Replaced my brakes back in May, they work fine. Recently I get this really odd sound coming from the front end of the car when I brake. Sometimes it happens while I'm on the highway going fast, other times it happens when Im going like 5mph and just tap the brakes, sometimes it doesnt happen at all. Its a really loud humming noise and the whole front end of my car vibrates like a bastard. When it happens on the highway the rear view mirror vibrates real hard like Im pumping a ton of bass. Any ideas?

shaz

 

sounds like warped rotors to me

 

Does your car always vibrate when you brake??
If yes then it's time for a break job (Including turning your rotors).

 

See thats the wierd thing...it doesnt happen all the time. A week will go by and I'll forget about it, then one morning WAM its back again for a day or two. It also happens when I'm going really slow too, thats why I didnt think it was warped rotors

shaz

 

Need more opinions please! This problem is getting worse. Sometimes i'll be going like 6-7mph rolling up to a stop sign, tapping the breaks and I get this LOUD humming noise. The whole freaking car vibrates. Its insane. any other thoughts??

shaz

 

Ooohh, ooohh! I know the answer to this!!!

This happened to me when I got new tires for my 85 Pontiac Bonneville and it drove me nuts on the drive the whole way from Southwestern VA to NJ. When I got to NJ, I pulled off the rear wheels to take a look at everything and it all looked normal. Then I put the wheels back on and everything was like it was before I got new tires.

What happened here was when the tire guys put the wheels back on, they went ahead and put the lugs on in a circular pattern with their air wrench. This made the lugs tighter on one side than the other and actually caused the wheel to not be bolted flush with the plate the wheel rests on. At first I thought the wheels were out of balance, but then it didn't do it all the time. When I tapped the brakes, the wheel would shift a little and the wobbling would stop (or start) and you would even feel the wobbling at low speeds.

My suggestion to you, loosen all the lugs and retighten them properly in a star pattern (or every other lug until they're all tight). If this doesn't get rid of your problem, then I'm afraid its much more serious.

I hate incompetent mechanics. Its rediculous they couldn't even put the wheel on correctly, or them thinking that just because they had an air ratchet, all the lugs would be torqued the same... Retards. A good shop will hand tighten lugs.

 

Awesome. Thanks a lot man. I really hope thats it. I'll give it a shot tonight or tomorrow. (its dark and cold by the time i get out of work)

shaz