I have a 2002 Dodge Durango with puzzling brake issues. I noticed while driving that the car suddenly started to pull to the left. When i got to my destination the front drivers side tire started to smoke and unleash un ungodly smell. I let it cool, removed the tire and checked the brakes. Everything seemed to be fine. I also checked the calipers, also fine. I put the tire back on and it drove fine for a month or so. The next time i was driving and the same thing happened. now it was the passengers side. Again i checked everything and it was fine. It was time for new brakes so I replaced them. Fine for another month or so. It is now happening on the drivers side again. I appologize if this is posted twice now, but i couldn’t find it or see any responses. Didn’t know if it made it through. Any ideas, suggestions, or solutions would be greatly appreciated. If I am able to fix this on my own I would prefer that. Rather than spend money for another to do it.
Check the caliper guide pins (make sure they are rust free & fully lubed).
Are any of the anti-rattle clips on the pads missing? If so it might be possible that the pad is getting lodged in the caliper bracket at an angle causing the pad to remain up against the disc.
Based on the intermittant/reoccuring symptoms you mentioned, I would guess that it might also be something with your master cylinder/brake lines which causes the pads to not release when they should.
The rubber brake line to the front caliper may be failing. They tend to disintegrate internally as they get older and will cause the pressure to stay on the caliper. Common on GM but I’ve seen it on a lot of different makes and models.
Most likely culprit is your flexible brake hose that bolts to the caliper. Your brake hoses have a steel bracket that holds the hose away from moving parts and other possible chafe points. When they get old, and ten years is pretty old, they can develop rust between the bracket and the hose, which will constrict the hose, preventing the fluid from moving out of the caliper after releasing the brake pedal. This can be tricky to diagnose, and a lot of calipers and other expensive parts get replaced trying to solve problems like this because the flexible hoses are often overlooked. I bet your problem will go away if you replace the brake hose on that side, and you may want to replace the other one, too, to prevent that side from giving problems in the near future.