Wheel shakes, but stops....ABS?

So, driving my 97LegacyGT, 55mph, and the wheels starts jerking, going straight... no pull.... like 10" travel, actually enough to make my arm a bit sore (maybe i need to work out) but still a problem! but the car keeps going straight. Right front rotor hot, all the rest are cool. about a hundrem miles and it does it again! So this has happened a few times, sometimes at the begining of my 45mile drive to work, sometimes towards the end, all highways with lots of turns. Anyway, today it happened, and i couldn't get it to stop with the power of hope, so instead i pulled the relays to the ABS Motor.... I'm not sure if that was a good Idea or Not, but it stopped.... Since this was/IS an intermittent, troubleshooting is a little difficult. I can't imagine it being the normal brake/bearing/wheel issue since it goes away with just stopping sometimes -no cool down time-, but not always.

 

Your input is most appreciated - Thanks -

Sounds like you have a sticky caliper. Pull the caliper and grease it. If that doesn't fix the problem you will need a new caliper.

warped rotor?

hook up the abs again! if it's intermittent like that, maybe it's just in a cool down stage now. abs is awesome to have regardless of what some people say, and it's safe to have on, so if it comes back then you can narrow things down. but I have a feeling it's not that; abs will pulse the pedal and not have anything to do with steering. I'll put my money on a sometimes stuck caliper on its way out.

would a stuck caliper engage just going down the road? would a warped rotor stop and start its symptoms? my brakes feel totally even, no pull or shake. . smooth.. on abs, I don't really know anythingg about troubleshooting, but I agree that it's a good thing to have, but not if it is failing... all good the last 50 miles. I should do some work on my brakes none the less.

I would pull all of the wheels and grease each caliper and check for warped rotors also.

I will agree with the warped rotor. I replaced the rotors and it stopped shaking when going 45+ and stopping. If it's doing it while you're going check your CV Boots and Tie Rods.

What I don't understand about a warped rotor, wouldn't it be a problem all the time? I'd imagine warping wouldn't cause an intermittent issue like this...tough one..

What I don't understand about a warped rotor, wouldn't it be a problem all the time? I'd imagine warping wouldn't cause an intermittent issue like this...tough one..

 

Thats why I am leaning towards a bad caliper. If they are not grease properly then it could cause it to stick sometimes and eventually always stick. This will probably warp the rotor in the process. So it could be both.

 

Does the car shake when you apply the brakes?

take the car to midas.. they do free brake checks..

 

so do alotta other brake places

The Car drives smooth, and brakes straight and smooth, and has for the last 130miles... this is why it is soo confusing to me. PERFECT up to 90mph too (i shouldn't have been going that fast but i was curious) - This is why I reallly don't believe that i have faults in my calipers or rotors, or bearings... I don't think that a caliper would just engage itself doing 55mph. I hava had sticky calipers on other cars before, and it seems like they pulled the car in that direction.. anyway, I'll keep you all posted - Thanks For all your input and help -

So, It happened again... It's not the ABS... I can rest easy now!!! So, I'm going to replace my pads, and possibly calipers. What is the correct type of grease for calipers?

They make grease for break calipers but any silicone based grease will work.

Yep

 

Glad it wasn't the abs, anything electrical like that is tough to figure out and pinpoint. I think I have a warped rear rotor, but the things are so old and beat that I'm planning to throw some new ones in anyway.

caliper grease at the front counter of autozone.. 3.99

 

saw that yesterday and thought of this thread, lol

Thanks for the heads up!! I've seen that stuff a hundred and one times.... HuD... i mean... DuH!!! - It didn't even occur to me... thanks for all the help and I will let you know when I'm all done- I am fortunate enough that the snow is pretty much done here and i can go back to driving my other car till parts come in - Thanks Again

That is what we are here for. Keep us updated!

so, its been a bit since I posted on this, but here we go... new pads and bit of grease... no issues for about 1000miles, but now its draging or stiking again. I found it odd that it would come back again so soon, and not right away. at least I know that I need to work on my brakes. I can do that. thanks or the help and all the help right here in the old posts.

Sounds like on caliper might be going bad and the grease put a temporary fix on it. Do you notice any warping on one or more of the rotors? This would be the result of a caliper sticking. I think from NAPA a caliper runs around $50 but don't quote me on that.

rotors rarely warp, it's actually pad build up on the rotor, which is a symptom of a different problem. your caliper is probably sticking.

with the fresh change of everything and still a problem, it's probably down to the caliper now. if you can, pop it off and see if the pistions move freely for the caliper that you think is bad.

rotors rarely warp, it's actually pad build up on the rotor, which is a symptom of a different problem. your caliper is probably sticking.

 

 

wow, that statement more wrong then lady gaga

wow, that statement more wrong then lady gaga

 

+1:lol:

 

When metal gets hot and it is spinning about a center of axis it warps a little then when it cools down you have a permanently warped rotor. If your caliper was stuck for a 30min drive the break pad would easily heat up the rotor enough to make it warp.

 

My brothers 91 grand prix had this same issue when he bought it and the rotor warped a little over 1/16"!

Ball Joints

http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_warped_brakedisk.shtml