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Brakes pulsing/vibrating over 60mph

yup.. everything checked good.. the wheel bearing was bad.. but we'll see if that fixes it or not.. luckily that was under warranty since it was just recently replaced..
 
LightningFastFord said:
yup.. everything checked good.. the wheel bearing was bad.. but we'll see if that fixes it or not.. luckily that was under warranty since it was just recently replaced..
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make sure that a new axle nut is used and that its torque to 210 ft/lbs or its going to cause problems ...
 
ok.. wheel bearing was replaced.. still had the vibration.. so then they turned the front rotors.. they said they were damn near perfect even before they put it on the lathe.. but it STILL has the vibration.. im at a loss now..
 
did you just check the LCAs or did you actually replace them with new ones?
if you just checked them how did you do it? im still leaning towards LCA bushings.
 
BrApple said:
check the condition of your lower control arm bushings, I bet they are worn.

I had a horrible vibration when braking over 60 mph on the highway in my Mystique, replacing the front brakes took half of the vibration away and new control arms took care of the rest. it was so bad the dash was vibrating :shocked:
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Rara said:
BINGO. The point 4 bushing (lower control arm rear bushing) when worn out makes the car VERY senstive to brake torque variation, which can occur normally, even with new brake parts. Replace the arms/bushings and everything should be back to normal.
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striker2 said:
did you just check the LCAs or did you actually replace them with new ones?
if you just checked them how did you do it? im still leaning towards LCA bushings.
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LightningFastFord said:
ok.. wheel bearing was replaced.. still had the vibration.. so then they turned the front rotors.. they said they were damn near perfect even before they put it on the lathe.. but it STILL has the vibration.. im at a loss now..
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so did you check the control arms :laugh:

seriously this is most likely the source of the vibration, check them out.
 
LightningFastFord said:
well that wasnt it.. guess i need to look again at that wheel bearing.. (even though its already been replaced..)
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striker2 said:
after rereading through everything it sounds like he may have replaced them.
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Seems that way. I had some vibration in my brakes, but I wasn't sure if it was the rotors or not. The vibration has gone away after I went flying down a mountain doing crazy braking :shrug:. (Probably the rotors :crazy:)
 
I think its the rotors, take them back to where you got them and get another set. I had that happen to me once, the new rotors were out of spec, causing the vibration.
 
I'll try again. When I tried to post, the computer locked up.

Although very unusual, I have seen stuck calipers cause a problem that I would have sworn was warped rotors. It was obvious on tear-down. The caliper slide pins were rusted frozen solid and did not allow the caliper pads to evenly contact the rotors.

If the slide pins are free and well lubricated, the edges of the pads not hanging up on the calipers, and the caliper piston can easily be pushed in with a C clamp, I don't think this will be your problem.

Also very unusual, I have also seen a wheel balance problem cause a shake that feels much like a warped rotor. It happens when the balance is marginal, and the change in tire flex is altered by braking forces. It is more likely to happen with aftermarket wheels. It can also happen with wheels that don't properly center when mounted. This particular problem is usually does not consistently cause a shake, but it can be very frequent. Tire temperature sometimes impacts this very unusually problem.

I have also seen a few cases, again with aftermarket wheels, where the rotor warps from torquing the lug nuts.

I would tear down the brakes and thoroughly check out the calipers, including making sure the retainer springs are properly installed.

Next, I would find another Contour with known good tires and wheels and swap them long enough for a road test to see what happens.
 
if hes in the NJ area, hes more than welcome to put my wheels on to try and see if thats the problem.
 
i appreciate the offer.. i still have the stock rims so i may try that.. i also use a torque wrench everytime i tighten the rims.. thats funny.. that was the first thing the mechanic asked me.. and ill re-check the calipers again.. thanks for the tips.. ill let ya know if i find anything out..
 
Well, I can relate to this problem because I have the exact same thing. 127,000 miles, replaced passenger side wheel bearing 5K ago, both LCA's have been replaced, struts are 30,000 miles old. I don't see anything wrong with the caliper upon inspection, but I am going to tear it back down and go look again. I did have the driver side caliper freeze, it was replaced @ 90K. Both half-shafts have been replaced.

If I find anything, I'll post it....

Jay
 
OK here is what I found upon inspection of my passenger side brakes:
Spring: Rusted to the point it snapped off in the holes.
Caliper piston: compressed fine.
Shoes: Looked fine, but not as worn as the driver side...
Rotor: Looked fine, but again not as worn as the driver side.
Slides: AH HA!.

The bracket that the shoes slide on was actually GROOVED from wear and tear. Luckily, I had another one to put on and wha la, no more pulsing. I still have to freeway test to see if that is my issue with the 60+ MPH, but I highly doubt that would cause it.
Maybe the gooving is why GM puts those little break sleeves on that get replaced each time.
 
UPDATE: No joy on the slides.. but once again the passenger side wheel bearing is shot.. i have lots of play on the front passenger wheel.. this will be the 3rd time its been replaced since i took it to NAPA.. anyone else have major problems with wheel bearings?!? is there anything that could make the wheel bearing go out?!?
 
Hello. I have worked at a parts store for a few years, one of the bigger chains. If you are using bearings that are made in china, or some other country that may be your problem. We sell Good bearings and cheap bearings. Cheap bearings fail very very early and we get lots of them back. Stick with a good name brand bearing, I highly recommend BCA, or any of the other name brands that are made in the USA or South America (have had good luck with them). You pay more up front but save a ton of money in the end.
 
Bearing installation is critical too. If it is not pressed in "correctly", it will fail very soon. We have had a few of those posted on this site.
 
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