I have a 2004 Nissan Maxima and on the 4th attempt of replacing the rotors, including factory oem rotors. After about 1 month the steering wheel shimmies when I apply the brakes usually around 50 mph or greater. Any suggestions what this could be ? Mike
Sorry - try this link - I think I accidentally flagged my own post:
Check out this recent thread:
http://community.cartalk.com/posts/list/2118480.page
Thnks for some great ideas for my mechanic !
A steering wheel shimmy when the brakes are applied does not automatically mean the rotors are the cause.
Loose wheel bearing, worn ball joint, tie rod or tie rod end, worn control arm bushing, etc, etc, could be responsible for this.
What can happen is that one has straight rotors when they’re installed. After a time the rotors will warp to some extent; usually a few thousandths of an inch.
Normally one may not notice this couple of thousandths of an inch but if there is anything else worn in the front end this few thousandths may be magnified and made to feel much worse than it is.
Before blaming the rotors inspect the front suspension and verify any rotor warpage with a dial indicator. If you don’t have a dial indicator a local auto machine shop could easily check these for you.
This is the first time anyone’s mentioned this… thanks a lot !