Steering wheels vibrates when apply brakes - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

exodiaus · 08-12-2007, 01:31 AM

Hi, I have 2004 4 cyl camry and whenever I apply brakes while i was driving on the freeway, the steering wheel vibrates. As i push the brake pedal harder, the steering wheels vibrates more violently. Is this caused by uneven surface on the brakes rotors? If so how can i change the rotor on this camry? and Is the brakes under warranty if the car is under 40000 miles? thanks!

***CharmCityES*** · 08-12-2007, 01:35 AM

same thing happened to me....it was only at freeway speeds as you stated....your rotors need to be resurfaced or replaced....yes this is caused by an uneven rotor surface, and no it is not covered under warrenty since brakes are regular maintenence.....the front rotors need to be resurfaced around 40-50k in a fwd car....while youre at it, get your pads changed too.....i did the same on my car, using ebc green stuff pads and stock rotors and my car brakes as smooth as it did brand new

exodiaus · 08-12-2007, 01:41 AM

Thanks for the tips, and another stupid question, do i resurface at toyota dealer? how much do they charge?

***CharmCityES*** · 08-12-2007, 01:46 AM

no parts involved....just labor.....takes about 2 hours according to the dealer, and at about 90 an hour youre looking at around 180 bucks to resurface....id also suggest buying your own pads, and installing those yourself just so you know the brake system is all squared away...pads are cheap and an easy install

Mike Gerber · 08-12-2007, 01:32 PM

You don't have to go to the dealer for this repair. You can download the manual and learn to do this yourself, or take it to an independant shop that you trust. Front disc brake work is one of the easier DIY jobs. Download the manual and read through the brake section. If you decide to do this work yourself, it would be nice to have a more experienced friend around to help you the first time.

Mike

MrSo0h0o · 08-12-2007, 02:06 PM

do you guys think its worth it to buy new rotors rather than have them resurfaced? with resurfacing, you have less material on the rotor, no? i gotta change my brakes soon and i get the wobbling while braking on the hwy too and was thinking of just picking up a new set of brembo blank rotors or something

Mike Gerber · 08-12-2007, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrSo0h0o

do you guys think its worth it to buy new rotors rather than have them resurfaced? with resurfacing, you have less material on the rotor, no? i gotta change my brakes soon and i get the wobbling while braking on the hwy too and was thinking of just picking up a new set of brembo blank rotors or something

It depends on whether the rotors have ever been cut previously and how much meat (thickness) is left on them. There is a minimum thickness stamped on each rotor and there is a reason for that. Minds greater than ours have determined this is the thickness at which the rotors can no longer withstand the heat. Shop around for the best prices on both and then make your decision. Pep Boys around here chargers $8 each to resurface them.

Mike

gdanaher · 08-12-2007, 03:18 PM

If your rotors are out of round there is a cause for it and it generally is having the lug bolts torqued to very different values, or having them originally torqued incorrectly. Always tighten lugs in opposing positions until all are tight, and tighten to about the same value.

Rotors can be turned but if the car has many miles on it the rotors should have worn down some, and taking more metal off to true them means they will be thinner yet. You just need to make a judgement call at that point as to replacing them or not. It is faster to replace than to have them machined down and sometimes time is money.

Most parts stores carry Wagner and I've had good luck with their products, but shop around and check. Avoid cheapie no-names from India or China.

kenny1773 · 08-12-2007, 09:09 PM

IMO, it is not worth the cost to turn them if you can do the work yourself or you have a very honest mechanic that will take your parts and charge you a fair hourly rate to install. Just buy new rotors

You can get a new high quality rotor for $55 each

I would not ever buy EBC green stuff pads again. They worked ok, but burned out in less than 20K miles when other pads on the same car did over double for less money and worked just as well under stress.

I have had good luck with Raybestos brand products, their premium line (PG Plus), these can be found for a fairly good price at rockauto.com

I have Raybestos rotors and pads on my RAV 4 now, no complaints in 15k miles so far. Very quiet, stop great, good price. When my camry needs them, I will most likely go the same route.

and yeah, what the jackass impact wrench jockeys in the tire shops. They all fucking suck and over torque the hell out of your lugs and never care what order they tighten the nuts in. I bring my own wrench and ask them to step aside. Most shops think you are an asshole, but they usually let you do it

Dave's · 08-13-2007, 12:40 AM

I'm not an expert and I'm probably in the minority but I've been driving cars since before disc brakes became common. I simply won't get them turned anymore. Seems they over-heat them which removes the temper and then they warp the 1st time they get wet or they turn them untrue to start with. I just replace the pads after a light sanding of the rotor and replace the rotors if and when they cause a problem. JMHO (BTW, I 2nd the problem with them over-tightening the nuts. I watch them and remind them of the correct torque value.)