I have a 2007 F150 FX-2 which i bought new. I have about 60,000 miles on it, and every 8,000-10,000 miles i develop a pronounced vibration when i apply the brakes. When i first had this problem, at about 10,000 miles on the odometer, the dealership replaced the pads and turned the rotors, but the problem resurfaced before another 5,000 miles had passed. About 10,000 miles later the problem resurfaced, the dealership said they replaced the rotors. The problem resurfaced again at about 37,000 miles, but the dealership claimed that since I was out of warranty, it would be $1,500 to repair. Being handy, I replaced the rotors myself, but now, about 15,000 miles later, I’m experiencing this issue again.
Is this just a common problem i will have to live with? I dont tow anything, and i rarely load the bed with anything. Maybe a trip to the hardware store once a quarter and i load a motorcycle into the bed two or three times a year.
Are the brake pads wearing out during these short intervals of proper operation? Or do the pads still look okay? Is the vibration in the steering wheel or the whole truck? Has anyone checked the rear brakes for problems?
Do you rush red lights and then jam on the brakes?
Are you a heavy brake user?
Improperly torqued lug nuts can cause rotors to warp.
Check the brake light switch. It may be holding the pedal down enough to prevent pressure from releasing.
The brake pads look fine, not worn down or anything. I forgot to mention that when I replaced the rotors about 15,000 miles ago, the bearings had gone out in one of the rotors. They were making a grinding noise when I turned a corner. These trucks have the bearings integrated into the rotors, so it looks like there was no damage to the spindle, since the rotor has the race integrated into the rotor, and the whole assembly sits on the spindle.
You are probably easy on the brakes, not hard as suggested by another poster. You are over reacting to the problem. Next time it starts vibrating, find a safe place and do one or two hard stops from 60+. Do not lock up the brakes, just short of that so that you heat up the brakes good.
Don’t quite stop either, just short of that and get going immediately so you don’t make a hot spot on the rotors. This will clean off the rotors and the problem will clear up.
I agree with Barkydog. Get the lug nut torque value from your owner’s manual. Tighten every other lugnut or possibly every third lugnut if you have a lot of them on each wheel, a little at a time, building up in stages to the specified value. I did this to a car that had pulsating brakes for years and now it does not do that, even with the old rotors.
It could be the problem is not the brakes at all. Maybe it’s due to a hanging caliper slider, loose wheel bearing, or suspension component.
Have you checked the rear brakes? If the rear brakes are worn you’re asking the front brakes to do all the stopping power which will cause the front brakes to wear prematurely. And with the weight bais with a pickup truck, this might not be as abvious as with a sedan.
Tester