still have brake problem

[Andagail]

Hi. It has been a LONG time. I had my front brakes and rotors replaced and I still have a problem with the steering wheel/ front end shaking when I brake at higher speeds. I have no idea now what it could be. I was so sure that the problem would be solved with the rotors being replaced.
Any help would be appreciated. I am not mechanically inclined at all, so I will pass any help on to my brother. :) I did a search and it didn't really help.
I have an 89 LXI Coupe.
Thanks,
Andagail

[Pico]

did you buy good rotors or the cheap ones?
My work sells the cheap ones and every so often they come back warped.

[Dr_Snooz]

I've driven Hondas for more than 20 years and haven't had a single one that didn't have front end shimmy after a few thousand miles of braking. I've finally resorted to having two sets of rotors. The set that's on the car getting warped and the set that been recently turned and waiting for the other set to get bad enough for me to swap them out.

Braking hard and fast seems to make them warp faster for what it's worth.

[Tdurr]

you can warp good rotors. its all depends on how the person drives.

but it can also be caused by the front wheels being bent/off balance. you might not feel it as much when you accelerate because the weight is being transfered to the rear wheels but when you brake it throws the wight on the front and can cause the front end to shake.

[Tdurr]

I've driven Hondas for more than 20 years and haven't had a single one that didn't have front end shimmy after a few thousand miles of braking. I've finally resorted to having two sets of rotors. The set that's on the car getting warped and the set that been recently turned and waiting for the other set to get bad enough for me to swap them out.

Braking hard and fast seems to make them warp faster for what it's worth.

that means you need to set the pads to the rotor. a properly set of rotors+pads wont warp. you need to brake earlier and not as hard, it will prevent them from warping. possibly getting a different wheel with more space for the air to flow over the rotor to help move the heat away from them when braking.

[Andagail]

Just to clarify, I don't habitually brake "hard and fast." I come to a stop like anyone else. I drive like an old lady. :) Every time I go to stop at a light, the wheel will shake in my hands. This never happened in any other car I've had. After my brother put the tire back on, he shook the tire and it shook my steering wheel. Maybe something is loose in there. I will probably take it to get an estimate.
Thanks,
Andagail

[Tdurr]

fyi, everybody else(at least here) brakes last second. its pissed me off lol. not sayin u do tho.

[ShyBoyCA6]

Hmm my moms corolla has a similar problem but when you brake at high speeds you can feel shaking a lot on the pedal which I think I know what could be causing the problem but I'm not sure if that would fix

[Tdurr]

what is considered high speeds? cuz if its above 60 then its the balance of the wheels/bent rim. go to a tire shop and have them test drive the car and inform you what it is.

[Andagail]

Thanks for all the input. I got an email from my brother and he said, "rack end bushing" and "steering rack."

This sounds complicated. $$$$ and ???? :)
I am going to take it to the mechanic in the morning and get them to check it out.
Thanks,
Andagail

[gp02a0083]

could be a few things , like Tdurr said i could be an issue with a tire or rim being off balance, typically thats the case, I've beaten the hell outta the brakes in my 89 hatch and in my current one and i have yet warped a set of brakes. also end links like the tie rods could cause this and relating steering components.

[ShyBoyCA6]

what is considered high speeds? cuz if its above 60 then its the balance of the wheels/bent rim. go to a tire shop and have them test drive the car and inform you what it is.

like 80 or 85 and when applying the brake man does it feel like the rotor might pop off or not the caliper is loose

[Tdurr]

could be a few things , like Tdurr said i could be an issue with a tire or rim being off balance, typically thats the case, I've beaten the hell outta the brakes in my 89 hatch and in my current one and i have yet warped a set of brakes. also end links like the tie rods could cause this and relating steering components.

yes, i was going to tell him to do the front end check(jack the car up and shake the wheel up and down then side to side) then tell us how it goes but it would be best to let a pro do it since we have limited info. Hopefully your bro can help you get it straight!

[beran24]

doubt this is the problem, but when i redid my brakes forgot to tighten one of the bolts on the caliper and so when u hit the brake it was pushin the caliper up and rubbing on the rim.

[Andagail]

I had new calipers put on a year and a half ago, if that means anything. The tires and wheels are OK.

The mechanics who did my cv axles did not mention any problem with brakes. When my brother replaced them, he said they looked pretty good, still. I saw light grooves in the rotors. I guess that is normal. My brother shook the tire after he put it on and it shook the steering wheel like it does as I brake.

On braking speed, I am talking 40 mph. I will lightly push the brakes and the shaking steadily increases as I slow and push the brakes. The steering wheel goes side-to-side real fast. I have never gone faster than 60 or so. I told you I drive like an old lady.

I will let you know what the mechanic says. I hope my brother can do the work. $$:)
Andagail

[Andagail]

OK, I took it to the mechanic who told me to take it to the tire guy to get a front end inspection. The tire guy said I need strut rod bushings on both sides. The mechanic gave me an estimate for 204 bucks.
I wonder if my brother can do it...:)
I will tell you if it solved the problem after I get the work done.

Andagail

[stat1K]

yeah i like how everyone in here talks about the same thing without mentioning other parts that can cause a shimmy or shake.

strut rod bushings
rack bushing
worn inner tie rods
worn outer tie rod ends
worn lower ball joints
worn upper ball joints
misaligned front end
worn wheel bearings
worn springs/strut assemblies

bent wheels are pretty easy to diagnose as it's not going to do it at a higher speed only, you will feel it throughout the range of speeds. warped rotors will cause a car to shimmy no matter the speed in my experiences, now it may be more pronounced at a higher speed obviously that's always going to be true.

if your brother has a shop press then he can do the front bushings fairly easily. the worst part is getting the old part out, getting the new part in isn't as bad, but 204 a side seems a tad high. theres also no reason to ONLY do a strut rod bushing, if you're doing it you may as well go for the lower ball joints, the lca bushing and really the rest of them for that matter. i hate disassembling things only to have to do it again later.