This is my first visit to this forum so bear with me! I just completed a front brake job on a friends 2003 Limited 4Runner. After completing the job it had a severe pulsation when braking that would shudder bad and was worse as you were braking at higher speeds. I had the rotors turned at a local shop and they were a little warped and I was told they may shimmy a little or not at all after taking them back for a second check. It still shudders bad. I feel it as soon as I start backing down the drive and it is not in the pedal. Are my rotors that bad out? or when i compressed the pistons did I screw up the ABS in some way? I am baffled as to whether I need to just get new rotors or ??????? Thanks for any help!!
brake pulse??
- Thread starter fleastang
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Methodical
New member
You could have bent rims.
Go to any place that rotates tires and do so. If it changes you need to identify which rim it is.
Go to any place that rotates tires and do so. If it changes you need to identify which rim it is.
CJ3Flyr
Super Moderator
The T4R rims aren't positively hub-centric or lug-centric. When you put the tires on you need to torque evenly up to whatever you can get with the wheels in the air (50-60lbs???, I'm just guessing) and then let the jack down for the final torquing.
I am not promising that's the problem however I speak from 1st hand experience on this one...:bash:
If you park it in 4HI and lift one wheel at a time you can torque the wheel while it's in the air.
:cheers:
I am not promising that's the problem however I speak from 1st hand experience on this one...:bash:
If you park it in 4HI and lift one wheel at a time you can torque the wheel while it's in the air.
:cheers:
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Are these the original rotors? Or do you have aftermarkets on there? Either way, I'd have to agree with everyone else about checking the lug nut settings. As you saw when doing the brakes, the rotors don't have a centering screw set up, which not only centers the rotors to the hub for perfect balance, but also holds them in place to prevent them from ever-so-slightly shifting within the gaps of the holes of the wheel studs. So, it's very important to make sure the wheels are properly torqued onto the hub to hold the rotors still. Otherwise, what will happen is that when you apply the brakes, the rotors will slap against the wheel studs, creating a pulsating feel. It can also trick you into thinking you've got a wheel out of balance or bent.
Thanks for the replies! I ended up buying new rotors and that was the cure. I had the local auto shop resurface the old ones twice and each time they were worse than before I started so i am not sure what was up with that and they had a new $7k machine! Either way I got my $20 back and found new rotors. What was strange was that the 4runner had factory 17" wheels which use a larger rotor but when I put them on they were too big. Turns out that the brake system was for 16" wheels (it is a Limited w/ factory 17's). I got the 16" wheel rotors and they fit perfect, Everything works perfect now. thanks again!
