I'm experiencing a major problem with my 2002 Isuzu Rodeo. After driving the car for awhile and only in stop & go traffic I always get this terrible grinding & vibration (from front wheel area) when braking. I have replaced both front pads and rotors.
Has anyone else seen or heard of this problem?

I'm experiencing a major problem with my 2002 Isuzu Rodeo. After driving the car for awhile and only in stop & go traffic I always get this terrible grinding & vibration (from front wheel area) when braking. I have replaced both front pads and rotors.
Has anyone else seen or heard of this problem?



What kind of break pads did you get? I just did my front brakes and got the ceramic brake pads, they were a bit more money, but they aren't supposed to make any noise. Here is what consumer reports has to say about the semimetallic bakes pads, which are comon in guaranteed cheapest brake job shops:

"This formula, containing about 30 to 65 percent metal, typically includes chopped steel wool or wire, iron powder, copper or graphite mixed with inorganic fillers, and friction modifiers that bond all the ingredients together. These pads are more durable and have excellent heat transfer, but also wear down rotors faster, have intrusive noise characteristics, and may not perform as well under low-temperature conditions."

Also, I had noticed that my mechanic bumped the dust gard the surrounds the rotor, it was draging and making an awful noise, you may check that too.




Good luck.

Sorry - I guess I wasn't clear in my thread. I replaced the brakes and rotors in an attempt to resolve an already existing problem, but no luck.

re pack the wheel bearings?

Check wheel bearing. It sounds shot.

My 99 Rodeo has a similar vibration, actually a shuddering, during braking. No awful noise, but it feels like a warped rotor, i.e. the brake action pulses with each wheel rotation even though there is constant pedal pressure. I replaced pads, rotors, and bearings and the problem is still there, no change. I assume it's not something the ABS is doing because my ABS dash light is on, and I assume that means the entire ABS system is disabled. The shuddering was there even before my ABS light came on anyway.Any ideas on what else might cause this? I've considered alignment, unbalanced wheels, old brake fluid?

how many miles? could be worn tie rods.

have you considered sticking calipers and/or brake pad retaining pins?
someone on this site or another, who does a lot of car work apparently, was 'stuck' on this for awhile, so it may not be readily apparent even to those who do alot of brake work. (btw, i don't know that he had your symptoms, specifically).

another possibility, however remote, is a blocked or partially blocked brake hose/line.

in my experience, pulsating seems almost always related to rotor or bearing issues, but since you have done that work, i suggest the above as outside possibilities.

btw, when you got the new rotors, did you check, or have them checked, for run-out? it wouldn't be the first time that new rotors were out of spec.

//bc