Alright, so I've been here long enough to know of the infamous pad transfer issue with 5th gen brakes. I had the problem, had them resurfaced, vibration came back within a few months, then I bought Napa blanks and Hawk HPS pads. However, for the past 6 months or so, I've been getting varying degrees of vibration through the steering wheel when slowing down. I can't pinpoint an exact cause, but it seems the feeling is worse when the brakes are warm.

Beyond resurfacing the rotors (which I may do this weekend), what else can cause vibration when slowing down? Brand new Falken 912s were installed last week, along with balance, rotation, and alignment. I've got 137k on my Maxima with many autocross events, so it could be some bushings or something I need to look at. I had All advice is much appreciated!

 

Sound like you covered all bases. Like you said, check for play in the front end including all bushings and wheel bearings.

Also, have you had the rear brakes looked at? The vibration may be out of the rear, i.e. warped rotors. Check the runout and find out cause.

You may also want to check all hydraulic components/caliper guide pins to make sure they are not hanging up, thus causing overheating and warping of rotors.

 

take your car for some hard braking and see if it helps.

 

Pump your brakes...

 

you may have a warped hub from a previous incident (collision)

 

Are you basically suggesting that I re-bed the pads? Wouldn't it be better to resurface the rotors first?

Air in the lines, maybe bleeding necessary...?

That's basically what I've been thinking, but I haven't thought about the rear brakes. Haven't touched them in the 3 years I've owned the car, so they should be due for a change any day now. Now, I've read up on checking the front wheel bearings. Do you basically jack up the car, put your hands at 12 and 6, and push/pull in/out to see if the wheel physically tips in/out?

I'd be willing to bet that potholes and hitting curbs while turning would/could cause this...

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! I've had this issue for quite a while, and, frankly, it's the only thing that makes me want to get rid of it. I did notice that I had nearly no vibration while braking on the way home tonight from work, regardless of the amount of pressure I applied.

 

maybe the pads are not seated due to viberation.

 

The easiest way to find out if it's in the rotors is to measure runout. If you've got over two to three thousandths, then the rotors need machined or replaced.

 

Maybe... I'm going to compare the diagrams of the front/rear brakes from Courtesy Parts to what is actually on my car to make sure I have all the shims (or whatever) and that they're in the right position, and reapply some brake grease. If the rears are close, then I'll hopefully be able to change them, as well. Planning all this for New Year's Day, by the way.

I'll definitely be checking this, too.

Anyone have any input about my test method for the front bearings? I found a YouTube video for simply spinning the rear wheels once off the ground to test those.

 

hold tire at 12 and 6 o'clock and check for up and down movement.

 

Nothing such as pad tranfer causing this vibration. It's simple physics...The brakes are inadequate as a heat sink for this size car with this kind of power. Upgrade to 6th gen brakes and free up all that freakin stress with those fade/warp prone 11" and 11.75" rotors. When Nissan upgraded the steering knuckle size on the 2000-2003 they also removed about an inch of rotor material from the inboard side of the rotor. These brake have been 11" ers since 1985 and the major warpage problem didn't happen until 2000.

 

Small chance, but have your rims checked for a slight bend. Have a shop throw it on the balancer and give it a spin and check each side for a slight wobble.

When I first bought my car, i noticed a vibration when braking so I thought I needed new rotors. However, in the meantime, I discovered that I had a bent rim. Once I got the wheel straightened, the vibration during braking went away. I used those brake for another year before replacing them, and I replaced them because the pads were worn, not because of any vibrations.

 

I really should... I'll have to think about that seriously if I intend to keep this car beyond the next 6 months to a year or so.

I just had 4 new 912s installed with lifetime balance and rotation. I've had the G 18s on for over 1.5 years, and as many times as I've been to different Firestones I would think they'd (hopefully) tell me if the rim is bent.

 

I thought so too.....i had new tires put on at town fair tire a couple months after I got my car, and the vibrations were still there after doing that. So i went back and had them rebalanced again. Still had the vibrations. Then i figured I would try NTB, and they finally saw it. Mine was quite noticable too. So the guys at town fair missed it twice.

If yours isnt as severe as mine was, they may not notice it unless they are really looking for it.

 

Alright, so I finally got around to checking out my brakes. Or rather, I let Firestone do it for free! As well as redo my alignment and double-check all 4 wheels for bends. All the wheels are find, alignment is good, but my front rotors are glazed from overheating. So now I'm evaulation the 6th gen brake upgrade (as well as replacing the rears while I'm at it). They told me the front pads were at 50% and the rears at 30% (which I've never replaced since I bought the car 3 years ago).


Parts List:
2004 RTP rotors (org group deal)
2004 Hawk HPS (org group deal
2004 rebult calipers (Rockauto)
2004 pad shim kit (Courtesy Parts)

I've been looking at Q45 calipers, also, but will those bolt on like the 6th gen? I can't seem to find the answer. And I'll likely need to upgrade from my 00/01 5-spoke 16s for autocross (at least, for the front).

 

keep your cost down JUST UPGRADE THE FRONTS!!!

 

I never said I was upgrading anything beyond the fronts... I'm considering Brembo blanks and Hawk HPS in the rear, though, when the time comes.

 

Alright, so does my parts list sound alright? I understand I'll need new front AX rims (and probably tires). However, will I need to buy the caliper bracket off a 6th gen, or will my 5th gen work fine? I haven't seen a definitive answer for that except for 5.5 gens.