Front brake pulsing/vibration AFTER brake job?

[Kingsford]

I've read that this situation is commonly the result of warped rotors. I just changed my rotors and pads and still get heavy pulsing/vibration when I apply the brakes. What do I look for next?

[BXX]

What did you torque the lugnuts to??? Overtorqueing easily warps rotors..

 

You could also just have some junky new rotors or a front end issue

[meltboy1]

can't a shotty ABS unit cause this too?

[Kingsford]

What did you torque the lugnuts to??? Overtorqueing easily warps rotors..

 

I torqued the lugnuts to 95lbs/ft

[Kingsford]

can't a shotty ABS unit cause this too?

 

I wondered about that too. The cars runs fine until I apply the brakes.

[meltboy1]

ya, so does mine, but after inspecting my brakes recently they "looked" ok, but the thing with me is I shake and vibrate during braking, but not EVERY time I brake, which makes me think it's the ABS, since I know the PM3 sux balls.

[Kingsford]

ya, so does mine, but after inspecting my brakes recently they "looked" ok, but the thing with me is I shake and vibrate during braking, but not EVERY time I brake, which makes me think it's the ABS, since I know the PM3 sux balls.

 

I get the pulsing/vibration EVERYTIME I apply the brakes. My front pads and rotors "look" fine too.

[meltboy1]

well then maybe you did get bad rotors... idk what to tell you really...lol

[GOT2B GM]

loose caliper mounting bracket?

 

[GutlessSupreme]

Yea definitely go back and check all the bolts..

 

You don't feel or hear ANYTHING when just driving normally? It's possible that one of the rotors was poorly cast and isn't straight, but you'd probably hear a humming/scraping sound that fades in and out if that was the case.

[Kingsford]

loose caliper mounting bracket?

 

I checked all the bolts and everything is still tight.

[Kingsford]

Yea definitely go back and check all the bolts..

 

You don't feel or hear ANYTHING when just driving normally? It's possible that one of the rotors was poorly cast and isn't straight, but you'd probably hear a humming/scraping sound that fades in and out if that was the case.

 

The car is nice and quiet when driving normally. I'll try to see if I can detect any scraping of the rotors though.

[3.1cutlass]

Are your rears messed up? I had this happed earlier this year.

[Hal H]

What did you torque the lugnuts to??? Overtorqueing easily warps rotors..

 

I torqued the lugnuts to 95lbs/ft

 

you may already do this - but torque in a star pattern in two- three stages. You skip a bolt, and as you make the next round, you get the every other bolt skipped in the first passes. The gradual torque sequence will assure those bolts will stay tight until you remove them the next time.

 

I snug the bolts with the wheel off the ground and then do the final steps of torquing with the car's weight on the wheels - makes sure the wheels are centered by the lugs properly before loading them with the weight of the car.

 

Over torquing or uneven tightening can pull rotors out of shape - this happened on a friends 'Vette with the tire monkeys that used a *!$&^ impact gun to tighten the lugs on the car.

 

It damaged the rotors and he made the shop replace the rotors. The car hopped when you applied the brakes, that's how bad it was.

[BXX]

What did you torque the lugnuts to??? Overtorqueing easily warps rotors..

 

I torqued the lugnuts to 95lbs/ft

 

you may already do this - but torque in a star pattern in two- three stages. You skip a bolt, and as you make the next round, you get the every other bolt skipped in the first passes. The gradual torque sequence will assure those bolts will stay tight until you remove them the next time.

 

I snug the bolts with the wheel off the ground and then do the final steps of torquing with the car's weight on the wheels - makes sure the wheels are centered by the lugs properly before loading them with the weight of the car.

 

Over torquing or uneven tightening can pull rotors out of shape - this happened on a friends 'Vette with the tire monkeys that used a *!$&^ impact gun to tighten the lugs on the car.

 

It damaged the rotors and he made the shop replace the rotors. The car hopped when you applied the brakes, that's how bad it was.

 

Dont lump us all together. I use an impact on lugnuts all the time, but I use torque sticks...

 

BTW, go out and retorque your car to 100ftlb And Hals steps are for the paranoid. You dont have the 3 step it.

[GutlessSupreme]

Dont lump us all together. I use an impact on lugnuts all the time, but I use torque sticks...

 

x2 at work my friend uses one of those, he loves it.

 

he doesn't really believe in torquing anything but head bolts though... ASE certified.

[BXX]

Dont lump us all together. I use an impact on lugnuts all the time, but I use torque sticks...

 

x2 at work my friend uses one of those, he loves it.

 

he doesn't really believe in torquing anything but head bolts though... ASE certified.

 

Most dont, but they know what the hell they are doing and they know the torque or their air ratchets and even by hand.. 30 years of experience will do that, well for our Master Tech at least.

 

Me, I can torque lugs down with just my impact and not over torque them, but I know my gun and of course once the car is on the ground, I use a good torque wrench

[dohc v6]

I tell ya what you need to do is buy a big brake kit from me, that makes it all better.

 

M

[BXX]

I tell ya what you need to do is buy a big brake kit from me, that makes it all better.

 

M

 

Thats what I need to do, but I gotta wait til the Snap On guy is payed down a bit more

[Kingsford]

Are your rears messed up? I had this happed earlier this year.

 

Would you describe this in greater detail?

[Kingsford]

What did you torque the lugnuts to??? Overtorqueing easily warps rotors..

 

I torqued the lugnuts to 95lbs/ft

 

you may already do this - but torque in a star pattern in two- three stages. You skip a bolt, and as you make the next round, you get the every other bolt skipped in the first passes. The gradual torque sequence will assure those bolts will stay tight until you remove them the next time.

 

I snug the bolts with the wheel off the ground and then do the final steps of torquing with the car's weight on the wheels - makes sure the wheels are centered by the lugs properly before loading them with the weight of the car.

 

Over torquing or uneven tightening can pull rotors out of shape - this happened on a friends 'Vette with the tire monkeys that used a *!$&^ impact gun to tighten the lugs on the car.

 

It damaged the rotors and he made the shop replace the rotors. The car hopped when you applied the brakes, that's how bad it was.

 

I follow the same procedure and I don't own an impact wrench.

[3.1cutlass]

Are your rears messed up? I had this happed earlier this year.

 

Would you describe this in greater detail?

My rear brakes where screwed up and i thought it was my fronts causing the pulsating when it was actually my rear brakes.

[5speedz34]

Are these rotors "white box specials" I would first check everything in my steering and in my brakes (bolts etc.) Then take them off and return them. If that doesn't work I would be looking into my tires.

 

Personally I don't like torque sticks I really don't trust them. I would spin the tires down with and impact in a star pattern and then torque them with a torque wrench. Just make sure you don't reef on the bolts and you'll be fine.

 

[BXX]

Torque sticks are used to tighten the bolts down before you set the car down and then you use a torque wrench... And if you know your gun and its settings, torque sticks are very acurate and very needed with a lot of imports with steel wheels that are very much hubcentric..