Warped Rotors at 16K Miles?

berry1234 · #1 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 11:35 AM

Well if I don't have the darndest luck with brakes. I have noticed when stopping at freeway speeds or so a pulsation in the steering wheel that is progressively getting worse. While braking to a stop slowly I feel a go/let go/go kind of action with the brakes. My hunch is warped rotors.

Hard to believe after only 16K of mostly freeway miles. I never washed the car after driving it and I don't ride the brakes. Got a call in to bring it in. Anyone else have experience with warped rotors before?

IQ9 · #2 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 12:14 PM

I had an early build Titan and we had the problem from 1200 miles on. I finally got so tired of get the brakes "fixed" by Nissan that I bought Stillens big brake kit to stop the problem. Once the Stillen kit was on, there were no more issues. How bad does the wheel shake??

berry1234 · #3 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IQ9

I had an early build Titan and we had the problem from 1200 miles on. I finally got so tired of get the brakes "fixed" by Nissan that I bought Stillens big brake kit to stop the problem. Once the Stillen kit was on, there were no more issues. How bad does the wheel shake??

I have had worse in work trucks, but you go from no movement at all to a decent back/forth shake while the brakes applied. Feels like you are driving over dirt road. Nothing that would pull the wheel out of my hand, more of an annoyance.

IQ9 · #4 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 01:38 PM

Have the rotors been turned in the 16K? If not you may be in luck as they might turn them and solve the shimmy. Rotors can be warped by over torquing the lug nuts. Have you had any tire work done recently? Just some ideas to help.

myexpo02 · #5 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 02:37 PM

I have not had that problem with mine...but I do have burning brake smell after a bit of stop and go traffic from the rear rotors. And I don't ride the brakes either and I check everytime for e-brake before I move.

My 02 Expedition never had brake problems and I had 80k when I change the front rotors to cross drilled/slotted type...and another 50k with those on...problem free! I changed the front pads 3 times in 150k and the rears once.

I feel that these brakes (on the 08) are more powerful but....strange burning smell with the slight stop and go traffic. Seems the rear rotors do get a workout.

berry1234 · #6 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 03:52 PM

No, the tires have not been touched since the dealer rotated the tires 5K ago. I too get that smell when driving down hills, etc and I get out of the truck. Smells like when you get new pads installed. Maybe these pads are not up to the task of these trucks.

IQ9 · #7 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 03:56 PM

It maybe the pad compound that Ford is using. I have noticed that I have to heat the pads to get them to owrk. Once they heat..man do they stop. I am quite impressed. The smell does not bother me as it is not as bad a EBC's green stuff pads.Those reek. Good luck on the rotors. I hope they can be turned.

myexpo02 · #8 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 04:00 PM

I feel better now...........that I am not only one with "brakes hot" smell. My wife got out one day after I was driving the SUV and she told me....I smell brakes...and then asked...were you hard on the brakes...and I said...no! I also noticed it after she had driven to the store and back.

I guess it's normal?

berry1234 · #9 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 04:11 PM

When I take mine in I will ask them about it.

myexpo02 · #10 (**permalink**) 01-30-2008, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by berry1234

When I take mine in I will ask them about it.

Thank you Sir....I be checking in to see what they tell to you.

berry1234 · #11 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 10:43 AM

Got the truck back. They resurfaced the rotors and sanded the pads down. They took off .6mm on the left and .4mm on the right. Brakes great now. As for the smell they said after the first 1,000K it should not be there unless you are braking a lot and hard. Might be worth taking it in.

Also, an interesting read about 'warped rotors'.
http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp...rakedisk.shtml

IQ9 · #12 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 11:25 AM

Thanks for the update. I'm glad that they could turn your rotors instead of replacing them.

myexpo02 · #13 (**permalink**) 02-07-2008, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IQ9

Thanks for the update. I'm glad that they could turn your rotors instead of replacing them.

Thanks for the info.....I have never been a big fan of turning rotors....it just seems that when you take off metal....there is less metal to dissipate the heat created. But thanks again....I am still keeping an eye on mine for a while.
I only have 6500 miles on mine.

berry1234 · #14 (**permalink**) 02-07-2008, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myexpo02

Thanks for the info.....I have never been a big fan of turning rotors....it just seems that when you take off metal....there is less metal to dissipate the heat created. But thanks again....I am still keeping an eye on mine for a while.
I only have 6500 miles on mine.

Yeah, of course new rotors are always best. They didn't take off much material and it's not different than getting new pads, in which case you should turn them as well. Read that article up a few posts. Good info on pad material transfer, etc. I made sure I broke them in right. I am a brake lead foot too, that has to change.