What's wrong?

Motorhead350

Motorhead350

New member
Alright I think I got a brake problem, but correct me if I'm wrong. When I slow down the wheel shakes especailly if I'm slowing down from a high speed. When it's just stop and go I can feel the car getting grip and losing it like tapping the brakes. Now I had this problem sense last fall and the car has been in storage. I took it to the dealer and they said it was like that from the car sitting for months and the tires were a little "flat" in places for never moving. Understand? So drive it, ware the tires down and it will "smooth" out. I thought that was a bunch of bull because the car was like this before it was in storage! :bs: I took it to 2 places and they say nothing is wrong with the brakes. I say it's the drums, shoes or maybe a bent wheel or wheels. What gives? :confused:
 
Motorhead350 said:
Alright I think I got a brake problem, but correct me if I'm wrong. When I slow down the wheel shakes especailly if I'm slowing down from a high speed. When it's just stop and go I can feel the car getting grip and losing it like tapping the brakes. Now I had this problem sense last fall and the car has been in storage. I took it to the dealer and they said it was like that from the car sitting for months and the tires were a little "flat" in places for never moving. Understand? So drive it, ware the tires down and it will "smooth" out. I thought that was a bunch of bull because the car was like this before it was in storage! :bs: I took it to 2 places and they say nothing is wrong with the brakes. I say it's the drums, shoes or maybe a bent wheel or wheels. What gives? :confused:
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You need to either 'turn the rotors' (any reputable brake shop) if you've never done it before or replace the front rotors. They're warped. If you replace them, do the pads too and bed them in properly. Go to an open road and brake from 60 mph to zero (check your mirrors!) with a high rate of deceleration. Repeat two or three more times until you can smell the brakes. Then drive a few miles to cool them and enjoy, they're bedded.
 
Motorhead350 said:
I took it to the dealer and they said it was like that from the car sitting for months and the tires were a little "flat" in places for never moving.
Click to expand...

:bs: That dealer is a moron and deserves a :fishslap:

If it only happens when you apply the brakes, how can it be flat spots on the tires...?! :shake:

By the way, your car has warped rotors... :D
 
Turn the front rotors. Pad replacement is at your discretion, replacement pads won't last as long.
 
If it is warped rotors it probably is from some one with a size 14
hand and a size 4 head using an air wrench to overtourqe the lug bolts.
IMHO.

:(
 
How can I tell which ones need to be replaced and what about the shoes. Someone told me it just feels like the front right one.
 
Motorhead350 said:
How can I tell which ones need to be replaced and what about the shoes. Someone told me it just feels like the front right one.
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The front rotors are prone to warp as they do most of the stopping. IMO you should change them in pairs and the same with the brake pads.
 
Sounds like a perfect excuse to get bigger and better brakes. BTW, did anyone suggest your rotors might be warped?
 
Defyant said:
Sounds like a perfect excuse to get bigger and better brakes. BTW, did anyone suggest your rotors might be warped?
Click to expand...


Sounds like a good excuse to me too.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=16889&highlight=tce+brakes
attachment.php
 
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jgc61sr2002 said:
The front rotors are prone to warp as they do most of the stopping. IMO you should change them in pairs and the same with the brake pads.
Click to expand...

There was an interesting webpage that did a study on rotor warping. They basically found out that rotors do not warp. but instead uneven brake pad clamping force can result in the "warped rotor" feeling. This is usually found on vehicles with brakes that use single piston calipers.

I would recommend lubricating your caliper slide bolts/pins with silicone di-electric grease or a silicone lubricant meeting whatever Ford spec (it's the same spec used in official super double secret squirrel tactical Ford dielectric grease IIRC). This allows the caliper to slide w/o any problems even under intense heat (silicone breaks down at 450F+, a temperature that the bolts/caliper housing does not see. The pads and rotor surfaces CAN reach 1000F+).

Torque your lugnuts evenly using a torque wrench to prevent the rotor from contacting the brake pads at weird angles. Do not use an impact gun.
 
Rotors

Take a piece of 2X4 and tape a pencile to it, the wheels off, put the 2
x4 on athe ground, position the , pencil so it just touchs the rotor and spin the rotor, where the pencil leaves no marks is where the rotor is warped, do it yourself and then you can see if you need to replace both.
Personally I would do both- I just had this problem with my Grand-Am, and both were warped and also had hard spots on them. wasen't that expensive, especially if you consider the cost if they cause an accident:shake: :shake:

JIM
 
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