...

I'm beginning to suspect #2. Just read this from a user on Edmonds:

"My 2001 has locked up 5 times in 120000 miles every time had dealers or some other shop do the repair usually new pads rotors sometimes hoses etc. It got so hot one time even had to replace wheel bearings. Any ways it would do it again after "repair" sometimes right away sometimes 30,000 miles.. Last time it happened I ripped it apart my self ordered new pads and rotors while in the process of installing them I noticed the area of backing plate that sticks out where brake pads rest in order to slide in and out, was all rough and gnarled. I ground and filed them smooth so pads could move in and out smoothly with wear and have not had a problem since.. "

And this from another on Edmonds Dokota forum:

"For example, when replacing disk brake pads, if the sliding surfaces are not filed smooth and lubricated with approprate hi-temp lube, you may encounter pads which do not retract properly. Another example would be to ensure that the sliding pins are lubricated with rubber-lube so the "fully floating" calipers truly do float as expected. "

I think it's Dodge's cheap and sloppy design that doesn't allow smooth sliding due to wear and rust on the 18th century style slide tab areas. The slide pins should have been redesigned to keep them sealed from the weather too.

I'm going to try what the guys posting on Edmonds did -- file it all slide areas smooth and lubricate.

This should have prompted a recall on this series of Dakotas and Durangos.

Just because I am a girl, with no auto knowledge, doesn't mean I cant see smoke or smell burning and even as a girl I can tell my truck is f*cked up! A year ago this same thing happened and a handful of men at the auto shop laughed and said there was nothing wrong.... said it must have been brake dust... my ass. Today the same thing happened, with one step further My Brakes Stopped Working. Foot on the brake to the floor, no stopping, Emergency brake is not on but the dash says it is. Don't matter it didnt work anyways. Yes i have alot of miles, but my Dakota has never had trouble going... Just stopping. So in a nut shell. Front Right Wheel area pours smoke, smells like melting rubber, makes my truck jerk going up hill, and as of today No Brakes... Emergency brake light is on but the brake is popped.

Intermittent pad sticking/smoking - cools off and OK for some time. Replaced pads and rotors and cleaned up the guides that the pads are supposed to slide on. Noticed a fair amount of wear and pitting where the old pads had been sitting. Was shocked to see that there is no way - short of replacing the entire spindle - to replace the guides - a really cheap design... Just had another incident with the new pads and rotors. The GM brake calipers that I have worked on all slide on nice, smooth guide pins that CAN BE REPLACED!!!