Braking Vibration - Confirm my diagnosis

[kring]

Thanks for the input, everyone. To answer some questions:
lowell, all 4 replacement rotors were new parts.
632 Regal, my wheels are the stock 15 in bottlecaps.

gale, when you say it is almost certainly a rotor problem, are you talking specifically to uscharalph, or would you apply that to my situation as well? I'm hesitant to replace the rotors again, as you might imagine, since it really didn't make any difference at all the first time. If it really does sound like a rotor problem, I would be inclined to believe that the rotor mounting surface itself is bent (though it doesn't look it...)

In any case, I think my next step will be to replace the thrust arms. As Alexlind123 said, since they probably need replacing anyway I might as well do that first and see if it fixes the brake vibration.

Thanks again to everyone for the advice.

Kevin

[uscharalph]

Thanks for the input, everyone. To answer some questions:
lowell, all 4 replacement rotors were new parts.
632 Regal, my wheels are the stock 15 in bottlecaps.

gale, when you say it is almost certainly a rotor problem, are you talking specifically to uscharalph, or would you apply that to my situation as well? I'm hesitant to replace the rotors again, as you might imagine, since it really didn't make any difference at all the first time. If it really does sound like a rotor problem, I would be inclined to believe that the rotor mounting surface itself is bent (though it doesn't look it...)

In any case, I think my next step will be to replace the thrust arms. As Alexlind123 said, since they probably need replacing anyway I might as well do that first and see if it fixes the brake vibration.

Thanks again to everyone for the advice.

Kevin

Probably the way to go.

[uscharalph]

I can say with a high degree of certainty that it's your rotors. I just went thru that ordeal with mine and put new rotors & pads on it today and just got back from bedding them in:

http://www.zeckhausen.com/bedding_in_brakes.htm

The rubber boot on your caliper piston looks like it is either torn or has merely pulled off of the lip of the caliper and needs to be pulled back into the groove. New boots are cheap if it's torn. I doubt the caliper is making it shimmy but it could have contributed to a warped rotor if the caliper were sticking and let the pads drag on the rotor for a long time and caused the rotor(s) to overheat.

I put new Balo blanchard ground rotors & Raybestos QS ceramic pads and so far I like them very much, firm even controlled braking performance right from the beginning. It's only been 20 miles or so and will have to give them more time to come to a conclusion, but as for the shimmy, it's gone completely. I just did new tires & a Hunter 9700 S roadforce balance on it, the wheels are like new, the shop said the roadforce numbers were great, and it drove smooth until applying the brakes with the old rotors and the shop said it was definitely rotors (as opposed to control arms), so took them at their word, bought new rotors -- problem solved!

New Rotors and Pads fixed the shimmy 100% in my case.

[joshua43214]

Is that really true???

Yes