front wheel shakes when apply brakes.

Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives

could this be i need an alignment? im having the tires balanced tuesday and i know that aint it. cant be my rotors cause i had them replaced. thanks

Originally posted by contourfreak22:
.. cant be my rotors cause i had them replaced. thanks

Were the rotors "turned" (resurfaced) before installing? New rotors are usually not true (flat) and need to be "turned" too. Other things could be wheel bearings (do the 12 and 6 o'clock test), tie rods and lower ball joints (do the 9 and 3 o'clock test) and struts (push down and watch how many times it rocks, should not be more than one up and down and then back to normal).

ok i well check that out tomorrow thanks i'll post an update.

Originally posted by Tony2005:

Originally posted by contourfreak22:
.. cant be my rotors cause i had them replaced. thanks

New rotors are usually not true (flat) and need to be "turned" too.

In MOST cases that is not true. It's been a long time since new rotors needed to be turned. I say most, because with some cheap rotors it is possible they need to be turned. Just about any rotor you can get from a chain parts store won't need to be turned, unless of course it was manufactured incorrectly.

when got the rotors they were the cheapest ones. but when i put them on awhile back they didnt wobble like that i guess its time to have it turned. but im gonna do the clock thing. i should just do that now. i'll get back to you guys and thanks for your response you guys are great.

Ok I did the 12 to 6 9 to 3 test. Everything still in contact nothing loose. Did the strut test I pushed down hard and came back up. No goin up and down 100 times. To me everything still good. So my options are the rotors or the tire alighment. I never got one on the car since we had it. The tires wore out evenly but I'm still gonna get it done when I save some money to have it done.

If it only does it when you're applying the brakes, then it's almost certainly the rotors needing to be turned. This could be just because of normal wear (I don't know how long you've had the rotors) or because you ran through a puddle while the rotors were hot,etc.

Alignment doesn't really cause vibrations. It can cause tire wear that could result in vibrations, but it would be felt at other times than just braking.

Although warped rotors are the most likely cause, stuck calipers can also cause a similar sensation. I vote for warped rotors though.

Where do you feel the shaking most? in the floorboard, or in the steering wheel?

More than likely, you got a set of rotors that aren't good, but I'd bet a contributing factor is the condition of your control arm bushings, particularly the rear bushing. A bad bushing there can allow lots of wheel shake, and make the car much much more senstive to some rotor thickness variation (the actual cause of what most people call "warped rotors")

shakes on the steering wheel.

Originally posted by Tony2005:

Originally posted by contourfreak22:
.. cant be my rotors cause i had them replaced. thanks

Were the rotors "turned" (resurfaced) before installing? New rotors are usually not true (flat) and need to be "turned" too. Other things could be wheel bearings (do the 12 and 6 o'clock test), tie rods and lower ball joints (do the 9 and 3 o'clock test) and struts (push down and watch how many times it rocks, should not be more than one up and down and then back to normal).

whats the 6 and 12 and 9 and 3 tests? do u mean when u jack the car up and grab the wheel at these spots to test?

Yes I had it jacked up and yes 9 to 3, 12 to 6 position i did

Originally posted by contourfreak22:
shakes on the steering wheel.

Rotors

I guess your lucky having just the wheel shake, when I apply the brakes the whole car will, if i didnt have my hands on the wheel, swerve to one side rather insanely. ReasoN? I dont know, but it sure isnt fun always countering the force when braking. On the highway likewise, it'll start pulling like to one side or the other like a possessed-car. Hmm. All new brake work done recently, I dont know. Booo.

Originally posted by European:
I guess your lucky having just the wheel shake, when I apply the brakes the whole car will, if i didnt have my hands on the wheel, swerve to one side rather insanely. ReasoN? I dont know, but it sure isnt fun always countering the force when braking. On the highway likewise, it'll start pulling like to one side or the other like a possessed-car. Hmm. All new brake work done recently, I dont know. Booo.

check the control arm bushing, I bet they are shot