So im pretty easy on my brakes. Even when I see someone pull in front of me, I downshift (engine brake) rather than slamming on brakes and whatnot, unless of course I really need to get on the brakes. Well the other day, I had to get hard on them cause of course, some jackass sees me approaching quick in the left lane, while he was in the middle and decides to jump in front of me just before I was about to pass him. well long story short, the sterring vibrated quiet aggressively. Well I come home, do my research and all I see are rotors need replacing. Well I was heading to my mechanic the next day for a oil change, he took a quick peak and thought ok, could be the rotors. I went to someone else for a second opinion, and he says check this out, he shows me the bottom slider pins completely seized. I had not even heard of what they were before and he your pads and rotors look fine for now, I would start with getting those fixed first. Well can they be the ultimate problem for highway braking vibrations?
Junior Member
I'm no mechanic, but drive 60k miles per year for some twenty years, now, so have put plenty of mileage on a number of cars. I would venture to guess that, regardless of other issues you may have with your breaks, just about the only problem that will cause that sort of vibration on application is variation in the "flatness" of the rotors, so they likely need resurfacing.
On the other hand, I've experienced seized calipers on several of my cars. Front calipers froze on one car because several mechanics failed to lube the pins over several break pad changes. I drove a Mitsubishi GSX five speed for some thirteen years, priding myself on my "ability" to stop the car with virtually no break application. It was nothing for me to go 150k miles with no need for break pad replacement. Sad part is that, from disuse, a couple of calipers froze, and I was not even aware. My rotors did not warp, but, eventually, something broke (maybe one of those slide pins about which you speak, I don't remember). Made a terrible clunking sound at slow speeds when I would go over slight bumps in the road.
By that time, the dealer wanted a fortune to do anything to the car, since the "unit" as he referred to it, was so outdated.
Fortunately, I have a friend who used to work as a mechanic and does all his own service work. He pulled everything apart, we went to A-zone to purchase all new parts (one new caliper, all new slide pins (or whatever you call them)).
Once put together, car was quiet, breaks worked like new, and, within a week, some inattentive driver rear-ended me as I sat stalled in traffic, and totaled my car.
While I prefer (and will always prefer) a manual tranns(axle/mission), the auto setup in the '03 i35 which I have just acquired is pretty slick and quite capable of engine breaking as effective (at slowing the car and saving wear on the break pads) as any stick I've ever owned.
But I will continue to make conscious application of the breaks if only to keep them in use so they never freeze up on me. I will also see to it that they are serviced for lubrication (if nothing else) so that this freezing does not occur on this car.
More than once I've been told that pads are wear items and should be treated as such, but, as I'm sure you know, one can save substantial sums by respecting them and using them sparingly. Front wheel drive cars like ours can go through a set of front pads in as little as 10k miles if your driving is stop and go and if you (like my wife) has a heavy foot on the break pedal.
She tends to get on the break pedal and stay there until the car literally grinds to a halt. Pads always wear quickly on her cars, in no time at all after a new set of pads, her application of her breaks cause vibration, and, generally, she needs to have rotors resurfaced with every break pad change. But her calipers never freeze up. She would never dream of downshifting her auto transaxle (she drives an '02 Honda Accord - has been a great car, BTW).
On the whole, I find my driving style more satisfying, and, even with the need to replace/repair calipers, cheaper over the long run. Each to his/her own. I wouldn't dare try to tell my wife how to drive, LOL.
Sorry for the windy post, but your topic is of great interest to me, and I am an aging old goat who loves to read/write with not much else to do early on a Sunday morning when I find myself wide awake browsing these fora.
Be certain to write back and let us know if correction of the sliders solved your problem or if you ultimately had to resurface/replace your rotors.
Caruso
On the other hand, I've experienced seized calipers on several of my cars. Front calipers froze on one car because several mechanics failed to lube the pins over several break pad changes. I drove a Mitsubishi GSX five speed for some thirteen years, priding myself on my "ability" to stop the car with virtually no break application. It was nothing for me to go 150k miles with no need for break pad replacement. Sad part is that, from disuse, a couple of calipers froze, and I was not even aware. My rotors did not warp, but, eventually, something broke (maybe one of those slide pins about which you speak, I don't remember). Made a terrible clunking sound at slow speeds when I would go over slight bumps in the road.
By that time, the dealer wanted a fortune to do anything to the car, since the "unit" as he referred to it, was so outdated.
Fortunately, I have a friend who used to work as a mechanic and does all his own service work. He pulled everything apart, we went to A-zone to purchase all new parts (one new caliper, all new slide pins (or whatever you call them)).
Once put together, car was quiet, breaks worked like new, and, within a week, some inattentive driver rear-ended me as I sat stalled in traffic, and totaled my car.
While I prefer (and will always prefer) a manual tranns(axle/mission), the auto setup in the '03 i35 which I have just acquired is pretty slick and quite capable of engine breaking as effective (at slowing the car and saving wear on the break pads) as any stick I've ever owned.
But I will continue to make conscious application of the breaks if only to keep them in use so they never freeze up on me. I will also see to it that they are serviced for lubrication (if nothing else) so that this freezing does not occur on this car.
More than once I've been told that pads are wear items and should be treated as such, but, as I'm sure you know, one can save substantial sums by respecting them and using them sparingly. Front wheel drive cars like ours can go through a set of front pads in as little as 10k miles if your driving is stop and go and if you (like my wife) has a heavy foot on the break pedal.
She tends to get on the break pedal and stay there until the car literally grinds to a halt. Pads always wear quickly on her cars, in no time at all after a new set of pads, her application of her breaks cause vibration, and, generally, she needs to have rotors resurfaced with every break pad change. But her calipers never freeze up. She would never dream of downshifting her auto transaxle (she drives an '02 Honda Accord - has been a great car, BTW).
On the whole, I find my driving style more satisfying, and, even with the need to replace/repair calipers, cheaper over the long run. Each to his/her own. I wouldn't dare try to tell my wife how to drive, LOL.
Sorry for the windy post, but your topic is of great interest to me, and I am an aging old goat who loves to read/write with not much else to do early on a Sunday morning when I find myself wide awake browsing these fora.
Be certain to write back and let us know if correction of the sliders solved your problem or if you ultimately had to resurface/replace your rotors.
Caruso
Quote:
Originally Posted by thenewguyy
So im pretty easy on my brakes. Even when I see someone pull in front of me, I downshift (engine brake) rather than slamming on brakes and whatnot, unless of course I really need to get on the brakes. Well the other day, I had to get hard on them cause of course, some jackass sees me approaching quick in the left lane, while he was in the middle and decides to jump in front of me just before I was about to pass him. well long story short, the sterring vibrated quiet aggressively. Well I come home, do my research and all I see are rotors need replacing. Well I was heading to my mechanic the next day for a oil change, he took a quick peak and thought ok, could be the rotors. I went to someone else for a second opinion, and he says check this out, he shows me the bottom slider pins completely seized. I had not even heard of what they were before and he your pads and rotors look fine for now, I would start with getting those fixed first. Well can they be the ultimate problem for highway braking vibrations?