ShakesTheKlown

I suspect I've got a warped rear left rotor. My car shakes a fair bit when I brake at higher speeds, and it's really pissing me off... Is there any way to check if the rotor is warped, or do I have to take it into a mechanic to look at it?

I've also got a different size rim back there, I don't know if that would be part of the problem... And before you guys go off on me for having a different size rim, lemme explain...

When I got my car back when I knew nothing about cars, as opposed to now where I have at least some idea how these things work, there was this mis-matched rim... The guy told me that it was rubbing so he took it off and the matching rim was in the trunk... After buying it, I took it in to get a new tire put on the matching rim, and was told that it was warped as hell, and probably not worth repairing... So I've got 3 16's, and one 15...

Anyway, back to the topic... Can I check the rotor myself, or do I have to take it in?

Solracer

It would be real hard to "warp" your rear rotors as they do very little of the braking, if you wheel is shaking underbraking it is probably your front rotors that are "Warped", there is a easy way to make the sake less or go away depending on how bad you warped them, What people call warping is not the metal warping it is the brake material from you brake pads getting unevely distrubituted around the rotor, you sometimes can fix this by taking like 600-1000 grit sandpaper and some brake fluid, spray the rotor with the fluid an sand it, besure to do this all around and on both sides, I was able to fix my problem likes this after a track even where I road the brakes when hot and my brake pads basicalyl stuck to the rotor in one point. The other thing that will keep this form happening is some bettter brake liks some potterfile r4s or axxis ulitames, talk to the guys from http://www.cobaltfriction.com or http://www.carbotecheng.com

ShakesTheKlown

Will it be pretty obvious where it is causing the problems? Or do I just need to make sure it's all smooth...

@irborne

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ShakesTheKlown &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I suspect I've got a warped rear left rotor. My car shakes a fair bit when I brake at higher speeds, </TD></TR></TABLE>

if your steering wheel shakes during braking, it means your rotors are warped (front ones). if it didn't wear out too much; you can get it resurfaced for cheap. check w/ pep boys in your area.

95stangkillah

you're messing up the brakes by having a different size rim on. How would you feel after a while if one of your feet were smaller and shorter? Not good right. You wouldn't work properly either under such conditions. Go to a service shop and get it checked out and resurfaced if still possible, also go out and buy that missing 16" rim.

Vortex

When I brake from a decent speed (50 mph or more) the steering wheel sometimes shakes a little bit between 20-30 mph. It doesn't shake very hard, just kind of vibrates. Then when I'm almost stopped, it seems sometimes like the breaking is uneven, the car kind of jerks back and forth (from front to back, not side to side) as I roll to a stop. This jerking is not hard at all, just noticeably a little "uneven". My brakes still work perfectly though. Does that sound like warped rotors?

98 Civic lx btw

Solracer

I would just sand the whole rotor genrally you cannot see the deposists... but some tiemes you can see a discloration in one area.

Mr Miyagi

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Vortex &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">When I brake from a decent speed (50 mph or more) the steering wheel sometimes shakes a little bit between 20-30 mph. It doesn't shake very hard, just kind of vibrates. Then when I'm almost stopped, it seems sometimes like the breaking is uneven, the car kind of jerks back and forth (from front to back, not side to side) as I roll to a stop. This jerking is not hard at all, just noticeably a little "uneven". My brakes still work perfectly though. Does that sound like warped rotors?

98 Civic lx btw</TD></TR></TABLE>

yep

ShakesTheKlown

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 95stangkillah &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">go out and buy that missing 16" rim. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I've got a full set of rota slipstreams sitting on my floor right now, waiting for my tires to come in the mail...

Also, exacltly how cheap is resurfacing a rotor? Checkers has a sale right now for rotors, 34.99 and up...


Modified by ShakesTheKlown at 2:01 PM 5/22/2003