Before you hit the road with your quivering car, be sure to ask one of our brake technicians to take a look at your rotors, which is one of and most common cause of steering wheel shaking when braking..

 

Have you ever been cruising down the road with your car running smoothly, only to find that your steering wheel suddenly starts trembling like a hairless dog on a cold day the moment you hit the brakes? Most of our clients usually discover this when driving down the hill on the highway 2000. Your immediate thought might be that you've driven onto a quake-prone fault line. That's one possibility, but it's more likely that there's something wrong with your car. Now the question becomes, "What causes a steering wheel to shake when braking?" There are several possible answers -- some more likely than others.

 

Vibrations in the steering column can happen for a number of reasons, such as a busted motor mount, bent rims, bad CV joints or loose lug nuts. But none of these automotive problems would cause a steering wheel to shake only when the brakes are applied. That's almost always due to a problem with the brake rotors. 

 

"What's a rotor?" Good question. Rotors are discs that your brake pads clamp down on in order to stop your car. In other words, they're pretty important. Why they may cause the steering wheel to shake when braking requires a quick review of how rotors work.

Rotors are usually made of metal and function at a specific width, depending on the make and model of your vehicle. When you apply the brakes, the rotors are exposed to intense heat that must be dissipated evenly across its surface for a smooth stop. However, rotors tend to wear down over time. As this happens, the metal may become thinned out or warped in certain spots. When the brake pads grip the rotor at high speeds, these imperfections cause a rumbling in the brake pedal that's then transmitted to the steering wheel.

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A disc brake is a type of brake that uses the calipers to squeeze pairs of pads against a disc or a "rotor" to create friction. This action slows the rotation of a shaft, such as a vehicle axle, either to reduce its rotational speed or to hold it stationary. The energy of motion is converted into waste heat which must be dispersed.

Hydraulically actuated disc brakes are the most commonly used form of brake for motor vehicles, but the principles of a disc brake are applicable to almost any rotating shaft. The components include the disc, master cylinder, caliper (which contains cylinder and two brake pads) on both sides of the disc.

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The brake caliper is the assembly that houses the brake pads and pistons. The pistons are usually made of plastic, aluminium or chrome-plated steel.

Calipers are of two types, floating or fixed. A fixed caliper does not move relative to the disc and is thus less tolerant of disc imperfections. It uses one or more pairs of opposing pistons to clamp from each side of the disc, and is more complex and expensive than a floating caliper.

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A floating caliper (also called a "sliding caliper") moves with respect to the disc, along a line parallel to the axis of rotation of the disc; a piston on one side of the disc pushes the inner brake pad until it makes contact with the braking surface, then pulls the caliper body with the outer brake pad so the pressure is applied to both sides of the disc. Floating caliper (single piston) designs are subject to sticking failure, caused by dirt or corrosion entering at least one mounting mechanism and stopping its normal movement. This can lead to the caliper's pads rubbing on the disc when the brake is not engaged or engaging it at an angle. Sticking can result from infrequent vehicle use, failure of a seal or rubber protection boot allowing debris entry, dry-out of the grease in the mounting mechanism, and subsequent moisture incursion leading to corrosion, or some combination of these factors. Consequences may include reduced fuel efficiency, extreme heating of the disc, or excessive wear on the affected pad. A sticking front caliper may also cause steering vibration. When you take your automobile to Superior Parts Ltd. to have the brakes repaired our technicians will do a complete brake inspection to identify any other issues that your braking system may have.

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