having some issues with the 01 supercrew.....i am getting a "shudder" when I brake...not sure where its coming from, but it seems like the front. About a year ago, new front pads and rotors, new rear pads and rotors. Checked ball joints and tie rod ends..all tight. When the shudder happens, truck still goes straight, doesnt pull or anything. Otherwise truck is a pleasure down the road....Just looking for a place to start...
Thanks
Rich

 

The shudder is usually a disc that either has a change of thickness somewhere in it's diameter or a change in fiction at some point.
The high spot as the disc turns each time is what you feel.
Good luck..

 

Thanks Bluegrass...I am going to look at the rear discs and shoes tommrorrow...I thin I am going to remove the parking brake shoes and there hardware and see what happens....
Rich

 

I've had this issue with my 02 Supercrew for two years. Just replaced all four rotors and pads, and it's still there. Mine seems to originate from the rear, but it's hard to tell for sure.
I think I am due for new tierod ends and balljoints though, so maybe that's it. It only does it from high speeds.

 

Mine only shutters when I have almost come to a complete stop. Wondering if the torque converter is acting up. Truck has the 5.4L with 124,000 miles on it.

 

Do you feel it in the steering wheel, or in your seat? If you feel it in the steering wheel, most likely the front discs are warped. If you feel it in your seat, most likely it's the rear that's giving you trouble.

If your discs are warped, don't go the cheap way and get them resurfaced, get new ones. If you resurface them, they will be smooth but the metal will still be different thickness in spots which over time after many heat cycles, can re-appear giving you vibration issues again!

Also side note:

A lot of times, discs being warped can come from improper or in consistent wheel lug nut torque, use a torque wrench, set it to correct spec! I've seen a lot of tire shops, guys who dont know what they are doin, crank down on the lug nuts with their guns and a few weeks later, someone's got a vibration under braking!

 

To try and determine if it is the front or the rear, take your hands off the steering wheel when coming to a stop and look at the steering wheel for any sleight shimmy motion and/or truck pulling to either side.
If yes, the problem is in the front.
Another way to get a possible lead is to use a lazer heat temperature gun looking at which side gets hotter after a hard brake application.
If detected to one side, everything has to be closely looked at.
Is the caliper pads wearing excessive or at an angle?
Is both pins sliding easy in the caliper?
Is the caliper piston sticking when it heats up?
Is there signs the disc is showing friction at one area of rotation? disc appearence may show it.
Often it's temperature sensitive so do the rotation test when it's hot.
Sometimes a cast iron disc will harden from heat in one area while the rest wears creating a high spot and shudder is the result.
A warped disc, if not servere often won't show shudder because the caliper moves with the disc change as it's temperature changes during brake use.
Sometimes it's possible to distort a disc with excessive lug nut torque.
Remember the front pads are against the disc with a small amount of pressure at all times.
With emg brake shoes in the center of the rear discs, the emg brake hardware could be locked a little tight and if the surface is warped out of round, could cause shudder same as a full drum brake can.
A way to tell the rear is doing something is to raise the rear wheels off the road and run in gear. Application of brake shakes the rear and/or the whole truck, tells the story.
Good luck.

 

What is the expense of replacing the rotors and pads?

 

Add something else to look at on 4X4.
Check the front discs for movement 'aside' from the spindle lower ball joint.
If yes, the spindel bearings are loose.
This can cause the disc to go into a wobble motion.
If any front disc pad is tight in it's slides at the ends of the pads, the whole caliper won't move on it's slide pins and can place one pad to be tight against the disc.
The pad end needs to be clearenced with either a file on a grinder.
As the disc wobbles you can get the pulsing effect.
So you can have a stacking of effects that causes confusion about what the cause is.
In my case a dealer replaced the lower ball joint some time ago under warrenty and apparently never put the proper torque on the spindle nut.
In past inspections, the shops kept telling me the left front lower ball joint was a bit loose and needs to be replaced at some point.
They did not catch that it was a loose spindle bearing assembly.
The bottom line is there are many places in the assembly that can cause an issue.
Singular thinking it is from one cause is often not the case and causes replacement of parts not needed from 'hopeing' for a fix.
Nothing like having to run these things down yourself.
Good luck.

 

I have a 98 250 light duty with a shudder in the rear. I have replaced both drums and both sets of shoes. under brakinig conditions it has a nasty shudder. Could it be just not having the shoes adjusted properly or something else??? We did find the e brake was hanging up but we have that freed up now.

 

I was about to post a thread asking this very same question. Mine only shudders when I am hard on the brakes (for example when going down a hill). It has done it for quite a while now, recently replaced the rotors (front only) and also replaced front and rear pads (and shocks) and it is still there.

I am pretty sure I can feel the shudder in both steering wheel and through the brake pedal. The truck has 175,000 miles on it and other than this braking issue it runs fine. Where should I be looking? could it be the rear rotors?

Thanks.

 

Thumbs up on checking the caliper slide pins

 

Are the caliper slide pins easy to check? I can't seem to find anything much about how to check them. I can change brakes easily enough, so assume that checking the slide pins is within my realm of expertise. Do I need to remove the caliper to check them? Guessing no, but want to be sure.

 

The caliper has to come off to the check their movement.
You will see a rubber boot on both sides.
This boot is one peice and goes through the caliper casting.
The pin floats inside the rubber on moulded in suspension projections such that the pin is sealed from water unless the boot has torn or opens in some manner.
The pin is dry (no lube) inside.
The pin can't actually set fast in rubber unless rust and dirt build up inside.
The caliper has to move [on the pin] to conform to the changes in thickness of the pads as they wear and be able to move in general with changes in disc thickness and minor warping over time and movement.
Good luck.

 

Passenger side caliper has a problem for me, I washed the truck over the weekend and noticed that while the drivers side wheel had a lot of brake dust, the passenger side wheel looked no dirtier than the back wheels.

I had not noticed it (rarely drive the truck) but was also told yesterday by someone who drove it that it pulls to the right. Which would make sense that it pulled that way when braking if only the drivers side is braking properly.

Going to pick up a new caliper and replace it entirely.