Brake Shuddering

someguy · Post by **someguy** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 9:09 pm

Hi All.

When traveling at 55 km/h or more and I put my foot on the brake my steering wheel/steering column starts shuddering so bad I almost loose control of the car.

I have been told that my brake discs need to be machined but I have also been told by others it could be my steering rack.

Does anyone know what causes this and how to fix it (also a rough estimate on cost)

Im sick of people getting in my car and thinking they are about to die

Thanks

(p.s its a 1990 L Series wagon)

justincase41 · Post by **justincase41** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 9:49 pm

I bet your rotors are warped. Check and see how much material is left on your pads and that the material has worn down evenly. Also check that your Cv nuts are done up nice and tight. Get your disks machined whilst on the vehicle as they can check run out.
I just started getting shuddering yesterday, pads and rotors have done 12,000km. When I checked, passenger side outer pad down to metal. The hand brake cable on the drivers caliper has streched, allowing the hand brake equliser to relax. So I have been drivng around with my hand brake on pretty much. The pads had also worn down unevenly, I checked the wheel bearing which revealed some play. New pads and wheel bearing on its way. Looking for new handbrake cables now.

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 10:10 pm

my money is the discs...

Get them machined, normally would cost you around $50-$60 a pair if you take them to a right place.... best is to take it in places where they are familier to clutch & brakes shop, or brake shop ie. ABS, nothing else (ie. exhaust shop also doing brakes etc).

Other option is a change over brakes which I have in the garage, is a spare machined set of brakes and just change it over. (bought them from wreckers for $20 near new set)
Cheers
AP

tony · Post by **tony** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 11:50 pm

before going to the trouble of pulling the rotors off check for play in the steering, also for play in the front wheel bearings.
also in general machining brake disks is best done on car. general motors did a test on disks machined on car and off car and found the off car machined disks had a much higher error rate.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 9:26 am

if it is that bad it is worth getting a qualified opinion rather than us suggesting based on your description. I had similar but not as bad as you make yours sound. First replaced the discs - still there, then a qualified mate hopped under and said it was my rack, so went for a reco exchange rack - still there, then I found the little uni joint in the steering shaft between firewall and steering rack. It has staked uni joint. Using another from a wrecker was just as bad, so my original went in for some surgery to remove, tack welded the new one bought from a bearing place and bingo!

phillatdarwin · Post by **phillatdarwin** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 11:20 pm

i had the same prolom with my L .
The bolts that hold it to the steering shafe with the uni joint on it to and the steering rack shafe was lose .

bobbyjimmy · Post by **bobbyjimmy** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 11:57 am

Make sure where the rotor sits on the hub, it is free from surface rust/dirt/crap/etc too, as the rotor might not even be on straight if there is anything on the hub.

someguy · Post by **someguy** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 1:10 pm

bobbyjimmy wrote:Make sure where the rotor sits on the hub, it is free from surface rust/dirt/crap/etc too, as the rotor might not even be on straight if there is anything on the hub.

Thanks.

I have tried taking the hubs off to check but I don't know how to take the center part of the hub out.

I have undone all 4 bolts but the center part (can't remember its name) won't come off.

phillatdarwin · Post by **phillatdarwin** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 8:53 pm

dont u have to undo the big nut and just pull the dics off .
then undo the 4 nuts .
u only have to undo the 4 nuts if u want to replace the dices .