At high speeds I get brake shudder; therafter under any braking conditions I get brake shudder which eventually goes away. However, brake shudder is always present under high speeds.

I just replaced the rotors about 6 months ago and have had no track events since. Is it possible that bad pads could warp the rotors? I have the same pads as I did when I replaced my first set of OEM warped rotors; they are OEM pads and down to about .25 inches now.

Should I replace the rotors and pads? Or should I just replace the rotors?

Do I need to do this right away if the rotors are warpped? i.e. Can having warpped rotors damage anything else? I live in an apartment right now, and will be in a house in May. Can I wait until then?

Thanks!

 

How did you season the rotors, bed the pads?

"Warping" a rotor is terribly difficult to do on the street and even the track. The term "warped" rotor is a misnomer that is commonly misused to describe this shudder you feel when applying the brakes at most if not all speeds.

What it usually is, is an uneven deposit of pad compound on the rotor, making a thicker surface in a spot that will make the brake pedal vibrate when the brakes are applied.

Many times this can be fixed just by rebedding the pads properly.

Read the following about your the phenomena and the remedies:

http://stoptech.com/technical/

Here's the Warped rotor myth article:
http://www.stoptech.com/whitep...h.htm

And Pad and Rotor bed in theory:
http://stoptech.com/whitepapers/bedincontents.htm

 

Just curious, how your "soft pedal" worked out? Was Mark able to fix it and or what became of it?

 

Isn't it the Autozone rotors that have a lifetime warranty? Just go grab a set of them.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 1GreyTeg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Just curious, how your "soft pedal" worked out? Was Mark able to fix it and or what became of it?</TD></TR></TABLE>

I just decided to live with it and now it seems to be okay. I think it was a combination of ABS and my mind. After I made a custom ABS exercise switch and really flogged the hell out of the ABS modulator things seem to work good. Not right away mind you, but the brake seems to have gotten better with time. Things now feel good except for the shudder.

In terms of your first comments; I do feel, at low speeds, the brake working and then not working, based on the position of the rotor. So as the rotor spins I can feel it catch the pad and then let go (with constant pedal force of course).

Is it worthwhile to get new pads to bed properly? Or is .25 inches enough to last awhile that I should just keep them?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sneakychaos &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Isn't it the Autozone rotors that have a lifetime warranty? Just go grab a set of them. </TD></TR></TABLE>

No reciept

Think they will still do it?

 

I'm always a fan of getting new pads or rotors if the means and budget can supply. But, I'd try the rebedding with what you have now to see if there is a noticable difference Before spending more money.

Some people may say to resurface or "turn" rotors. Which if done correctly can completely solve your problem but to find a shop that will do that well is not always too easy.

I always start with the cheap alternatives then work my way up from there.

Who installed your rotors/pads? I'd also get under the wheels and take a look to see if everything is where it's supposed to be.

You've had similar to the same issues as me in the past but yours seemed to either not get fixed or took alot longer to be resolved.

Best of luck.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sneakychaos &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Isn't it the Autozone rotors that have a lifetime warranty? Just go grab a set of them. </TD></TR></TABLE>

w3rd......i have been using autozone rotors for a long-*** time....cheap, good quality IMO (providing you aren't a track *****), and a damn good warranty if you pay the couple xtra bucks!

 

I put in the new rotors and OEM pads.

I could have a shop do new ones (money isn't a huge issue here) but I guess I feel putting on pads and rotors is such a simple procedure I should be able to do it myself.

Maybe I will call around and see what a shop would charge to do this.

If I replace pads and rotors, think I only need to do the front, or both front and rear? I really only feel the shudder in the front.

 

If I were you, and your budget allows, I'd swap in new rotors and pads.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by onyx00 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

If I replace pads and rotors, think I only need to do the front, or both front and rear? I really only feel the shudder in the front.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Check the thickness of the rear pads and rotors to see if they're still in spec, otherwise I wouldn't do anything since they are the not the ones you have an issue with.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by onyx00 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Is it worthwhile to get new pads to bed properly? Or is .25 inches enough to last awhile that I should just keep them?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Pads wear slowly on the street, quickly on the track. If you are only driving on the street, you can drive them until the minimum spec in the manual (1.6 mm thick, I think) or until you start hearing the squeaker tab hit the rotor, if they're OEM pads. If you're going to a track event, you will want to be using pads with a lot more thickness, since they will wear quickly there.

Incidentally, I think new front pads are 11 mm thick, so at 0.25 inch (6.3 mm), yours were only halfway to the minimum spec.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by onyx00 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Maybe I will call around and see what a shop would charge to do this.</TD></TR></TABLE>

For one axle, usually around one hour of labor. Around here, that is in the $75-100 range.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by onyx00 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If I replace pads and rotors, think I only need to do the front, or both front and rear? I really only feel the shudder in the front.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Just the front. (Which is usually where the shudder comes from, since the front does most of the work during hard braking, due to weight transfer.)

 

Thanks Ken, good advice. And thanks 1GreyTeg, good reads on the StopTech sites and advice.

The rotors are Autozone Duralast; I think I am going to go and see if they will replace them without reciept. If not, then guess I will just buy some new ones and then take the old ones back and claim they are the new ones I bought and they suck and I want my money back (that's right Autozone, fawk you, I don't need a reciept!)

I will replace the rotors by themselves first, do propper bed procedure with current pads. If this results in the same problems again, I will try same procedure with new pads.

 

You have hot spots.

1. Change to ceramic-metallic pads for a bit - sometimes works

or

2. Turn the rotors (to get rid of cementite deposits)

or

3. put on new rotors.

All the info above is correct.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by onyx00 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I think I am going to go and see if they will replace them without receipt. </TD></TR></TABLE>
no receipt is needed. they have your address/#'s from when you purchased them.

just give them your info and they can pull up the warranty info.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Big Phat R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You have hot spots.

1. Change to ceramic-metallic pads for a bit - sometimes works

or

2. Turn the rotors (to get rid of cementite deposits)

or

3. put on new rotors.

All the info above is correct.</TD></TR></TABLE>

whats turning the rotor mean?

 

It means get them machined on a lathe.

Some shops can machine the rotors while still on the car - other machines require removal of the rotors.

Theoretically you get less run-out when you machine the rotors on the car.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Big Phat R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It means get them machined on a lathe.

Some shops can machine the rotors while still on the car - other machines require removal of the rotors.

Theoretically you get less run-out when you machine the rotors on the car.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

same as resurfacing or getting the rotors cut, thanks!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Willard &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
no receipt is needed. they have your address/#'s from when you purchased them.

just give them your info and they can pull up the warranty info.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Don't think that will help, I bought one and my parents bought another for a b-day present. I am sure they will do it without a reciept.

Otherwise they will feel the wrath of the BBB!

 

FYI, honda recomends you always get new rotors turned before you put them on the car.
Jeff----who has never done it, but thought it might help to know.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by R you serious &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">FYI, honda recomends you always get new rotors turned before you put them on the car.
Jeff----who has never done it, but thought it might help to know.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Hmm, so I just turn them around, like spin them on the floor or what? On my previous rotors I turned them around while looking at them, do you think that was enough?



Good info though, I will check in to places that do it around me.