brake question

[pbrizzle86]

Hey i was just wondering if any body else had problems with vibration/ car shaking when using sloted and crossed drilled rotors. if i'm not on the brakes fairly hard i get a shake in the front end and through the steering column. ive checked everything and nothing is loose in the front end. I didn't cheap out on these rotors either. so i was just wondering if this was common when trying to use these rotors on this car. dont know really what else to do. Thanks, Paul

[FrodoGT]

Sometimes the new rotors arent perfect, ive seen it before. Take them and get them turned (resurfaced). That will straighten them out, then hope they didnt mess the pads up.

[Tony]

Can't turn slotted rotors...or last I checked you can't turn them. But that is what it sounds like, sounds like you have a warped rotor. Just get some Brembo blanks, better than slotted and cross drilled....forgot where I read a huge article on why to use blanks over slotted and cross drilled, but it made a lot of sense. Because of the way most(except for high dollar OEM parts, and a few other exceptions) slotted and/or cross drilled rotors are made, they are weaker than blanks and tend to crack quicker on you.

Now I can't say much right now, my hatch has slotted rotors on the front, but those were from before I read that article and will soon be replaced when I get back to doing brakes.

[FrodoGT]

You can, but its finding a shop that will do it for you thats the problem.. most will say it messes up the lathe. But it can be done.

[BullShifter]

It's actually simple to do. You just have to make really small cuts.

[Christ]

well, it actually *does* mess up the lathe, b/c the areas where the holes are create a "wall" area on the other side of the hole, and when the cutter head hits it, it seriously dulls it.

They have tips that are meant for this exact job, we used to have them at Sear's... but the problem is, they still dull after only 2 or 4 rotors... so most places won't use them... waste of money.

Other than that, if they're not seriously used, see if you can RMA them.

[pbrizzle86]

well i got a warenty on them so i will just try to get a new set. but they were fine when i got them and they havent been under any punishment yet so i dont see why they would warpnever had this problem with stock rotors. weird, thanks for the imput though

[Christ]

there are alot of factors besides how much you used the brakes... if you just barely touch the brake pedal enough to turn the lights on, your brakes are riding the rotors... and overheating them.. another thing you wanna check for is that warped/warping rotors are a good sign of bearing wear... if your new ones warp again, drive it around for awhile, then remove your tire on the front and see how hot the hub is, immediately afterward.

[pbrizzle86]

bearings arn't the problem they are less than a year old. and im on the brake enough to slow the car when the shaking occurs

[Christ]

Have you checked the rest of the front brake/suspension system?

Even a small bubble or out-of-round condition can cause what you're experiencing (on a tire).

I'm not saying that it's not the rotors, but there are alot of other factors that would cause even a slight shake in the front end while braking... one of them is bad/worn bushings, actually..

Before sending those rotors back, you should check from every angle, to make sure it's not something entirely different.

[pbrizzle86]

yeah ive been suspect of the bushings for a while now they dont look teribble but they are worn and they are all origanal so im sure they need to be done but the car still handles fine but that shake is driving me nuts. ive never done bushings before, do you need a press to do them or are they easy to do. i got suspension class next so i could wait and do them there but i would like to get this done as that class wouldnt start till january.

[Christ]

MOST of the bushings aren't hard to change.. the only ones that I remember are a real POS to change are the ones in the rear trailing arms... those are pressed in, and I usually replace them w/ slide-in urethane bushings.

If everything else is OK, it's safe to suspect that your rotors are bad, and need to be either machined, or RMA'd.

[thefooshmeister]

jack up the car and push on your wheel..is it shifting at all? if it wiggles up and down or side to side could either be your wheel bearings or ball joints..

[Christ]

oh yeah, forgot about the ball joints... but ya know, they're not all THAT important or anything..

CUZ IT'S PEANUT BUTTA JELLY TIME!

Sry... had to.

[MrWrongsalive]

Hey, do you think the rotors might have been dropped during shipping?
Or maybe all the rust on the hub wasn't cleaned off prior to install?