Guys, check your front brake rotors for cracks! I had my tires rotated today on my 2011 Ram 2500 4x4 with 47,560 miles and the front rotor has a major crack all the way through it. I don't know if this is an isolated event with my truck or a known problem. I thought I would pass my experience to you all.

 

Thats awful gunky looking for that mileage. (no insult intended) My 04 with 174lk aint nothin like that. Do you live up north in the salted road area maybe? A brand new, hot rotor with cool water splashed on it can do this too. I'm betting on an isolated case.

 

Hopefully it is isolated incident. Being in NC, winter road condition's should be to bad.

 

I took the brakes and rotor off today. The inside pad was stuck and couldn't move and looked brand new. The outside pad was doing all the braking, which overheated and some point and cracked the rotor. I don't know why the inside was stuck and prevented it from gliding in the retainer. Possible factory defect in the installation process.

 

I just had a similar issue. My front brakes started squeaking out of no where. I tore them apart and found my front drivers side outer pad totally gone and major grooves in my rotor(not cracked). The inside pad looked good as did the passenger side of both inner and outer pads.
The lower slider pin was totally dry, no lube whatsoever. Obviously this caused my premature pad failure at 71k.
I replaced both front rotors and pads. I cleaned all slider pins and lubed with never seize as well as the rotors on the hub. I had to drive them off with a sledge hammer and I don't drive the truck in the winter/salty months.
OEM rotors and pads $377 with my discount, small price to pay for having the original braking power again.