02 Camry - shudder while braking

[gbook]

I started experiencing a shudder/shimmy through the whole car while braking on a highway off ramp. I've had a minor shudder before, but nothing like this.

About a month ago, I changed the front rotors/pads. Everything was fine, no shudder/shimmy on the highway off ramps. Today I changed the left front strut, left front sway bar link, and both front outer tie rod ends. I had changed the right front strut and sway bar link a couple weeks ago with no shimmy after that.

I highly doubt that the rotors are warped, since the car drove fine for the previous month before I did the strut/tie rod work today. I'm wondering if there is anything I could have done today to cause the shudder? Maybe I knocked one the rotors out of alignment and didn't re-seat it before putting the tire back on? any other possibilities? Thanks!

[leakyseals]

did you get it aligned after the new front end parts? mandatory. tires may be scrubbing being out of alignment. did you use ceramic pads and premium rotors? Also struts should be changed in pairs or weird handling can occur. My 02 xle does that a little. it needs strut mounts, waiting for the new gabriel readymounts for 02-03's to be distributed in the fall

[SilverBullet]

that happens with my 2003 LE. its been happening for about 3 months, but i thought mine was the only one so i didnt worry about it. and leakyseals, when should the strut mounts be done? look at my sig for mileage but it still might need it. thanks!

[gbook]

Thanks for the tips. I have not gotten it aligned yet, I only test drove it a little today. I planned to wait until I had replaced all the parts before I get the alignment done. I used the Napa premium ceramic pads and Brembo rotors. Again, the brakes were fine for the past month after I replaced them, no shuddering. While it's possible they warped at some point, it would've had to warp while sitting in my driveway last night, since they were fine yesterday .

I did the front end work in stages. I did the right strut/strut bearing/sway bar link a few weeks ago. The left strut assembly and both outer tie rid ends was today. Now everything is in place and I'm going to take it for an alignment on Monday, hopefully that will fix it. I'll also ask the techs to check everything out, and make sure I did the work correctly. Maybe in that process the rotors will get reseated.

I'm wondering if the rotors aren't on there quite right because the new rotors were very loose on the wheel hub when I first installed them. I was thinking with all the banging and prying from replacing the tie rod ends, some rust got between one of the rotors and the wheel hub, making it out of alignment with the pads.

[leakyseals]

Originally Posted by XxPURExTOYOTAxX

that happens with my 2003 LE. its been happening for about 3 months, but i thought mine was the only one so i didnt worry about it. and leakyseals, when should the strut mounts be done? look at my sig for mileage but it still might need it. thanks!

if its shaking applying the brakes have them checked first, then a wheel balance and an alignment. the alignment machine can usually find bad control arms or tie rod ends during alignment which can rattle. Rattling going over small bumps and cracks in the pavement could be the mounts, these cars are known for it over 100k, but you can break a mount anytime hitting a pothole. Usually you can jack up a wheel in the front, shake it left and right and get it to rattle as a test. Another thing that can rattle is the spring on the strut. Theres a rubber gasket insulating the two thats known to fail. Why I say go with the readymounts in the fall. Change the whole damn thing out.

[leakyseals]

Originally Posted by gbook

I'm wondering if the rotors aren't on there quite right because the new rotors were very loose on the wheel hub when I first installed them. I was thinking with all the banging and prying from replacing the tie rod ends, some rust got between one of the rotors and the wheel hub, making it out of alignment with the pads.

maybe a simple rotate and balance your 2 front tires would do the trick but after all that work, its gotta be aligned.