You’re driving along and hit the brakes when you suddenly feel a shaking. It’s not an earthquake, it’s coming from your car. Feeling your entire vehicle vibrate isn’t a pleasant experience, but an experienced car mechanic will likely be able to diagnose the issue quickly.

If a car shakes while braking it’s likely one of the following issues.

Warped Brake Rotors

If the brake rotors are not perfectly flat, this can lead to vibrations. If there is enough metal present, the surface can be smoothed out with a machining lathe. Generally the entire rotor will need to be replaced and smoothed out before installing. Even when rotors are new they should be turned on a lathe as they can warp while in storage. Warped rotors are a problem that is most often seen in new cars. In order to make a car fuel efficient, manufacturers keep the car as light as possible. Instead of the thicker, much heavier brake rotors of past, newer cars have much less heavy metal as a strategy to increase its fuel economy.

Worn Brake Pads or Brake Drums

Oil and dirt on your brake pads can prevent the surface from being perfectly smooth, which is needed for clean, shake-free braking. Brake pads or brake drums can similarly be worn down so that the surface is rough and uneven. In this case the solution is similar, smooth out the surface or replace completely. Any surface irregularities will lead to car vibration. If the shaking continues for too long without being fixed, it can damage other components within the braking system. It’s much less expensive to replace a worn out part of your braking system than the entire braking system.

“Tightening the front wheel lugs with the wrong tool can lead to vibration.”

Overly Tight Front Wheel Lugs

Tightening the front wheel lugs with the wrong tool can lead to vibration. A torque wrench will allow you to tighten all wheel lugs to the same level of tension. A pneumatic wrench will not give you a consistent level of tension so it’s easy to overtighten a wheel lug which can lead to warped brake rotors.

Problems with Brake Guide Pins

The guide pin is a part of a car’s brake caliper. If they are dirty and corroded they won’t work properly. Making sure your guide pins are clean and properly lubricated will keep them functioning in peak condition.

Experiencing problems with your brakes? Contact us today to see how we can help.