read everything, then respond only if you're sure you have an answer.

97 civic ex. stock everything. when im going like 30+ and apply the brakes, i get a shimmy. the car vibrates, as does the steering wheel and brake pedal. it seems to get more dramatic the faster im going...like pretty obnoxious at 80. almost nonexistant at 20. another note, when i lightly brake at hwy speed and hold the brake lightly, it seems to get progressively worse.

i bought the car a year ago with shot front brakes. i installed autozone pads and rotors up front and the brakes worked perfectly. when i bought the car, the outer cv boots were torn on both sides, and i have no idea how long for. since the car showed no signs of needing new axles, i just replaced the boots. i drove at least 3k on those ripped boots though. the rotors + pads were replaced about 8k ago.

so what are you thinking...worn out axles/cv joints, or warped rotors?
the brakes grip pretty well, esp at lower speeds. if i turn hard in either direction, i don't get any noises or vibrations. car has perfect alignment. any way to rule out either?

 

how are your front lower ball joints?

 

Do you feel any pulsations in the pedal?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by excivicboy96 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Do you feel any pulsations in the pedal?</TD></TR></TABLE>

yes 2nd line

 

sounds to me like symptoms of warped rotors; however, it's hard to believe that your rotors have failed after only 8k miles... if it is the rotors, you need to stop abusing your brakes! find an auto parts store that surfaces rotors, and see if that works.

 

Could also be related to your wheel bearing/hubs. Best thing to do would be to check for lateral runout and any play in components while up in the air.

 

it would most likely be the rotors and wat he said ^^^

 

I had the same problem and as stated above, it was due to bad rotors. I replaced them with a set of OE replacements that were made by Brembo and Axis pads (total cost was less than $90) and all the problems went away. I did have a hard time getting off those two little screws that were in the rotor (94 EX) but other than that it was an easy fix.


Hope that helps

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 04 Yellow Rag &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Could also be related to your wheel bearing/hubs. Best thing to do would be to check for lateral runout and any play in components while up in the air.</TD></TR></TABLE>

i tried grabbing the wheels at 12 and 6 o'clock while in the air and there is no play. im not sure i know waht you mean by lateral runout.

i absolutely don't abuse the brakes, which is also puzzling to me. never had any brake problems on my previous 3 cars. i don't even drive THAT much....8k in almost a year

just another thought...could it possibly be the drums? my car spends a lot of time parked on a hill with the e-brake fully engaged? just wondering.

 

Lateral runout is how much the rotors are screwed up basically. Side-to-Side variations in width.