bumpy ride!

jonbeling · 06-13-03, 01:25

My car has recently been giving me a very bumpy ride when i depres son the brake...i can feel the brake pedal shake and its very bumpy and the steerng wheel is also getting very bumpy....i just replaced my brake pads finding out that my old ones cut into my rotors....haven replaced the rotors(front) yet im oding that tonight but idid put new pads on and the bumpyness is worse then ever...could this be becasue of the rotors. Id appriciate any response! Thanks!

-Jon
97' ZJ

bet993 · 06-13-03, 01:35

When you say "bumpy" do you mean a pulsating feel? The interesting part is the steering wheel shaking. There are a couple of things to check out. First, when was the last alignment and balancing of the wheels? Shaking in the steering wheel is usually caused by a poor alignment or unbalanced wheel. There are other things that could be problem but this is cheapest to look at.

When you changed the pads did you "bed" the pads after installing them? If you change the rotors you will want to go out and "season" the rotors. Do a search on the net for bedding or seasoning rotors. It is a procedure of going out and driving varying speeds and applying varying amouts of brake pressure. If not done properly you can get brake pad material transferred to the rotors which will cause the pulsating or what most people think is warped rotors. The material can't be seen but is almost impossible to remove.

jonbeling · 06-13-03, 01:54

yes i do mean pulsating feel....the weels do need to be aligned and balanced...also i did not "bed" becasue i was not keeping thoes rotors on, so i figured it would be a waste of time....im gonna have the whole car alligned and balanced next week...and im going to change the rotors tonight and then season them...ill let you know how it turns out!

-Jon
97' ZJ

bretfraz · 06-13-03, 02:04

Sounds like classic warped rotors. I think most cars on the road have them to some extent.

I rode in a car last year whose rotors were so badly warped, the entire car shook under braking. I thought a strut or shock was broken or there was some kind of suspension failure.

After you replace the rotors and bed in the new pads, find the best alignment shop in town to do the balance and alignment. A tech who knows what they're doing can make a huge difference. Usually this is not a chain store but a small independent shop. Ask around.

bet993 · 06-13-03, 03:46

I for got to post this link in my first response. Some good reading.

braking myths

jonbeling · 06-14-03, 08:17

alright guys...i replaced the rotors, which were shot, put the new ones on and then i seasoned them with the new brake pads. Works Great....no pulsating at all and smoother then my moms new jeep! TOTAL DO IT YOUR SELF COST $90 (front pads and rotors) not too shabby