Post by
NJGuy »
https://forums.nicoclub.com/njguy-u191160.html
Tue Sep 25, 2018 8:16 am
I started having the pulsating brakes at around 70k miles if I recall correctly. It took me a while before I was able to change them. I went with the Akebono ProACT pads like CDNicecube, but my replacement rotor blanks were not slotted. My front rotors were Raybestos Advanced Technology, and my rears were Centric premium. All of my braking vibration came from the front.
Aside from upgrading the pads and rotors, I think there are a few things you can also do to help keep the vibration from coming back.
1. Properly torque the lug nuts. I believe overtorqued lug nuts is one of the biggest causes of my brake vibration. After changing the front brakes, I always checked the lug nut torque on my wheels after every service done by someone else, and adjusted it if needed.
2. Be sure that the hub surface is clean of any rust, dirt, or debris prior to installing new rotors. I cleaned the rust off mine with a wire brush attachment on my drill. I also spread on a very thin coat of anti-sieze.
3. After a hard braking event (i.e. long hill, highway exit, etc.), try not to stay on the brakes too long at a stop. I believe this results in transferring a high amount of brake pad material in one spot on the hot rotor. I'd suggest instead to try leaving some space in front of you, and let the car slowly creep forward until traffic allows you to get moving again.
And for the more advanced options:
4. Use a gage to measure runout of the newly installed rotors, and mount the rotor on the hub in a manner that results in the smallest runout.
5. Machine the rotors with an on-vehicle brake lathe to ensure runout is virtually eliminated throughout the assembly. This might not be needed and is debatable, as it ends up removing material and may reduce the rotor's ability to dissipate heat.
4 and 5 were not needed in my case, but may be for those who are most sensitive to the vibration. I was able to keep the pulsation away by following 1 through 3.