Yes - ANOTHER brake question.

[NVMY03GT]

The past few days Ive been noticing when I come down to a stop my car shakes to high hell and back which usually indicates warped rotors or Glazed up pads.

 

I was over on clubgp.com asking those guys as well. Someone suggested getting it up to about 65 and nailing the brakes a few times to unglaze the pads. ive noticed the harder I stomp on the brakes the less it shakes. BUT. I heard a new noise today. On the passenger side rear my wheel started to like HOWL. When I came down to a slow roll it was like a squeel Ive never heard. Could this be the result of a locked up caliper? I haven't yet don't anything with that wheel yet thought Id ask some insight first

 

Thoughts?

[J]

i don't understand how stomping on the brakes hard and adding a shitload of heat will "unglaze the pads". If thats all you think it is get a soft (brown) "cookie" for an angle die grinder and hit the pads lightly. I'd do that or throw some $20 pads on it before trying to unglaze them by adding a shit ton more heat to them

[NVMY03GT]

i don't understand how stomping on the brakes hard and adding a shitload of heat will "unglaze the pads". If thats all you think it is get a soft (brown) "cookie" for an angle die grinder and hit the pads lightly. I'd do that or throw some $20 pads on it before trying to unglaze them by adding a shit ton more heat to them

 

Im in the same boat as you I doubt it will Unglaze them but for now it buying me time so I don't shake the damn fenders off the car with it pulsating as bad as it is

 

Any ideas on the rear wheel? Ive been hearing horror stories about these calipers. What does it do when one locks up?

[19Cutlass94]

well if your hearing a howl.. thats more than likely a wheel bearing. Mine were howling for over a yr before I fixed them. When you get new brakes, you need to break them in, stomping on them will not do this.

 

When a caliper is locked up, you really wont hear it as much as youll smell it. And believe me, you will smell it, burning brakes have their own smell

[J]

just go back and look at the rotor and if it is rusty it is locked up or not doing it's job at all. It happened to my lumina and has been fine (lube the slide and bolts every time you can). The 94 will get brakes this weekend dur to the fact that they are pulsating bad now, still plenty of pad life left.

 

By your name i assume (i hate to assume shit) you hvae a 03 gp?

[NVMY03GT]

just go back and look at the rotor and if it is rusty it is locked up or not doing it's job at all. It happened to my lumina and has been fine (lube the slide and bolts every time you can). The 94 will get brakes this weekend dur to the fact that they are pulsating bad now, still plenty of pad life left.

 

By your name i assume (i hate to assume shit) you hvae a 03 gp?

 

Howling is only occuring when Im braking So I would think a wheel bearing would be howling AS I was driving

 

Actually the NVMY03 was from my Eclipse . I had a 2003 Eclipse GT. Long story behind that one. Now Im on a 1995 Grand Prix, and she is in the hole right now BIG time

 

So far I'm up to:

 

1. Struts

2. Brakes (From the looks of it Pads are okay but I think the rotors are shot

3. Balancing on the wheels.

 

 

[J]

brakes will cost you just about nothing to do on that car. The calipers from 94+ are good (at least better design than the pre 04 stuff) and shouldn't hang up as much. I'd start with pads and rotors as you could probably do the entire job for about$100

[toms92gpse]

sounds like you have a major warped rotor. That will make it shake like hell. My truck does this right now, it's been like that for a year, I figure i will drive it until the brakes starts squeeking and replace it then. And you will smell the rear brakes if it locks up on the rotor, if not it will be rusty on the disc because its not closing on it. The squelling from the rear is probably a shot pad on it. You may be able to get buy with getting the rotor turned, I did that with mine and it was fine for like 2 years after i did it, but if it is too warped it won't turn out. Most shops around here charge $7-$10 to turn each rotor.

[J]

but the rear rotors can be had new for $12!

[Nick1234]

not to hijack your thread, but this may help as well. Will higher end rotors from maybe napa not warp as easily? Mine were replaced bored i got the car and are extremely warper. I don't necessarily want drilled and slotted, but what are recommendations for pads and rotors that will last?

[NVMY03GT]

not to hijack your thread, but this may help as well. Will higher end rotors from maybe napa not warp as easily? Mine were replaced bored i got the car and are extremely warper. I don't necessarily want drilled and slotted, but what are recommendations for pads and rotors that will last?

 

I think a lot depend on your driving technique. If your Hard on brakes they are going to warp faster. Plus your rim design matters also. Right now I have cross laces. and I know those things are horrible for Heat venting. So all the Heat is right under the rim and nowhere for it to go. Look at your signature I think your okay there. Just don't turn them if you have already. Turning them buys you time only it doesn't cure the problem they warp again.

 

If your warping them that fast your hard on brakes look into slotted or cross drilled - hands down.

[w-bodys_are_the_best]

The guy at napa was telling me that it doesn't make a lot of difference which rotors you choose (as far as the cheap or expensive), the higher priced pads last longer, but are actually harder on your rotors than the cheaper pads. He said it had to do with the composition of the pads, that they will wear into the rotor more. I always grab the cheap pads and cheap rotors. I think for my 94 I paid $18 a piece or so for rear rotors, and a full set of pads was $21 for the 2nd cheapest. Fronts are a few dollars more, but not alot. They are very easy to replace, the only thing you'll need if you do the fronts is a T55 torx IIRC, but the backs just use regular bolts. When I first got my 94CS, I had a shop do the rear pads, they charged me $90, not long after, my friend showed me how to do the fronts when they went bad because I didn't know shit about cars back then. I was surprised how easy and cheap they are to replace. Doing it myself I could have put in completely new rotors and pads all around for what they charged me.