Brakes straight. It pulses the steering wheel more than the brake pedal.
Ford Fusion brake vibration
- Thread starter Colt45ws
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If you've got the original front rotors on there and you find them to be the problem, get them cut by someone who knows what they're doing. Obviously if they have a problem that can't be corrected they need to be replaced but that's not likely. The original rotors on this car are good metal and shouldn't be thrown out without a good reason. With a little care they should last as long as 4 sets of white-box specials and do it with fewer problems. I don't know what makes the metal good, but I can tell you that it is.
Thats what Im trying to avoid is replacing them with specials. There is nearly no noticeable grooving at this point.
Originally Posted By: Colt45ws
Brakes straight. It pulses the steering wheel more than the brake pedal.
Runout is what I'm leaning towards if it's felt more in the steering wheel than the pedal. It wouldn't hurt (and would be the least expensive option, just time and labor on your part) to pull the rotors off the hub, clean the rust on hub and mating surface on rotor [if any rust in the first place], and if possible (and you don't mind not using the retaining screws), rotate the rotors 180 from where they were originally on the hub. If that doesn't fix it, do as others have suggested, get the rotors resurfaced, however a that point, I'd say uneven pad deposits; check the pad face for glazing. I've not found the stock/OE Ford pads to easily leave deposits on the rotors and they don't really glaze over easily. I have found the OE pads to tend to grove on the rotor face a bit more than I'm used to. (I have Centric Premium rotors on now with Bendix CT3 pads, far better than the pads on prior; these don't click in the carrier, they're silent and they have pretty good pedal modulation bite/feel)
Brakes straight. It pulses the steering wheel more than the brake pedal.
Runout is what I'm leaning towards if it's felt more in the steering wheel than the pedal. It wouldn't hurt (and would be the least expensive option, just time and labor on your part) to pull the rotors off the hub, clean the rust on hub and mating surface on rotor [if any rust in the first place], and if possible (and you don't mind not using the retaining screws), rotate the rotors 180 from where they were originally on the hub. If that doesn't fix it, do as others have suggested, get the rotors resurfaced, however a that point, I'd say uneven pad deposits; check the pad face for glazing. I've not found the stock/OE Ford pads to easily leave deposits on the rotors and they don't really glaze over easily. I have found the OE pads to tend to grove on the rotor face a bit more than I'm used to. (I have Centric Premium rotors on now with Bendix CT3 pads, far better than the pads on prior; these don't click in the carrier, they're silent and they have pretty good pedal modulation bite/feel)
I want glazed pads and rotors. That is how they are supposed to be after break in.
Thats a good idea Chris. I didnt even think of rotating them 180 out. Ill give that a shot and its nearly free.
My uncles fusion did this before and after I changed the pads on it back in march. I was gonna do the rotors too, but ran out of time.
Rotating the rotors didnt make much of a difference.
One thing I just noticed. Well, more like correlated; is that the vibration gets worse as the brakes get hot. Like the first stop even under hard pressure the vibration will be light.. But if I beat the [censored] out of it and pretend Im tracking it they get so bad the whole car will shake. Almost makes me think it IS the pads. Like a stick-slip-stick-slip sort of deal.
One thing I just noticed. Well, more like correlated; is that the vibration gets worse as the brakes get hot. Like the first stop even under hard pressure the vibration will be light.. But if I beat the [censored] out of it and pretend Im tracking it they get so bad the whole car will shake. Almost makes me think it IS the pads. Like a stick-slip-stick-slip sort of deal.
I still think the problem is the rotors and thickness variation. Changing the rotor indexing to the hub is not going to matter because the problem isn't directly from run out and maybe there's not excessive run out in the hub. If by chance the pads were the problem they've most likely wrecked the rotors anyway.
There are a number of things that can go wrong with a rotor.
At this point, you have identified them as the problem, which is good.
Now you gotta dive in and cut or replace them.
At this point, you have identified them as the problem, which is good.
Now you gotta dive in and cut or replace them.
How much do rotors cost on the ford? I'd personally just buy new ones. But on the other hand I dont know how much you'll save vs. getting them cut.
Originally Posted By: Colt45ws
Rotating the rotors didnt make much of a difference.
One thing I just noticed. Well, more like correlated; is that the vibration gets worse as the brakes get hot. Like the first stop even under hard pressure the vibration will be light.. But if I beat the [censored] out of it and pretend Im tracking it they get so bad the whole car will shake. Almost makes me think it IS the pads. Like a stick-slip-stick-slip sort of deal.
Sounds like the rotors are shot then. They've probably been overheated and no longer have a consistent structure. It could be even worse -- a crack. If either of those problems are present the rotors are scrap. Get new ones and clean the hubs thoroughly before you put them on.
If you've got much corrosion to clean off, a coating of Squeak Relief (are there other brands of this stuff?) on the hat and the hub face will prevent the return of that corrosion. A nice thick high moly brake grease would also do that.
Rotating the rotors didnt make much of a difference.
One thing I just noticed. Well, more like correlated; is that the vibration gets worse as the brakes get hot. Like the first stop even under hard pressure the vibration will be light.. But if I beat the [censored] out of it and pretend Im tracking it they get so bad the whole car will shake. Almost makes me think it IS the pads. Like a stick-slip-stick-slip sort of deal.
Sounds like the rotors are shot then. They've probably been overheated and no longer have a consistent structure. It could be even worse -- a crack. If either of those problems are present the rotors are scrap. Get new ones and clean the hubs thoroughly before you put them on.
If you've got much corrosion to clean off, a coating of Squeak Relief (are there other brands of this stuff?) on the hat and the hub face will prevent the return of that corrosion. A nice thick high moly brake grease would also do that.
Yeah, Ill probably grease it. It has a really stupid design of the hub with a raised portion about maybe 1cm out from the actual hub. Its not really high, maybe 1-2mm above the face, but its enough to raise the disc off and allow a nice area for water to get into.
I also noticed on the pads they were gouged out in the area of the center cut. Like a big piece maybe 1cm around chunked out of it. Then on the driver disc it had black spots all the way around it on the inside (piston) face.. It didnt look like heat spots (blued) just black splotches like inconsistent pad transfer or something.
Sorry I didnt notice this stuff until just a bit ago. Wasnt really looking for it.
I also noticed on the pads they were gouged out in the area of the center cut. Like a big piece maybe 1cm around chunked out of it. Then on the driver disc it had black spots all the way around it on the inside (piston) face.. It didnt look like heat spots (blued) just black splotches like inconsistent pad transfer or something.
Sorry I didnt notice this stuff until just a bit ago. Wasnt really looking for it.
An '09 isn't old enough for the chunking to be due to old age so unless there's a defect that's one more reson to expect there was an overheating issue. Either way it means the pads need to be replaced as well as the rotors. Look for anything that will prevent the pads from sliding freely and correct as necessary. Considering this is your mother's car and not your own make sure you take a look at the brake pedal pad and also ride shotgun (actual shotgun not required) to see if there's any improper operation issues to worry about.
I failed to realise you have the raised ridge on the hub face. These are really a good thing (except for those of us who cut owr own rotors on a bench lathe) because it's so very easy to clean just the raised rim without worrying about the rest of the hub face. If there's a huge buildup of crud in the non-raised area it's not a big deal as that area is non-critical. Just tape off the raised rim and go over the rest with a small needle scaler.
I failed to realise you have the raised ridge on the hub face. These are really a good thing (except for those of us who cut owr own rotors on a bench lathe) because it's so very easy to clean just the raised rim without worrying about the rest of the hub face. If there's a huge buildup of crud in the non-raised area it's not a big deal as that area is non-critical. Just tape off the raised rim and go over the rest with a small needle scaler.
If you are going to replace the pads and rotors, I've been using the Bendix CT3 and Centric premium '120' series rotors on my Mazda6, love this combo. Can get on Amazon.com for relatively cheap with free shipping [Front rotors ASIN: B0018R906O front CT3 pads ASIN: B000PAM7QU] (Rockauto's shipping is what kills any savings for me) The pads come with new hardware too.
Cool, thanks! Itll probably be awhile before I can deal with it.
I finally got new pads and rotors. I went with the Bendix CT3 and Raybestos Advanced Tech. Rotors. I have not installed them yet; I hope to do so tomorrow after work.
Take a 1/2 hour extra and clean them with dish soap and water, and brake cleaner.
Maybe lightly spray paint the hub area so it won't rust.
Got good brake grease? Syl Glide has proven to be the best for me.
Once again, really clean the pins and bores.
Might as well suck out the reservoir fluid with a turkey baster, so when you push the pistons back, it won't overflow. 1/2 is safe.
Maybe lightly spray paint the hub area so it won't rust.
Got good brake grease? Syl Glide has proven to be the best for me.
Once again, really clean the pins and bores.
Might as well suck out the reservoir fluid with a turkey baster, so when you push the pistons back, it won't overflow. 1/2 is safe.
What is nice is the Advanced Tech rotors come with the hats already painted.
So, I did it today after getting some more brake cleaner and some Syl-Glide.
I have to say, I did NOT like the hardware included with the Bendix pads. The bigger pieces would not stay attached to the caliper bracket. I would have been better off probably if I just reused the OE pieces there. Those I almost had to use a pair of pliers to twist them up until they popped loose.
After I got that all done, I took it out to burn them in. I followed the stop-tech site and did 10 60-10mph moderate-high stops. Then I drove it 4 miles @ 50-60mph to loop back for a second run.
I got about 5 stops in, when I noticed a cop taking interest in my activities. He continued to watch me after I passed him so I ended up abandoning the run there as I no longer had room on the road to complete the cycle. I drove it about 1.5 miles @ 60mph to the secondary site and was able to do a complete cycle.
Thats what it looked like after I got back.
So, I did it today after getting some more brake cleaner and some Syl-Glide.
I have to say, I did NOT like the hardware included with the Bendix pads. The bigger pieces would not stay attached to the caliper bracket. I would have been better off probably if I just reused the OE pieces there. Those I almost had to use a pair of pliers to twist them up until they popped loose.
After I got that all done, I took it out to burn them in. I followed the stop-tech site and did 10 60-10mph moderate-high stops. Then I drove it 4 miles @ 50-60mph to loop back for a second run.
I got about 5 stops in, when I noticed a cop taking interest in my activities. He continued to watch me after I passed him so I ended up abandoning the run there as I no longer had room on the road to complete the cycle. I drove it about 1.5 miles @ 60mph to the secondary site and was able to do a complete cycle.
Thats what it looked like after I got back.
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