Brakes/suspension???

[Greig8]

The brakes on my LeSabre have never really compared to say the brakes on my mothers Accord but they get the job done. Reciently though the car has been vibrating like mad when I brake. Is there somethign in particular that causes this? Also is there somethign I can do to keep the car from nosediving so much like better rear brakes or should there be some maintenence done on the suspension?

Also the car has been stalling sometimes after I drive for a while and then shut it off and then start it again. It runs fine if I give it some gas but it's kindof annoying.

Thanks for your help,
Greig8

1990 LeSabre Limited Coupe

[HotZ28]

Your rotors have warped, either due to excessive heat, sticking calipers, or rapid cooling of hot rotors with cool water. Only soultion is to either have the rotors turned or replaced. Be sure that the calipers "float" on the mounting pins and that the caliper piston is not binding.

If you have random stalling when warm, I would suggest checking for codes first. If you have any, that would point you in the right direction.

[Alibi]

As for the random stalling, codes are a must. However, if you aren't getting any codes the first thing I would check would be your coil packs. Quite often, coils fail at operating temperatures, causing a stall. Also, a bad coil will generally not set off the ses light. The next thing I would suspect would be a vacuum leak assuming the coils are fine.

This is assuming your plugs and wires are all in good shape...

[Greig8]

The car went to the mechanic and he said that there was nothing wrong with the brakes. They still have 50-60 percent on the front and are almost new on the back. He also told me that the struts were getting weak and would probably only pass inspection for another year.

My next question is should I go ahead and replace the struts now? Isn't it true that struts will help my ride, braking, handling and all that good junk? and if I do do it should I get the rear air suspension converted to gas or keep it air?

Next, should I have the mechanic do it or do it myself? How hard of a job is this for an amature?

Thanks for all your help.
Greig8

[HotZ28]

Originally Posted by Greig8

The brakes on my LeSabre have never really compared to say the brakes on my mothers Accord but they get the job done. Reciently though the car has been vibrating like mad when I brake. Is there somethign in particular that causes this? Also is there somethign I can do to keep the car from nosediving so much like better rear brakes or should there be some maintenence done on the suspension?
Thanks for your help,
Greig8 1990 LeSabre Limited Coupe

I was just wondering if you explained to the mechanic the part in bold above concerning vibration? The amount of material remaining on the pad has nothing to do with vibration! Strut replacement is not for the novice DIY type, and the car must be aligned after strut replacement. Nearly all struts are "gas" charged nowadays, including the rear air struts. The terminology used to describe "air strut" is somewhat misleading, if you are not familiar with the rest of the strut construction. If you need struts, you should install Monroe Sensa Trac front & rear. Yes, they are Nitrogen “gas charged” struts, with "air assist" on the rear. Struts will help control your nose diving, however they will not do anything for your brake vibration!
All about struts and how they work

[Greig8]

I guess I am going to go ahead and get the strut work done. Is there anything else that should go along with the struts like balljoints or bushings or anything? I think after the struts are done I will look into getting some new rotors and doing them myself. I was looking at the drilled/slotted rotors... is there a noticable difference between OEM and the drilled or slotted and is there someplace I should look for them or a specific brand?

Thanks,
Greig8

P.S. I think the stalling might have had somethign to do with the fuel being so low. We'll see how it goes. Someone mentioned the coils? What are those and how much will they cost if they go bad? By the way my ECM or ICM already went bad (melted together) and that was replaced. - That prevented the car from starting.

[ChemMan]

Originally Posted by Greig8

The brakes on my LeSabre have never really compared to say the brakes on my mothers Accord but they get the job done.

The accord you are talking about probably weighs half as much as the Lesabre, it's kind of hard to compare stopping power between those two cars.

[Greig8]

Car got 4 struts - converted the air on the rear to gas since the pump was out of comission for god knows how long. Needed rotors and pads on the front. Also replaced a cracked brake line. Total damages: 675.45. OUCH! and it needs aligned.

damn,
Greig8