just wondering if any body knows why i might still be feeling a shake in my brakes. I just replaced the front pads today and the old ones were trash, the rotor seems to be ok. it had recently started shaking when i brake and i installed the new pads and while out and about it was still shaking when applying the brakes. Any Ideas?

 

Did you use a runout tool to check for warpage

 

usual culprits are warped front brake rotors. either live with it, or machine down rotors, or get new ones.

 

Well the more i drive it now its seeming like before it was shaking in the steering wheel and now it seems like the steering wheel and the whole car as well, im not sure if its warped front rotors or bad rear brakes

 

If you pull up on the emergency brake to stop the car, do you get the shaking? The e-brake only uses the rear brakes to stop the car. Do this on an abandoned road or an empty parking lot.

 

if it happens when you are breaking only then it is your front rotors being warped.

If it was your rear disk (which rarely warp) it would not shake the wheel. You need new rotors or get yours machined. This is a classic warped rotor case.

Honda Accords have a reputation of warping front rotors. check out http://brakeperformance.com they give lifetime warranties against warpage.

 

Here is an interesting commentary on Warped Rotors. from Car and Driver Mag.

Brake rotors don't warp!! - Car and Driver Backfires

Here is another one:

-Warped- Brake Disc and Other Myths

 

Fair enough, so the rotor doesn't "Warp" although I would think it to be foolish to say this has never happened.

I have always beded in brakes properly and still see the issue persist for my car and others. Heat is the issue, overheating the pad causes the transfer of the material to the rotor to be un-even. Well, when coming down a steep mountain pass one doesn't have a choice, they need to brake, even after downshifting.

What I have noticed is that the problem is more pronounced when the rate of heat change happens rapidly rather than in a gradual fashion.

 

i probably need to change the rotors but im holding out because im on the verge of getting the funds together to do the rotor-over-hub conversion and save myself alot of grief in the future

 

If there is an autozone near you the rotors run $50 apiece its worth the money