Brake Pedal Pulsing

Joined
May 10, 2005
Messages
2,731
Location
Toronto, Canada
I have had a very slight brake pedal pulsing when braking at high speeds for the last few years but it is becoming more noticeable now and I want to get rid of the pulsing. Original front rotors and replacement ThermoQuiet pads, truck is now at 215k kms / 130k mi. Truck has rear drums and applying the parking brake generates no pulsing. I am very easy on my brakes and the truck has been seldom braked hard, except for the few times I have been cut off in traffic. There has never been any sustained hard braking. I am the only one driving the truck. I have driven in a congested city for fifteen years and still have original brake shoes on one side at the rear (other side shoes had to be replaced after an axle oil leak)
This weekend I am going to check for rotor runout and the thickness of the rotor. Assuming those are still in specs, likely cause of the pulsing will be pad deposits. Any way of removing the deposits? I am considering
1) aggressive (knotted) wire brush on an angle grinder
2) brake rotor hone
Thoughts?
 
Wire brush isn't going to touch deposits on a rotor. Only real way to remove them would be to skim the top layer off on a brake lathe. But I'm with Nick, 15 years is long enough, new rotors time.

Also, excessive runout can be caused by over torqued lugs. Who has been doing your tire rotations or replacements?
 
No one touches the truck but me. When I get new tires from Costco, I take the wheels off the truck and take them in. This ensures the wheels do not get over tightened (also I do not have to wait around and can go back the next day to pick up the wheels).
 
The axle oil leak on the rear driver side happened in 2014 and I only used the one pair of shoes and saved the other pair. Did not notice any uneven braking at all. Good thing I saved the pair because I just noticed a small oil leak on the passenger side. New oil seal is coming in from Rockauto on Wednesday.
 
No one touches the truck but me. When I get new tires from Costco, I take the wheels off the truck and take them in. This ensures the wheels do not get over tightened (also I do not have to wait around and can go back the next day to pick up the wheels).
This seems like an awful lot of work when you can just re-torque in the Costco parking lot with your own torque wrench but to each their own.
 
This seems like an awful lot of work when you can just re-torque in the Costco parking lot with your own torque wrench but to each their own.
Re-torquing does not help if the rim or hub has been distorted from over tightening. Every spring and fall I have to take the wheels off for winter/summer wheel exchange (also brake service, very much needed in the salt belt), so the wheels are off for the season and that is when I get new tires.
 
Re-torquing does not help if the rim or hub has been distorted from over tightening. Every spring and fall I have to take the wheels off for winter/summer wheel exchange (also brake service, very much needed in the salt belt), so the wheels are off for the season and that is when I get new tires.
Simply loosen then re-torque to spec.
Again, to each their own.

Are you really worried about permanent plastic deformation of the rim as a result of overtightening?

As a side note, when was the last time your personal torque wrench was calibrated?
 
New pads and rotors. Wagner makes decent coated rotors. Wagner TQ pads are good. I like Akebono ProAct better.

You should be pulling the front brakes apart yearly, cleaning the rust from the critical areas then using the right lube in the right places.
 
Simply loosen then re-torque to spec.
Again, to each their own.
Are you really worried about permanent plastic deformation of the rim as a result of overtightening?
As a side note, when was the last time your personal torque wrench was calibrated?
Never but I do occasionally check it against other torque wrenches, using a 8 point socket to couple two torque wrenches together. I have one of the beam/deflection torque wrenches that do not drift and it is a good wrench to use to check on my other torque wrenches. Years ago I had to adjust one of my torque wrenches because it had drifted. My present 1/2 in seems to hold its calibration very well. I unwind it after every use.

I have read that rotors can take on a permanent distortion from over tightening.
 
New pads and rotors. Wagner makes decent coated rotors. Wagner TQ pads are good. I like Akebono ProAct better.

You should be pulling the front brakes apart yearly, cleaning the rust from the critical areas then using the right lube in the right places.
I posted earlier that I service the brakes twice yearly and that includes all you mentioned. I found out about servicing brakes the hard way. I did not service the front discs for a couple of years after I bought the truck and then found one outer pad wearing excessively because the caliper was not floating freely
 
I posted earlier that I service the brakes twice yearly and that includes all you mentioned. I found out about servicing brakes the hard way. I did not service the front discs for a couple of years after I bought the truck and then found one outer pad wearing excessively because the caliper was not floating freely
OK, then just new pads and rotors.
 
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