09 camry 4cyl steering wheel shakes afte braking from high speed?

[yenracer]

Hey fellas,

I've been noticing my steering wheel shakes if i normally brake going on the highway at high speed. My friend said that it's probably your brakes and rotors. Get them replaced and resurface and that should fix the problem. Can i get some confirmation before i do this?

1. I just had my tires replace at 55k and bought this car new back in feb 09. it has 62k.

2. also i've been reading up on camries fail water pump. i'm thinking of doing this over the weekend or should i just wait until i notice some leaks?

3. lastly, any major thing i need to be aware of. i've done the normal engine oil and filter change, cabin and engine air filter change, that's about it. i hope these camries are bullet proof like the old school (92-95).

thanks all for your expertise.

peace

[Luna2]

Originally Posted by yenracer

Hey fellas,

I've been noticing my steering wheel shakes if i normally brake going on the highway at high speed. My friend said that it's probably your brakes and rotors. Get them replaced and resurface and that should fix the problem. Can i get some confirmation before i do this?

1. I just had my tires replace at 55k and bought this car new back in feb 09. it has 62k.

2. also i've been reading up on camries fail water pump. i'm thinking of doing this over the weekend or should i just wait until i notice some leaks?

3. lastly, any major thing i need to be aware of. i've done the normal engine oil and filter change, cabin and engine air filter change, that's about it. i hope these camries are bullet proof like the old school (92-95).

thanks all for your expertise.

peace

1) You will need to resurface the front rotors or replace them. Watch the tightening sequence and hand torque the lug nuts to specification, no impact wrench... (Over torque will warp the rotors and it will not show up for several thousand miles, I know, an old dealer I used did it to me 2 times, another dealer corrected it [between and after], and no problems at all from the new dealer service...)
2) Wait till it fails, keep a watchful eye and ear out for leaks and unusual noises.
3) Not as bullet proof as the older ones. Watch the struts for leaks, tire pressure, clean the throttle body, and use fuel cleaner when needed.

Enjoy, I do mine.

[ChrisNYC11]

brakes need resurfacing...same thing happened to me

[Waldosgm]

Rotors deff ... But maybe u only need the front ones .. I dont think u need all 4 ...
U can resurface or buy the front ones and check if the shaking goes away ...
Now thats wat i would do but up to u .. Good luck..
Let me know if u trying to do it urself and need help ... It aint hard .!! If u know how to replace brakes the rotors is about 5 more mins ...

[Glenn8963]

i too would recommend new rotors, being that yes, you can resurface them, but that only takes out some of the high spots. if a rotor is warped, it will only come back in a few hundred miles, so you wasted time and money resurfacing. the costs of rotors are cheaper these days, so replace them. now, i would probably also recommend replacing the brake pads as well. again, they are cheaper.


and also YES, please make sure you tell the mechanic, service advisor, whom ever, to PROPERLY torque the lug nuts. believe it or not, i can over tighten lug nuts by using the "star" lug nut wrench, MORE SO than using an air impact wrench..>!! most (on average) lug nuts are torqued to about 100 foot pounds....but there WILL BE specs on ALL vehicles.....some toyotas i seem to remember were torqued at 85 pounds....that may have been the older ones though.

there are also other things to have checked out as well..that would be, the inner and outer tie rods, and the tire balance. struts, and bushings...these will all go to make sure all bases are covered.

[Paul3637]

See:
09 LE V6 - steering wheel vibration(s)/bad brake rotors-NEED HELP=

see my post #11. I had assumed it was faulty rotors also.

For the same problem, I got a new set of brakes free at about 25K miles with NO turning of rotors. Mine is a V6, not sure if it applies to I4.

Since you are past the warranty period ..... I am just posting this so you make sure you don't get another set of bad pads. By now, you probably do need pads replaced & rotors turned - hopefully you don't have to replace the rotors.

[yenracer]

thanks all, man it's making sense now. when i bought the car new, they gave me 2 free oil change with tire rotation so the dealer did it properly. i then did my own oil and tire rotation but to tighten the lug nuts, i usually use that tool they give you and also jumped on it to really tighten it (thinking the nuts can get loose and i can lose a tire on the highway). I didn't realize that it would effect and warp the rotors. now it's making sense because it clearly shakes when i brake at high speed.

after awhile, i just got tired of changing my tire/rotation and bought discount 75 bucks life time balance/tire rotation deal. i notice they use impact drill and then lower the car to hand tighten it with a torque wrench.

gonna invest in new rotors and pads in the front. still debating if i need it in the back.

can anyone link me or tell me a good torque wrench. i'm throwing that crappy tool they give you away. piece of crap.

again, thanks all for your insight.

[Glenn8963]

Originally Posted by yenracer

thanks all, man it's making sense now. when i bought the car new, they gave me 2 free oil change with tire rotation so the dealer did it properly. i then did my own oil and tire rotation but to tighten the lug nuts, i usually use that tool they give you and also jumped on it to really tighten it (thinking the nuts can get loose and i can lose a tire on the highway). I didn't realize that it would effect and warp the rotors. now it's making sense because it clearly shakes when i brake at high speed.

after awhile, i just got tired of changing my tire/rotation and bought discount 75 bucks life time balance/tire rotation deal. i notice they use impact drill and then lower the car to hand tighten it with a torque wrench.

gonna invest in new rotors and pads in the front. still debating if i need it in the back.

can anyone link me or tell me a good torque wrench. i'm throwing that crappy tool they give you away. piece of crap.

again, thanks all for your insight.

sears, lowe's , home depot, even pepboys all have torque wrenches. get the 1/2 drive, and the right sized socket, and maybe an extension of say 2" at the most.

you really would NOT NEED more than say a 150 pound wrench. but if all they have is say 200 pounds, that will do. before you buy it, check the increments in how it goes up the scale...5 pounds, 10 pounds, etc. if you can get a 5 pound increment torque wrench that goes up to 150 pounds, you are golden.

if the torque spec calls for say 96 pounds, just go to 95, or you can go to 100 with no problems. 5 pounds OVER the limit will NOT cause damage.....50, or 100 pounds, then yes...warpage....

[Luna2]

Torque for the lug nuts should be at 76 foot pounds. The specification for your vehicle can be found in your owners manual.

[3gcamry]

I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ON MY 07 CAMRY. I LIVE IN SO CALI. AND AT TIMES WHILE DRIVING I WOULD SEE POTHOLES AT THE LAST MINUTE.I WOULD LOOK AT THE ROTORS/BRAKES THEY MIGHT HAVE BECOME WARPED AND OR NEED TO BE TRUED OR REPLACED.. YOU MIGHT ALSO LOOK AT AN ALIGNMENT.

HOPE THIS HELPS YOU OUT. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!

[molson.david]

Get them replaced and resurface and that should fix the problem. Can i get some confirmation before i do this?

in 90% of cases OEM toyota rotors after resurfacing getting bad again within a year or so. I know alot of examples. Toyota pads are pretty crappy to.
get new rotors and pads.
I got set of NAPA gold or platinum rotors $120 or so and Wagner Thermo quiet pads $55-more than 30K on them all good.
Wagner pads are feels better than OEM, very quiet, low dust and long life.

[yenracer]

ok fellas,

here is an update on my rotors and brake job. i just changed it today. it took me the whole day since it was my first time ever doing the rotors.

bought napa front premium rotors and wagner ceramic pads. the rotors is not exactly the same one on the pix but similar part #48880470. total for both was about $125rotors $70pads=$195.
https://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/C...508_0311421034
http://c2c.activant.com/ctoc/index.j...A6ZicIVXhQBQAA

While working on them, my older brother asked me why and I said because my steering wheel is shaking after stop at high speeds. He then took a look at the rotors and pads and said can i have them and said i was crazy. He is a very handy man and knows someone about cars. He didn't see any warp on my rotors and my pads were +50% life left.

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/l...r/IMG_0422.jpg
http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/l...r/IMG_0420.jpg

I decided to change it anyways because i felt my braking was bad and more importantly, the constant shaking.

Long story short, it was a learning experience and big thanks to toyotanation and the peps here. I wouldn't of gotten the confidence to dot it if it wasn't for all your inputs.

I didn't test out the braking at 60+mph yet because i am babysiting my niece to see if it still shakes but no noise while drive in the inside road I'll probably hit the streets tomorrow morning.

Now i have to get safelite to fix my crack front windshield. I got a price quote of $300 bucks after tax. I hope that is a good price.

I forgot, just my bad luck, i took a picture of my next problem with a camera in a plastic bag because my hands were dirty. Sorry for the bad quality. It looks like leaking from the struts/shocks?
http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/l...r/IMG_0414.jpg

It's on both front. I hope this is not expensive to repair/fix.

Thanks all.

-yen

[Glenn8963]

Originally Posted by yenracer

ok fellas,

here is an update on my rotors and brake job. i just changed it today. it took me the whole day since it was my first time ever doing the rotors.

bought napa front premium rotors and wagner ceramic pads. the rotors is not exactly the same one on the pix but similar part #48880470. total for both was about $125rotors $70pads=$195.
https://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/C...508_0311421034
http://c2c.activant.com/ctoc/index.j...A6ZicIVXhQBQAA

While working on them, my older brother asked me why and I said because my steering wheel is shaking after stop at high speeds. He then took a look at the rotors and pads and said can i have them and said i was crazy. He is a very handy man and knows someone about cars. He didn't see any warp on my rotors and my pads were +50% life left.

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/l...r/IMG_0422.jpg
http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/l...r/IMG_0420.jpg

I decided to change it anyways because i felt my braking was bad and more importantly, the constant shaking.

Long story short, it was a learning experience and big thanks to toyotanation and the peps here. I wouldn't of gotten the confidence to dot it if it wasn't for all your inputs.

I didn't test out the braking at 60+mph yet because i am babysiting my niece to see if it still shakes but no noise while drive in the inside road I'll probably hit the streets tomorrow morning.

Now i have to get safelite to fix my crack front windshield. I got a price quote of $300 bucks after tax. I hope that is a good price.

I forgot, just my bad luck, i took a picture of my next problem with a camera in a plastic bag because my hands were dirty. Sorry for the bad quality. It looks like leaking from the struts/shocks?
http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/l...r/IMG_0414.jpg

It's on both front. I hope this is not expensive to repair/fix.

Thanks all.

-yen

ok first......you brother CANNOT SEE warpage....once put on a machine, and it starts cutting, YOU CAN SEE the high and low spots..!!!

OR..if you had a brake rotor run out micrometer, and mounted it to the car, and rotated the rotor, you WILL SEE the high and low spots...

your brother knows someone..?? that knows about cars..??? what does your brother know about cars...???? or did you mean your brother knows SOMETHING about cars..???

either way, the "naked eye" WILL NOT AND CANNOT SEE WARPAGE...!!!!!

next, whatever you do, DO NOT HIT YOUR BRAKES at 60 mph...!!! EXCESSIVE HEAT BUILDS UP FAST..>!!!

YOU WILL WARP those new rotors in a a New York minute..!!!!

(if you LOOK and pay attention to what is ahead of you, you can avoid many hard braking situations....)

you MUST PROPERLY "break them in", to prevent the new brakes from making noises, and here is how...

start driving, SLOWLY...UNDER 25 mph...!!

apply the brakes...SLOWLY to come to a stop..

do this all of "maybe up to" 10 times.....SLOWLY...

this will help prevent glazing on the pads, which then the BRAKES WILL SQUEAK....AND SQUEAL.....!!!!

trying to apply the brakes when doing 60 mph, no matter the brake rotor you bought...??

WILL WARP THEM....!!!!!

[SilverBullet]

My '03 has the same mileage and steering wheel symptoms. New brakes or resurface? OK, big brake kit here we come! lol

[yenracer]

@XxPURExTOYOTAxX, if you got a little extra cash, go for both new rotors and pads. it's well worth it and when it comes to your brakes, you should never cheap out. go with middle to high end brands. Wagner pads FTW.

after driving a week to work with 400+ miles, i noticed on wednesday, 10/5/11 my brakes didn't do a high pitch squeak but made a rubbing sound. kind of hard to explain it but it does it randomly (slow stop, moderate stop, and hard stop)? i feel that my pads are stuck on the rotors whenever i accelerated. it doesn't feel normal, or maybe i'm just paranoid.

@molson.david, when you change your pads, did you use the toyota OEM shims? mine wagner thermo quiet didn't come in shims so i took the oem and put it on the new ones. Hopefully, that is not what's causing the rubbing sound? also, the instruction on the wagner said "if your pads didn't come with shims, then apply some brake grease to the back" i'm thinking of taking the shims out but afraid that will not fix the problem.

I'll give it another week to see if that sound will stop. I don't see what i did wrong?

If yall can advise on what i should do next, that'll be great.

much thanks!