Crazy brake issue
 

Okay guys, so I've had this nasty vibration for a while. Changed my carrier bearing, u-joints, brake calipers, pads, ball joints, inner+outer tie rods, tires, alignment. And still.

So let me say this. The vibration comes and goes. I haven't been able to quiet figure out when and how so it happens.

However i have noticed that sometimes the brake pedal has alot more resistance at times. I've flushed the brakes thourouly, all fresh fluid. No leak, at brakes or master.
When the vibration does happen it gets alot more extreme when i brake. And continues until i brake enough or slow down to about 40 or so.

Some one please help me out here. The vibration is felt strongly through the wheel, pedals and front end and the wheel shakes ridiculously. My rotors aren't new, but they aren't warped or getting worn or hot spots by any means.

crazy brake issue
 

Hi! Sounds as though you may have lost a wheel balance weight -this causes wobble at speed , may be a good idea to get them all checked , also check that the INSIDE of the wheel has not distorted .

take your wheels to a shop and have them checked for heavy spots, add waights accordingly( could end up being a bent rim) i would also replace the rotors i had alot of vibration at first but i rebuilt the calpiers, new pads and rotors, and tightened the rack and pinion bolts to specs and it went away

Thanks for the input, I was at the tire shop getting new rims put on yesterday, I had him thoroughly go thru the balancing. I think this has something to do with the booster possibly

I can't quite tell, does this issue happen only when you've started applying the brakes or does it start lightly while at speed and then just gets worse when the brakes are applied?

I wouldn't replace the rotors but I would start with getting a lathe on them (I feel that doing it on car would be best in this case). You may have unevenly bedded in the friction compound into the surface of the rotor. The only thing that's going to clear that up is shaving them down and PROPERLY bedding them in again.

Is the shudder dead even or does the car pull to one side or the other?

No the problem starts during regular driving and will continue without the brakes. However it worsens when the brakes are applied. And it does pull but id say from left to right. Not more so one than the other. I Think the booster is going out so maybe its tightening up the brakes during driving

No, I'm not inclined to believe that your brake booster is actually pumping the brakes... If it were screwing up to that degree (which would be quite interesting in itself) it wouldn't be pulsing... it'd be constant drag. If it's brake related it's most likely a seized caliper glide and probably in concert with an unevenly bedded friction medium on that rotor. Did the calipers all slide off and on easily? You shouldn't have to wiggle them or pry them off, they should slide easily. Did you lubricate them with an appropriate caliper lube when you reinstalled them? Did you remember to clean out all of the old lubricant?

Yup, synthetic brake grease and brand new rebuilt calipers both sides.

Here's a few videos of it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o7dQbRSZi0&feature=plcp

This one is just of the driving and noise

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p30ofr8NKOQ&feature=plcp

This one is of it slowly starting and braking. Don't mind the talking lol I was sending it to a friend for his input

Seems to me like a shot front wheel bearing... could be a bent spindle.

Ya I was think wheel bearings too but it's not making any other signs like most do...(excessive noise at all rpms/mphs..and I have no play in the wheels).

Im still on the brakes honestly, I've noticed that when my pedal gets stiff the car starts this bullshit. So the other day when it started, I pulled over and popped the hood. Pulled the line off the booster and plugged it back in. Brakes went back to normal. I know there's a external check valve on the firewall above the booster and I blew threw that and it works. My question is there another check valve internally in the booster?

Long behold the fucking rotors.......god dammit

so it was the rotors then?

ya it was the rotors.......im sorry cre i didnt listen sooner lol,
i was on alldata and a TSB popped up about drivetrain vibration and described my problems almost 100%. New rotors on and its been fine. Im blown away........

im no where near as savy as cre but i got this one right yay:D

well not to burst your bubble, but the vibration is back after a nice few days of smooth driving. the pedal got stiff again and it started. guess im back to the booster. shit....
:dunno:

ill get it right eventualy lol. thats sucks man any idea how much a new or factory rebuilt one will be?

i can get one from my job with my discount for about 130 w/o core. thats not too bad. just wish i knew someone who could let me borrow:bow: theres to test it.

Did you ever get this resolved?

Sorry haven't updated this. Working alot. So....
-New booster and Aisin master installed. Vibration came back. Again...

I replaced the shitty brakes. I had AutoZone basic pads(that's all they make for our cars incase you didn't know). They were cracked all the way to the metal
Got some Wagner pads from O'Reillys.
I hate to say this cause, when I do it comes back. Im on three days of driving. No vibration. :bow:

http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/...mporary-48.jpg

This is what Vatozone pads look like after 10,000 miles.

-Happy to report....4th day of driving. no vibration :offwall:

I would go to the advanced and complain and try to haggle a discount on my next purchase:bigthumb:

(did you bed those pads in properly by chance? I'm using advanced cheapest pads as daily and my auto crosser and have had no issues)

The vibration could have caused them to crack like that. The cracking of the friction media again seems to me to be more likely to be a symptom than the source of the problem.

i totally agree. however im not saying that they are the best pads. autozne only makes one pad for our car....not stock. i mean produce. the cheapest lowest grade pad. i broke them in properly. i rarely ever use my brakes to be honest. even in LA traffic...i engine brake/downshift alot.

Well when i took off the booster i had about a quart of brake fluid in there so that could have been causing the hard/locking brake pedal, so i replaced both master and brake booster, new calipers, new rotors, new pads now, fresh fluid. let me just say if theres one thing on my car that is spectacular its my braking system. haha. i still have minor rattle but i think thats due to old wheel bearings and shot bushings.
which i have just havent had the time to down the car yet for those repairs.

Might want to consider that engine wear is more expensive to fix than replacing brake pads more often. Not trying to start an argument over just how bad constant engine breaking is but the amount of friction required to slow a 3500-3600lbs (add occpant weight) mass isn't small.


Well, given everything you've replaced I sure hope the problem's gone... I'm even getting frustrated with it. :p I understand, crap pads are well, crap pads, but really even the worst pad should still provide consistent poor braking. lol