Vibration on braking

Maintenance/Repairs
1

I have a 2003 Chevy Venture with 90k. When braking, there is a definite vibration, more at higher speeds. Acceleration is very smooth. What is this?

2

Warped rotors. Either machine them or replace them outright.

3

How long should rotors last? I think I had them replaced in the last year.

4

Sometimes they last several brake pads and sometimes they don’t. It seems like every time I have my tires rotated I end up with slightly warped rotors unless I retorque the bolts right away. If you are getting pulsation though, thats the rotors. (Chinese ones like mine don’t seem to last as long either.)

5

Rotors can warp within 500 miles in some cases. It depends.
A loose wheel bearing, worn suspension part like a ball joint, tie rod, tie rod end, etc. can also cause what appears to be a brake pulsation.

6

Rotors can warp within 500 miles in some cases. It depends.
A loose wheel bearing, worn suspension part like a ball joint, tie rod, tie rod end, etc. can also cause what appears to be a brake pulsation.

PC hiccup I guess? Excuse the double post.

7

If your lugnuts get tightened too much, or unevenly, it can warp the rotor hats. Also, if you drive through a puddle of standing water, and your brakes are hot, they can warp as well. There’s all sorts of reasons a rotor can wear that has little to do with the quality of the component. It just happens sometimes.

8

If the suspension is worn, you can also have vibration on braking, but I agree that it’s likely the rotors.

9

I find that the Chinese iron tends to do very poorly with extreme heat, and will heat fracture or spall. I avoid Chinese iron and steel at all costs.

10

Your new rotors weren’t trued before installing…
All rotors new or old need to be turned/trued. Don’t believe the writing on the box that you don’t have to turn the new rotors. Its the difference between a good brake job and a great brake job, or in this case a poor and great job.
You took your vehicle to a place that almost knew what they were doing and now its going to cost you.
They installed warped rotors more than likely.
They need to hand torque the lug nuts on to specifications too, in a “star” pattern.
The last new rotor I turned required 3 passes at 1/2 thousands each.
Good luck.
Caballero