I bought my 04 coupe a couple weeks ago and it shakes when braking. From previous posts I've learned it's probably the rotors but I've seen people saying different things about the problem. Some say they just need to be turned, some say they need to be replaced...

So will turning them solve the problem? New rotors is not in my budget until I can sell my old car. Is it dangerous to drive like this or just annoying to shake when I brake?

Thanks for your input, previous threads on this subject were locked.

 

I personally would just deal with it until you can afford to purchase new rotors. The first spirited run after turning your warped rotors will probably yield you another shaking problem. Look in the parts section for a good deal on some good replacements!

 

Your rotors are warped and need to be replaced.

 

If you cut the rotors it will be temporary. You are reducing the amount of metal to absorb the heat from braking. You will eventually need to replace them, not immediately but it will happen. There are many good deals on new rotors on the forum.

 

A pair of new front rotors can be had for less than $100, and any decent shop will cost $30-40 for turning the pair, and as mentioned above, will be a temporary fix.

As far as dangerous goes, probably not. You will lose a little brake effectiveness at the limit, because the rotor that is binding will start locking up first, causing ABS to engage a bit earlier than normal.

HTH, and have a good one,
Mike

 

The issue with rotors from what I've learned is usually not being warped, but the accumulation of brake material on the surface of the rotor in an uneven pattern which causes pulsing. Turning them is a temporary fix. The best bet is to replace the rotors and pads. I used drilled and slotted rotors, and the problem has not come back. Slotted rotors are designed to eliminate the pulsing problem. Do a search, and you will get tons of thoughts about what kind of rotor to use. Then, you decide which type you want for racing, street performance, or just cruising.

 

Is there a usual life time of rotors or are they supposed to last the life of the car?

I think I am going to just wait awhile since it is my DD and not pushed hard at all. I just got new tires yesterday so when these run out I'll probably buy some new rims and tires, paint the calipers, and get new rotors all at the same time.

 

I autocross and track my rotors, and have never had a problem with pulsing rotors.

The first set I replaced at 100K miles, mainly due to a perception on my part that they were getting thin.

I just replaced those at 173K miles due to a couple of cracks (bigger than spiderwebs) that were aiming towards the outer edge. With a track event coming up this weekend, I replaced them pre-emptively.

These are just stock "blank" (i.e. not drilled or slotted) rotors. You can get them anywhere, Autozone, O'Reilly, NAPA, etc.

HTH, and have a good one,
Mike

 

How can I tell which rotors are bad and which are still fine? I don't want to get 4 new ones if only one is bad. It kind of feels like the shaking comes from the left side of the car, but that might just be in my head.

 

It's really hard to tell which one is bad. Sometimes both have vibration, but you won't know until you replace one.

Therefore, when I have a vibration I replace them in pairs. It doesn't always work out, but your best bet is to replace the fronts first. Even if the rears have some vibration, it's usually dampened out by the car's structure to some extent.

HTH, and have a good one,
Mike

 

Brake rotors are $40 each. turning rotors is $40 each. Never turn rotors, buy new ones

Do not DRIVE your car until you have sorted out the problem.

My guesses:

Brake caliper bolts are loose
brake pad is not secure
brake pads are breaking apart
Need new wheel bearings



Good Luck

 

I don't even have a jack at home... what can I do just by looking to try to figure out exactly what the problem is?

As for the wheel bearings being the problem, wouldn't it occur all the time rather than just braking?

 

YES but you notice it most under brakeing.

Just put your hand though the wheel and grab or try to move the brake calipers.

You can see the brake pads next to the rotor in the calipers.

Put your hands in there and try to move things or shake things.

Look for scratches or cracks on the rotors.

Cracked rotors will cause your car to shake under braking.

 

All good advice here. It's really not worth having rotors machined when new ones cost about the same.Replace your pads at the same time too. Brakes and tires are your main safety issue, so don't scimp. When i first got my car, I thought the front rotors were bad. The dealer machined them for free, but the problem continued. I had the rears done, and it solved the issue until the pulsing started again after a few thousand miles( do them in pairs as suggested). At that point, i went with the new rotors. You can get a low profile jack with jack stands from Pep Boys for about $100. It's a good investment. Do a search to find the best way to jack up your car. Buy a few hockey pucks at a sports store to use with the jack on the correct points on your car to avoid damage.That would be a good time to paint your calipers. Duplicolor caliper paint is about $20 .You will need to do at least 3 coats to get them to look good, but it's easy. If you have questions about wheel bearings, or other front end issues, find out from other forum members in your area where to bring your car, and save money by avoiding dealers. Good luck, and have fun. Let the forums search feature be your friend to research any related questions.

 

I've been looking at different rotors for sale. A lot of them are zinc coated stating that they do not rust. Would this also help prevent my shaking problem from reacurring?

I'm considering getting Edge Performance zinc plated drilled and slotted rotors for $245 shipped. Will probably get new pads as well. Is it worth it to get these rather than stock replacements? It's a DD not a show car so the looks of the Edge Performance ones are a bonus but not necessity.

Thanks for the input.

 

what are the best front rotors to get at the same time unexpensive???

 

If you feel pulsing in pedal under moderately hard braking, it's probably high spots on the rotors. I have removed this using the the end of a flat file like a scaper.

If the brakes shudder violently its more likely that a rotor has something behind it and it has a lot of lateral runout. Pull the wheels and see if something falls out when wiggling rotor. I made some custom hubs one time and had to have them trued to eliminate this.

Look at your rotors for a big fracture in the outer surface. This is a long shot unless the car has been tracked. The rotors will a have a lot of small cracks (heat checks) in the outer surface too. You have to look close for this and move the car once to make sure the crack isn't hidden under the caliper.

NAPA, RockAuto.com and other discounters have $25-30 rotors. Many people use them for racing. You do not need anything more expensive or fancy... unless you like the looks. AC Delco, Bendix, NAPA, Raybestos are all the same in different boxes. Currently made in China. Previously made in Canada. The OEM GM rotors are over $100 each and were made in Brazil. No better than the cheapies.

Zinc plating & drilled holes are just bling. Go ahead if you like the looks and can afford it, but there is no provable performance increase.

Seeing as you don't even own a jack, I think you have two choices. Get rich or get smart. I guess you can find a friend that works on cars too.

 

I built up the engine in my last car (custom made turbo kit) so its not like I know nothing about cars. I've just never had any trouble with brakes before and have done nothing more than paint my calipers and change my brake pads when it comes to that area of the car. As for a jack, I always used my neighbor's jack and stands but I have recently moved.

The vette is a huge step up from my last car (Mazda3) and I don't want to learn by just tinkering around like on the Mazda bc replacement parts are not cheap for this car lol.

I'll see if I can find some nice local vette guys in the Daytona Beach area and see if they'll give me a hand to take a look at the rotors with the wheels off in the near future.

Thanks again for all the help guys, I love this forum

 

Neal,

If you have any way of getting ahold of a jack, whether borrowed from a friend, or if you can find a less expensive purchase, do it. You'll need one anyway down the road. As for the brakes, there's been a lot of great info provided in this thread. I personally do not like to turn rotors, but I have done it with certain previous vehicles I've owned. Once was a rig which had pretty much oversized disc brakes, plus I'm very easy on brakes even when I drive hard, so it paid to turn the rotors.

If you look into drilled/slotted rotors, be aware that you will not get as much service life out of the pads with the trade off that the brakes dissipate heat more efficiently and clear themselves of loose material.

 

I believe that Brake Designs has a special on rotors going, and they are USA made steel, not the cheap chinese crap ( look for this). I think this is in the C5 For Sale Section.I got drilled and slotted brakes which were zinc coated, and they are great. The only spots that have rusted a bit are the contact area of the pads, which gets cleaned off every time I drive the car. I also got GM ceramic pads from Gene. Much less brake dust, and everything stays cleaner. There is a slight sacrifice in braking power, but once you get used to it, it's no big deal IMPO.