I have 2007 Honda Odyssey.
When I hit the brake at or over 65 mph, the steering wheel start to vibrate. This does not happen when driving under 65 mph. I took my car to the mechanic, and he resurfaced all four rotors, and balanced all four tires. Then, the problem went away. However, after 2 month or so, the problem came back. I went back to the same mechanic and he himself was not sure what the problem was. He resurfaced the rotors again, for FREE this time. He said the vibration might be coming from warped rotors, but if rotors are warped, the vibration should occur at all speed, not just at or over 65mph.
I want to get to the bottom of this problem. What could be cauing steering wheel vibration when the brake is applied at high speed.
Its still the rotors. If they’re warping so quickly, there’s something else wrong with the brakes, like a sticking caliper.
I agree with fitjeep.
When the rotors were resurfaced the first time, the brake pads were changed also. I don’t know if the new brakes pads would cause the warping, at least this quickly.
If you’ve got ABS, I’ve found that if you hit them hard enough, the ABS kicks in and makes a vibrating sensation. It doesn’t happen if you hit them lightly. See if you’re going 45 and hit the brakes hard (with no traffic behind you) if it causes the same sensation. If so, it may be the ABS, if not, then it could be a sticking caliper or warped rotors.
I’ve also had this happen with a belt broken in one tire. Kept replacing tires with a spare until it went away, so I knew which was the faulty tire.
I’ll bet that if you get new rotors the problem will go away…
I have tried everything: braking hard under 30, 40, 50, but no vibration. The vibration only happens at or above 65. hmm… caliper… Currently, the vibration is not occurring, after second resurfacing. So, I cannot pinpoint the root cause. I think it is not the tires because I have not replace any tires since I purchased the vehicle. I don’t about caliper. The mechanic did not change the caliper, and the problem went away simply by resurfacing the rotor. The mechanic told me that if the vibration occurs again, I have to replace the rotor, which would be quite expensive. any suggestions?
This problem is quite common…At higher rotational speeds, the “floating caliper”, which at lower speeds has enough TIME to move back and forth and accommodate the slight movement so you don’t feel it. But over 60, the vibration gets transmitted into the suspension with enough force so you feel it…Removing the wheels and checking the rotors with a run-out gauge, (a tool every decent shop should have and know how to use) will spot any warped rotors quickly.
If your mechanic was able to “resurface” the rotors twice, that is pretty good. Usually after they’re cut the first time, they are too narrow to cut a second time. Either way, for sure your rotors are causing your vibration and if the rotors are separate from the hub (I think they are), it shouldn’t be very expensive to replace them. It’s just a matter of removing your tire, caliper, and remove the old rotor, install the new one, and install the caliper and install the tire. Rotors that have been shaved down have less metal to dissipate the heat, therefore are more susceptable to warping a second and third time. Rotors can be warped in just a matter of miles from riding the brake or going down a mountain road, using improper braking techniques. After your mechanic measures the runout with his dial indicator, then he can replace the rotors with good quality honda rotors. If you cheap out on the rotors, that’s exactly what you’ll get.
Rotorwarpage can also be a result of improperly torqued lugnuts. Ask they take special care and torque within specs and procedure on the new ones.
Thanks guys for your help. So… it seems like it is rotors AND perhaps caliper that is causing the problem. I am driving my vehicle with more care so that I don’t hit the brakes too hard, and when I am coming down from the slope, I remember to use lower gears. I still feel a bit of vibration but it is not as bad as before. The vehicle is leased, so I don’t want to spend a lot of money on it. I am going to try to drive without replacing the rotor. Thanks once again.
I had the same problem . changed the rotors with no improvement. Noticed the air was low in one tire. Bingo,solved! Only vibrated when braking from over 80 km
Well, I hope after 7 years the person who started this thread has solved their problem.
Possible, but then again maybe not, I like the backmassage feature or I got it fixed, or I traded in, carp I liked my former moniker post from 2009, YIKES!, wish I could log in to see how I was doing. Board issue made me get a new name.