98NavGS400

Over the weekend I was invloved in some spirited driving that had me braking from about 110 to 40 mph pretty hard twice in a row. Mid way through the second stop my front end (brakes) started to shutter so hard that the entire dash/car was shaking like the front was going to drop off of the car. The car shuttered every stop from then on, yet the next day the car drove just like it always has--no problems, shuttering, and it stops very smooth without any sign of permanent warping. I have several questions:

1) I am pretty sure that the shaking was from the rotors being warped, but wouldn't the car still stop rough the next day?

2) If they are warped, are the brakes really that bad that a couple of high speed stops would warp them?

3) Should I change fluid/slotted rotors/pads??? I am not trying to make a track maching so a big brake kit is out of the questions & budget.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Your brakes just got really hot. I've had the same experience.

Vlad_Stein

May be, like bitkahuna says, when the brakes get hot, they expand unevenly and shudder. That would be really wierd, though. That has not come up in any reviews and the journalists usually thrash the cars pretty well.

Another possibility is that you activated the ABS (while driving in the spirited mode), while braking and the shuddering was the ABS pulsing?

All you have to do to find out is brake hard enough and see if the shudder is the same or different. Make sure you don't sit on the brakes after you stop, or they might warp.

98NavGS400

I think it is weird as well. I didn't punish them enough to get them any hotter than others would on a "spirited" drive. It definately wasn't the ABS; this was a serious shutter that even the passenger commented on.

Is it possible that they would become hot, expand showing that their warped, but when then contract back they are smooth enough not to be noticed?

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

When my brake rotors were warped, I didn't have any noticable shuddering until after about 10 - 15 minutes of in-town driving (after the rotors heated up with use).

Have you driven much (or for a prolonged period) since the incident - at least enough to heat the brakes up good to see if the symptoms return?

bravo261

iTrader: (1)

you know, i get that exact same thing right after washing my car and the rotors look rusted. i swear, the car is gonna fall apart when that happens

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

My experience was that it didn't happen all the time, depended on how hot the car was, how much prior braking, the speed I was going it seemed, it was pretty odd.

I just got the rotors 'turned' (sanded I guess) by the dealer (thanks Hennessy!) and the difference is NIGHT AND DAY. Completely smooth now.

By the way VVT-i if you see this, the ES300 loaner had brake shimmy worse than my car was!

VVT-i

Yes Bit the 02 ES has this pulsation problem and the TSB came out about a few months ago with new rotors and pads.
On your car I did resurface the rotors on the machine.