Questions and Answers

Wobbling Brakes

Q. While applying the brakes the front brakes seem to have a wobble in them. What could cause this?

Thanks,
Dan

A. There are a two main reasons for a brake wobble or pulsation. The number one cause is the front rotors. Over time heat will create a warpage in the brake rotors and cause a pulsation in the brake pedal. Machining the rotors and new front brake pads will fix this problem pretty quick.

Another cause could be loose front wheel bearings. This is most common on rear wheel drive vehicles. In this case what you should do is remove the wheel bearings, clean them completely and repack them. When you reinstall them, tighten the nut by hand until it's tight, then spin the rotor and tighten again. keep doing this until you can't hand tighten any more. Then tighten with a wrench a ¼ to ½ a turn. Always use a new cotter pin when you work on wheel bearings.

There may also be a front end problem that could cause a shimmy while braking. I would suggest taking it into a shop and have the brakes and front end checked out.