Brake Problems

[Ilmater]

I have an '06 TSX, and I had a '00 Monte Carlo before that. When I got rid of my Monte, it was braking horribly. It wasn't slow to brake, but the steering wheel would shake back and forth when I was braking, unless I was braking REAL hard, then some times it wouldn't happen. I really didn't know what was causing it, but given the MILLION OTHER MAJOR PROBLEMS that it had, I assumed it was just crap quality rotors. I had replaced them and spun them once, but the problem came back a few months later.

Now I have about 48k miles on my '06 TSX, and it's starting to do that too. I have to replace my rear brake pads, so I'm thinking about fixing this problem at the same time - even if it means replacing front pads as well, though they're not all that worn.

So my questions:
- If I drive fast around town, mostly city driving, is that enough to cause this problem?
- If not, what causes this problem? Am I doing something wrong?
- Which brake pads would be best for me? Understand, cost is VERY important, but I want to get rid of the shaking and I want them to last, so I'll pay some premium to get a return. I'm not worried about "performance" as much as I am noise, brake life, and dust.
- Should I get different rotors with that? What kind are good/cheap?

 

[Vette73]

Yea sounds like the front rotors are warped.

Cheap pads, bad/cheap rotors, bad brake system, and/or tires are installed to tight (lug nuts). But the biggest problem I see is usually the driver. People waiting to the last second to stop and slam on the brakes a lot plus city driving.


Get a good set of pads and new good quality rotors and try to brake more slowly and not race from light to light.


Rockauto.com has...

Brake pads: Wagner ThermoQuiet ($32 front and $28 rear per set)
Rotors: RAYBESTOS Pro Grade ($37 front and $22 rear each)


5% coupon at fatwallet

 

[Ilmater]

I definitely do not wait until the last second to brake, and I try my best to use my engine (I drive a manual) to slow me down so I don't have to use my brakes.

I didn't see a coupon at fatwallet... any idea where it is?

 

[Vette73]

Here is the coupon...

http://www.fatwallet.com/forum...d1=rockauto&lastpage=1




1868691188700

 

[Ilmater]

Any idea of spinning the rotors will fix the problem? Are '06 Acura rotors not good quality?

 

[brblx]

sounds kinda like your problem is driver-induced, since it keeps coming back on multiple vehicles. how long do you usually get out of a set of front pads?

the kind of pads you choose should be mostly irrelevant. i would always advise factory replacement pads (i.e. don't replace semi-metallic pads with ceramic or vice versa), unless you're doing some kind of brake upgrade. i certainly wouldn't want upgraded 'track' pads on stock rotors- frankly, i wouldn't want them on the street at all, since they're going to be noisier and less effective at low temperatures.

'warped' rotors are often actually not warped, but have variations in thickness. this is typically caused by by driving style, although the quality of the rotors could have an effect. i've put plenty of cheap rotors on cars and have not known them to cause brake pulsation issues, but i certainly wouldn't rule out the possibility that lower quality iron or looser quality standards could have an effect. i can say for sure that they do wear faster (and thus typically extend pad life a bit- but they'll typically be close to discard dimensions after the first set of pads).

anyway, on warped rotors and driving style- the 'warpage' is often caused by deposits from the pad and the development of 'hot spots.' riding the brakes and causing excessive heat can be a source of this, as can more specific instances. making a hard stop from high speed (thus thoroughly heating everything) and continuing to keep the pads clamped tightly while stopped is one of them. lack of a proper break in can also be problematic.

if you need to replace the front rotors (likely, although it is possible for rear rotors to cause pulsation, though it is usually only felt in the brake pedal), you should definately do the front pads, as well.

edit- your rotors can be spun if they're well above discard dimension (typically stamped on the rotor hat). if you take them to a place like napa (many do machining), they should be able to mic them for you and tell you if you need new ones or not. considering machining could take .010" or more off each side of the disc (a lot more if the warpage is severe), i wouldn't machine anything less than about .040" over discard.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: Ilmater
Any idea of spinning the rotors will fix the problem? Are '06 Acura rotors not good quality?

It might but then the metal is thinner and can warp easier. For the cost they are cheap enough to just get a new set. $25-40 to turn or $70 for new.

 

[boomerang]

I've had this problem before when the car was parked for extended periods of time. The car was parked in the long term lot at the airport for two weeks during a Michigan winter. On the first brake application at speed I developed a shudder. It was fine when I parked it.

The next day I removed the front wheels and found a gob of material in the form of a straight line stuck to one of the rotors. It appeared to be rust in coloration, but would not scrape off. I took some emery cloth to it and it came right off. There was already some very minor pitting of the rotor where it has more or less fused itself to the rotor.

The problem was gone.

FWIW, I've also had warped rotors on cars numerous times. It's a common problem these days.