Shaking while braking with new rotors

Dustin4185

New member
My wife's 08 4Runner started getting a bad shake while braking. I did a brake no. With new rotors from NAPA and it went away for a very short time (2 weeks). Now you can brake at high speed and it shakes like crazy, let off and hit them again and it is smooth. Never had a vehicle do this. I took the rotors to a shop that turns them, and they weren't warped or had deposits. What else could be my problem? Calipers? Tie rod ends? I also just put two cv axles in due to boots going bad. It did it before and after. Only thing I know to do is redo the brakes using a different rotor/pad. Maybe OEM. We got 120,000 from the factory brakes. It is an UrbanRunner with the limited size wheels and rotors. Please help.
 
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Pad deposits, get better pads.

You have to take a really shallow cut on the brake lathe to notice the runout that pad deposits cause. Most shops will just go to town on it, and you won't see the runout show up in that first 30+ thou cut.


I am personally liking Akebono ProACT pads these days for a low dust street pad that can take a reasonable amount of heat for street driving. Also, don't drag the brakes on the street. When you get on the brakes you should be ON the brakes, otherwise just coast.
 
My wife's 08 4Runner started getting a bad shake while braking. I did a brake no. With new rotors from NAPA and it went away for a very short time (2 weeks). Now you can brake at high speed and it shakes like crazy, let off and hit them again and it is smooth. Never had a vehicle do this. I took the rotors to a shop that turns them, and they weren't warped or had deposits. What else could be my problem? Calipers? Tie rod ends? I also just put two cv axles in due to boots going bad. It did it before and after. Only thing I know to do is redo the brakes using a different rotor/pad. Maybe OEM. We got 120,000 from the factory brakes. It is an UrbanRunner with the limited size wheels and rotors. Please help.

I went through 3 sets on my 2000 and I'm ready for the next set on my 2007 after 14,000 miles. Its the rotors being warped even sometimes when you just get them they can be warped. Ive gotten a set drove off the lot and drove right back lol. They only vibrated really from about 60 down to 40 then stopped. My mechanic used a softer break pad and that seemed to last longer.
 
Another thing that tends to cause the shake and everyone over looks after dealing with the what usually is the problem. LCA bushings possible uppers.
 
if you are only getting the shake while braking, it could be any of the following:
1. hub is warped (check while the rotor is on the hub and rotate)
2. hub bearing is loose (check for play)
3. tie rod ends (check for play)
4. suspension bushing is loose (check for play, use a crow bar to test).

keep us posted.


My wife's 08 4Runner started getting a bad shake while braking. I did a brake no. With new rotors from NAPA and it went away for a very short time (2 weeks). Now you can brake at high speed and it shakes like crazy, let off and hit them again and it is smooth. Never had a vehicle do this. I took the rotors to a shop that turns them, and they weren't warped or had deposits. What else could be my problem? Calipers? Tie rod ends? I also just put two cv axles in due to boots going bad. It did it before and after. Only thing I know to do is redo the brakes using a different rotor/pad. Maybe OEM. We got 120,000 from the factory brakes. It is an UrbanRunner with the limited size wheels and rotors. Please help.
 
Shaking at speed with well balanced tires will point towards problems with your ball joints, bushings, or tie rods.

Shaking under braking leads to an issue with rotor runout. When this happens some period of time after having new components, it is 99.999% of the time related the pads overheating and transferring excessive pad material to the rotor. This will happen unevenly, and it will yield excessive runout.

Cast iron rotors are very dimensionally stable under high temperatures, so I've actually never seen a 1 piece rotor "warp", and especially not unevenly. I have transferred pad material to rotors probably a few hundred times. It happens with street pads that are overheated, and track pads that aren't nicely bedded in to where they get up above the abrasive friction temperature range (probably not applicable to most on this forum, but those are the two primary mechanisms I've run into that yield excessive pad transfer).

It's actually *REALLY* common today to run into this problem. I've personally helped fix lots of coworkers and friends with this problem. They learn I go to the track a lot, and seem incredulous that I'm telling them they're overheating their specific brake setup, but it is ALWAYS fixed the issue.

The issue is people wanting ZERO noise and ZERO dust with great cold temperature performance... oh, they always get hammered over total pad cost so they keep going to the cheapest components possible. Combine that most street vehicles make at least 50% more power and probably weigh 20-30% more than they did 20+ years ago, and it's a bad recipe. All these things have pushed pad manufacturers to make pads that are ridiculously easy to overheat on large SUVs.


What does this mean? That going with cheap ass pads is going to yield nothing but headaches. Surprisingly, OEM pads are now also huge problems. My wife's brand new Honda Pilot is already starting to get a bit of judder to it. She doesn't really notice it, but it annoys me that a brand new mommy-mobile has inadequate pads so that the manufacturer can save a few bucks.


Like I said before, Akebono ProACT are great low dust pads with reasonable low temp performance, and will hold up to all the street duty you'll throw at them. Centric fleet are even higher heat capacity. They're the same compound sold as Stoptech Street pads, which I've personally taken to the track and pushed relatively hard for a street pad. They dust quite a bit, are a little soft on a really cold morning, but you will never overheat them on the street. Great medium to high temp performance. Good linear torque and release.
 
100% calipers. I had the exact same issue with mine and both of them had frozen pistons. It was jerky at low speeds and at high speeds it would shake the whole front end violently. It was pretty dangerous to drive it the way it was because it was tough to control. Replaced the calipers and problem solved.
 
If your calipers are seized, then yes, you'll overheat pads.

My above advice is assuming the rest of the braking system is mechanically sound.
 
What makes me think it is a suspension or steering component is that it seems to fade when going through corners. I have checked hub/axle nut and it seems good. The LCA and UCA bushings seem okay also. I used the best pads NAPA has. That don't mean they are the best out there. I may switch to a diff pad and ha e the rotors turned to de glaze them. It is becoming a headache. Now she is wanting to trade for a 5th Gen!!!
 
check for play in your suspension. Also check calipers sticking. Get a thermo gun drive around and check all 4 corners to see if one side is significantly heating than the other.

I have seen this.. but sometimes rotors can be defeceted new.. Some places stack them ontop of each other causing them to warp. I doubt that NAPA did this since they are pretty reliable. BTW.. take them back to napa. Im sure they can resurface them or warranty it.
 
had the same problem before and it was the calipers sticking, replaced them and 4runner was good as new, good luck
 
my .02 cents;
I put on new front rotors, and calipers and pads to cure a vibration under braking issue. (upgraded to the larger Tundra size, they fit with 17 inch rims) & 3 months later the vibration while braking came back!!

I thought I was losing my mind.

It was the brand new drivers side rotor. replaced it under warranty and the vibration hasnt come back.
 

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