pulsing when braking

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crinkles

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Last month or so i am getting a pulsing effect when braking. the rate of pulsing is proportional to the speed - high frequency means high rate and slow frequency when i am creeping in traffic.

i was hoping to solve this with an alignment and a new set of tyres (will need them before the end of the year) but i have my doubts.

I am worried i have a brake disc runout problem because the pulsing is only there when i brake.

what could it be? i do not feel like getting new rotors. if i have to , i will.
 
Originally Posted By: crinkles
this car only has 45,000 miles on it. what would've warped them?


The driver.
LOL.gif
 
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I am having the same problem, same symptoms. I bought cheapo Chinese made rotors and despite proper break-in, they warped in only 2000 miles.

You only buy the best once I guess.
 
The rotors on our expedition are warped after 56,000 miles. It seems that when we rotated the tires we didn't torque all nuts down equally, and supposedly that can help warp them.
21.gif
 
Originally Posted By: GROUCHO MARX
Originally Posted By: crinkles
this car only has 45,000 miles on it. what would've warped them?


The driver.
LOL.gif



cheers3.gif
but no.
 
Rotors can warp with heat or misstorqued lugs.
The rotors on my Z28 heat warped in under 10k miles. Common problem for that car. Everybody who had their rotors turned that I know of on these cars (that was the warranty solution) warped them again within 5k miles.
My solution was to go with upgraded (Brembo) blank rotors. No sign of warping so far.
 
How strong is the pulsing? Is minor warping really a safety concern?

With all I've heard about those cheap chinese replacements, I feel better with slightly warped OEM ones over the replacements.

BTW, my wife's Vue does have a very minor pulsing when braking. Its been that way for a long time. And its not been driven hard (she's still on the factory brake pads at 109k miles).
 
Brake judder-pulsation can be caused by a number of factors:

1. poor quality rotors
2. corrosion-"lot rot"
3. poor quality pads or incorrect pad selection
4. runout in the wheel hub caused by corrosion or uneven surface on the hub face (not cleaned before installation of the rotor)
5. improper pad "bed in' causing overheating
6. sticky caliper piston causing uneven pad wear
7. failure to torque lug nuts evenly
8. overheating by aggressive driving habits
9. worn out rotors- too thin
 
Originally Posted By: PT1
Brake judder-pulsation can be caused by a number of factors:

1. poor quality rotors
2. corrosion-"lot rot"
3. poor quality pads or incorrect pad selection
4. runout in the wheel hub caused by corrosion or uneven surface on the hub face (not cleaned before installation of the rotor)
5. improper pad "bed in' causing overheating
6. sticky caliper piston causing uneven pad wear
7. failure to torque lug nuts evenly
8. overheating by aggressive driving habits
9. worn out rotors- too thin


1. poor quality rotors NO - OEM
2. corrosion-"lot rot" NO - IN USE
3. poor quality pads or incorrect pad selection NO - OEM
4. runout in the wheel hub caused by corrosion or uneven surface IS 45K OLD ENOUGH on the hub face (not cleaned before installation of the rotor)
5. improper pad "bed in' causing overheating UNLIKELY IN MY CASE
6. sticky caliper piston causing uneven pad wear POSSIBLE
7. failure to torque lug nuts evenly POSSIBLE , WILL RE-TORQUE TODAY
8. overheating by aggressive driving habits NO - I DRIVE REALLY SLOW
9. worn out rotors- too thin UNLIKELY FOR AGE.
 
With ours, at high speed under braking (Coming down a slight grade on the highway for a few seconds) the steering wheel shudders, it turns quickly from side to side. Apparently if you simply re-turn warped rotors, it won't last very long and they will just re-warp again very quickly. And to quote an auto parts store salesclerk, the only rotors cheaper than the cavalier/sunfire, are saturn rotors.
 
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- Once you have warped rotors, retourqing the lug nuts will not fix the problem.
- Do not turn warped rotors - you will remove precious mass from the rotors, making them run hotter and warp faster (and also reducing resistance to brake fade)
- there are tons of drilled and slotted rotors available on ebay - do not buy these - most of them are extremely cheap china rotors that are sold by people just trying to make a buck
- buy the "better" rotors that are offered by a name brand company. (Bendix, Raybestos, etc) altho the "GS" line means "Globally Sourced" aka: cheap china
- another option is to buy rotors with a warranty. for instance, AZ gives you a 2 year warranty on their rotors. now, I am not claiming that these rotors are as good as the best rotors available from Napa; but at least for two years its not your dime. The best rotors are from the US or Canada. Next best is Taiwan; last is China. although there is a HUGE variance in quality (or the lack thereof) from China. Generally if the parent company actually owns and manages the plant there, the quality is better. if they are simply "commodity sourced" then they are usually junk. any no-name rotors... well, you should already know the answer to that one!
 
Originally Posted By: rudolphna
And to quote an auto parts store salesclerk, the only rotors cheaper than the cavalier/sunfire, are saturn rotors.


As an ASME certified brake technician with hundreds (thousands?)of brake jobs under my belt, I would say that comment is irresponsible. We've had numerous Cavaliers, Saturns, Sentras in our fleet and I would disagree with that comment - altho I suppose everyone is entitled to their own opinion. (however incorrect it may be!)
 
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