Vehicle vibrates when braking - how to find out which brake is warped?

jemmie

Original poster
Member
Jan 7, 2012
49
I have a 2005 Envoy XL 4x4 4.2L with 101,000 miles. When I brake, the vehicle vibrates and the brake pedal vibrates as well. I think it's a classic case of a rotor(s) that's warped. The question is: How do I figure out which one(s) without taking off each one?

Thanks.
 

The_Roadie

Lifetime VIP Donor
Member
Nov 19, 2011
9,957
Portland, OR
Pay a shop to take off each one? :undecided: Assuming you don't have a runout gauge. May also be a slightly warped rotor combined with loose suspension parts that make it vibrate worse. Why restrict your thinking to only one rotor, though? If one's warped, you'll probably be replacing both, or trying to turn both. Brake jobs aren't a place I recommend cheaping out on. You never replace just one side's pads at a time. I hope.
 

DJones

Member
Jan 21, 2012
701
St. Petersburg, Florida
I had a case of this "warped" rotor business and the warped rotors were half black from brake pad and half polished metal. I just replaced both rotors but not pads because the pads and old rotor were new. Apparantly, they have a specific procedure for break-in. Go easy on them for the first several hundred miles.
 

pejeeper

Member
Jan 27, 2012
81
Unless you race your Envoy or have reeeeeeaaaaaaally cheap rotors....it's probably not warping. Rotors need to get extremely hot to warp. More than likely it's rotor slip. Look at your rotors, if it looks like there are 'smear' marks around them, that's causing the vibration. Crap metal, crap pads and just plain crap gets deposited on the rotor surface and allows the pad to "slip" over the deposit, then the pad hits a clean section and grabs normally. Speed this process up to driving speed and the slipping/grabbing turns into a vibration.

Turning or replacing rotors is the answer. Happened to my TB, my previous saturn with 105k miles and 3 sets of rotors and happening now to my Nissan.
 

jemmie

Original poster
Member
Jan 7, 2012
49
I think I'm just going to replace the rotors. From what I can tell at partsgeek.com and amazon.com, they're fairly inexpensive. It's just not worth messing aruond with resurfacing, etc.

Can someone recommend rotors? I have relatively new Hawk LTS brake pads on. Thanks.
 

JerryIrons

Member
Dec 20, 2011
434
How old are your rotors and pads? It's usually the front because they take more use. When you go to use the brakes if you just use them lightly, that will only be the front pads grabbing and sometimes you can tell that way.
 

woody79

Member
Dec 3, 2011
351
jemmie said:
I think I'm just going to replace the rotors. From what I can tell at partsgeek.com and amazon.com, they're fairly inexpensive. It's just not worth messing aruond with resurfacing, etc.

Can someone recommend rotors? I have relatively new Hawk LTS brake pads on. Thanks.

I have always had good luck with Wearever products from Advance Auto

Buy Wearever Brake Rotor - Front YH145602 at Advance Auto Parts

Just my :twocents:
 

TexazReece

Member
Dec 4, 2011
1,341
jemmie said:
I think I'm just going to replace the rotors. From what I can tell at partsgeek.com and amazon.com, they're fairly inexpensive. It's just not worth messing aruond with resurfacing, etc.

Can someone recommend rotors? I have relatively new Hawk LTS brake pads on. Thanks.

Brakemotive rotors check on eBay they have great deals and have heard nothing but good things about them just ordered some for my wifes grand prix and will be ordering for my TB within the next couple weeks
 

woody79

Member
Dec 3, 2011
351
gmcman said:
I just installed a set of these rotors on the rear of mine. Was going to use NAPA ultra premium but needed them that day...overall i'm impressed so far, no probs.

I am also impressed. I have used these on our '02 sunfire with 198,000 miles on it. Never had any issues. Price isn't to bad either.

I'm going to buy a set or Wearever rear rotors soon as the backs need doing.
 

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