nblount1 Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 I know there has been a significant issue with the brakes on this car, I just wish I had done a little more research before I bought it November of last year. Roughly about 2 months and 8k miles after driving off the lot, I started to notice a pulsation on the front end. Shortly after, maybe 2 weeks, it got worse, as the steering wheel would shake during braking. I let it go for about another 2 or 3 weeks while I researched this issue. Once I joined this forum, I thought I solved the problem by taking the recommendations of several people on here to buy a drilled/slotted rotor to resolve the issue of the front brakes continually overheating and warping. So I purchased a set of the drilled/slotted rotors by Powerstop from AutoAnything.com, and installed them this past Monday night. This is not my first brake job, but I wouldnt consider myself an expert, either. Long story short, the day after install I noticed a slight vibration while applying the brakes at certain speeds. For instance, as I exited the freeway at about 70mph, no vibration until the car slowed down to around 50mph, then it would go away just to come back around 30mph, then go away again as I slowed nearly to a stop when it would reappear. I took the car to several shops, one shop finally coming to the conclusion that it was the rear brakes that were warped, since I just replaced the fronts it couldnt be them, right? Wrong, that didnt fix it, as it still occurs every time, around the same speeds. Now that I have driven it more, and the shop doesnt seem to know what the problem is, I have seemed to have developed a new problem. From time to time, as I approach a stop sign while driving slowly, just before I come to a complete stop, I will hear this horrible grinding noise seemingly coming from the front brakes. This doesn't happen every time, especially when I am on a test drive with a mechanic trying to explain the problem, and I cant get it to duplicate. I am extremely frustrated with this car, and the powerstop brakes( which neither they nor autoanything seem to have a resolution for). Anybody have any ideas to what might be causing these problems? SHould I tear it down and reinstall them? Turn the front rotors, return them?? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhareFred Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 Well, as a guy who does his own brakes all the time, lets go over a few things. 1: Did you change the pads with the rotors, or just the rotors? 2: Did you have a shops check the new rotors for round, and put a "finish cut" on them? 3: Did you thoroughly clean all surfaces where the brake caliper slides? 4: Did you notice the vibration return right away or only after you drove it awhile? If you didn't change the pads, try that, but get a cut on the rotors before you install the new pads. I used ceramic pads, non-slotted/drilled (but good quality) rotors with very good results on my DJ. Even though the rotors are brand spankin new, they could be a little bit off right out of the box. I ALWAYS have a cut done on new rotors just to "clean up" any minor flaws. If you reused the pads, they could be formed to your old rotors and causing a problem. I never reuse pads, even if there is decent "meat" left on them. You could have a caliper hanging up if you didn't clean and properly lube the contact areas. And yes, a vibration/pulse can show up at one speed and not another, only on rainy days, etc. so it can drive you nuts! Please don't take offense, these are just some ideas that I came up with that can be overlooked that can cause you headaches. Hope this helps ya out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nblount1 Posted February 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 I did change both the pads and rotors, as new ceramic pads came in the kit. I did not have a shop put a finish cut on them, but have since learned on this forum, and from a mechanic friend of mine, that you should put a finish cut to clean up flaws. The only part I cleaned really was the new rotor, I was wondering if maybe the grease I used could have gotten transferred from the caliper to the rotor? I did notice it as soon as I left my buddy's house, after bedding them in, and it has been there ever since. I dont take any offense, I am always open to advice from people with more experience than me. I can't stand it when I do something wrong, or miss a step, but am willing to ask for help to get it done the right way. I think today I am going to go back through the brake job, take the rotors down to the shop and have them turned, and clean the calipers, lube the slides, and see where that takes me. Also, when replacing the pads, I noticed that there are 2 pads in the set that have a tab on one end. Is this significant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2late4u Posted February 26, 2012 Report Share Posted February 26, 2012 ive done all my own brake jobs and have never turned new rotors and never have read that you should. oh well never had problems either guess ive been lucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhareFred Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 When you lube the caliper slide, you don't need much grease. Use brake cleaner to clean away the old grease, both on the caliper itself and the area where it sits/slides. Make sure to use brake caliper grease, and a little does a lot. I usually just put some on my finger and then run it on the slide area. The last step I do before putting on the tire is to clean the rotors (front & back) with a little brake clean (spin the rotor while spraying AWAY from the pads). When you say a "tab" are you talking about a little metal springy thing or actually a solid part of the pad? If its the "springy" thing, that is usually a anti-rattle clip OR could be your low pad warning device. The spring will contact the rotor and squeal before you get to metal on metal. There is one spring for each side. One more thing comes to mind, don't over torque your tires/rims. If you just ram them on with an impact gun, you can warp the rotors. Had that problem with my Dodge Durango untill I started using a torque wrench. Its ok to set the lugs to snug with the gun, but use the wrench to finalize. 100 foot pounds comes to mind (for torque on the lug nuts) but I know it's in the owners manual. Hope this helps you out! Dodge and brakes seem to be a bad combo!!! :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhareFred Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 ive done all my own brake jobs and have never turned new rotors and never have read that you should. oh well never had problems either guess ive been lucky Way back in the dark ages when I had auto shop in high school my instructor always had us do the finish cut. Not saying you are wrong, that's just how I was taught. Maybe the teacher wanted us to get really good at turning rotors and drums! I went to high school 75-79, maybe the quality control wasn't there and that had something to do with it. I know the rotors weighed a lot more then! :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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