Hi, I have a really weird problem with my car. Every time that I apply the brakes, I get a bit of a shudder. It just started a couple of weeks ago and we checked the brake pads which were fine and the bearings were good as well. What could be causing this problem?
Without being able to experience the situation firsthand, my first thought is that you have warped brake rotors.
This could be the result of several possible factors:
Wheel lug nuts that were not tightened with the use of a torque wrench.
Overheating of the brakes on a long downgrade
Having previously machined the rotors.
Brake rotors nowadays are fairly thin and once they are machined, they are much more prone to warping. When brake pads are replaced, if the rotors are not uniform, it is better to replace them rather than machine them.
Have your mechanic check the rotors for warping and “runout”, and if they are faulty, simply replace them. And then, make sure that a torque wrench is used to apply the proper amount of torque to the lug nuts any time that a tire is changed. The Owner’s Manual lists the proper torque for the lug nuts.
The rotors should be checked. The likely case is they are warped.