rhymeboy89

Hey,

So i have been getting a lot of shaking in steering wheel when braking from speeds of 70 miles. Anything under 40 it usually does not shake so my mechanic said that my rotors are probably warped. Is there a way to check if the rotors are warped? As well, can some1 point me to a place i can get cheap good rotors that wont warp. Or if u suggest getting them from honda then the cost?

MelJ

Definitely sounds like they're warped. Mine did the same thing. Scared me to death. I got my rotors from Napa. I don't remember how much they cost, but I got the mid grade ones. They seem to be holding up pretty well. I don't know exactly how to check the discs, but I'd assume you could see the warpage, depending on the severity. I already knew what my issue was, so I didn't need to go about a visual inspection.

rhymeboy89

pisses me off cause i changed pads and rotors over the summer

rhymeboy89

o ya wat do u guys think about these brakes?
http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/se...efValue=Brembo

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

try not to brake over 40mph or repeated braking and you wont have any problem. these are civic brakes and not made to get super hot.

i have those brembo rotors and they are garbage. very noisy and they rust up all over after a week. will be getting the honda rotors next time.

rhymeboy89

cool thanks for the info. Gunna stop by honda tomorrow and check the price.

MindBomber

+1 It's braking at high speed that warps rotors quickly; there's no reason to ever brake going down hill or on the highway, but I often notice people doing it.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

i brake above 40mph maybe two times a year. its def not something you need to do if you are driving like you should be. people do it because they have no clue how anything on a car works except pressing the gas makes the car go and pressing the brake makes the car stop. i wish people would take more interest in the most expensive thing they own. its shocking just how little the average person knows about their car.

MindBomber

Same, on the very rare occasion I touch my brakes above 40mph it's because a fellow driver has forced me to avoid an accident or I get mad and brake check someone tailgating. If you need to brake on the highway your following to close, if you need to brake above 40mph for a stop light your not watching far enough ahead and if you need to brake going down hill you might as well have a 3 speed transmission because you don't know what gears are for.

BlueEM2

iTrader: (1)

I personally think the #1 reason rotors warp is incorrect torquing of the lugnuts. I do agree braking at high speeds does it too, but rotors are designed to be heat resistant and get hot to some extent. I spend a lot of time on the highway and rarely do I have to use the brakes.

http://www.ehow.com/facts_4895766_wh...ke-rotors.html

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

?
I do some track days, autoX and mine are fine... still stock rotors at 95k

MelJ

I try not t use my brakes. Yeah. Sounds weird, but I drive a manual and I let the engine braking take care of downhill cruising. I rarely touch my brakes on my way to work. Overheating and overapplication of brakes will kill the rotors fast though.

POQbum

I live in an urban area where almost every day during my commute I'll be going 75 down the interstate with the flow of traffic, and something somewhere causes everyone in traffic to slam on their breaks. People often flash on their hazards as they're breaking because of how abrupt it is.

Interstate driving here during rush, no one leaves any distance because if you do you'll get 10+ cars cutting into your lane, so there's a lot of accidents and hard breaking at high speeds.

idk, a bit off topic I know, but thought I'd share anyway

sshoe

My 2009 Civic EX's brakes started pulsating at 30,000 miles. As I read all of these posts about the same problem I just can't believe it's happened because of the way I drive?

I've been driving pretty much the same way for 34 years in Toyotas and VWs with disc brakes and logged many, many miles and have never experienced "warped" rotors - ever. I don't slam on the brakes or apply them any differently than I ever had on any car. I also don't use my emergency or parking brake to slow down my car above 40 MPH either, yet now my Civic feels like it's got warped rotors. At 36,600 miles! Really!! My last car - a Camry - had 140,000 miles on it when I replaced the rotors and they had just worn out - not warped. Seems to me this Civic just has bad engineering with regards to the front brakes. Not so sure I want to replace them with Honda parts either. If they get so hot as to warp, wouldn't it be better to replace them with drilled rotors?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

ive had nothing but bad luck with aftermarket parts. btw, drilled and slotted rotors will never stop as well as a blank smooth one. there is less braking surface area. i will admit the civic brakes need to be treated a bit differently than other cars and they may be "fragile" in comparison, but they stop extremely well with little to no noise and last a long time. the number one cause for "warped" rotors is sitting on the brake pedal after stopping. you never want to do this because when you brake the rotors become super hot. then when you keep your foot on the pedal, the pad material will stick to the rotor and cause a high spot. if you do it enough times, you end up with an uneven surface. not because the rotor is actually warped, but because of uneven pad deposition. all you have to do is release the brake pedal as soon as you stop and pull the ebrake to keep the car from moving and/or shift to neutral. i do this every time and never once had a problem in over 100k miles of driving. also its important to use the ebrake whenever you can to allow it to self adjust and also because rear brakes wear much slower. so if you can slow down 5-10 mph using the ebrake for a few seconds, then your front brakes will last longer. this also "conditions" the rear brakes so that when you press the pedal, they work better and stop harder. if you follow these simple rules, and make sure all the lug nuts are properly torqued to 80 ft/lbs in the proper sequence, then you will never have a problem. btw the part about lifting your foot off the brake pedal after stopping applies to ANY car, even a ferrari. the components are basically the same and you can have the problem on any brake setup. it just happens faster the hotter you get them.

Civicnoobie

I minimize my braking on the highway too even in traffic. I keep extra distance and read the behavour of cars 3,4 cars in front of me and anticipate early so i usually just let off the gas instead and usually can keep the car rolling. Im sure it makes the guy behind me mad cause hes gas, braking, gas, braking but i dont care.

But everyone here, i just see them gas, brake, gas, brake every 5secs and always going too fast.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

braking at higher speeds usually will not be a problem so long as the car keeps moving and the brakes get a chance to cool off. you almost never need to brake on the highway tho if you know how to drive.

KurtzN1

Definitely sounds like warped rotors. Usually when they are warped, it's more noticeable under higher speeds because the frequency of the "high" spots contacting the pads occure more frequently, so it feels more extreme.

Go with a set of slotted rotors from brakeperformance.com, I'd recommend them as I've been happy with them on my past cars and they have a lifetime warranty.

KurtzN1

Also to keep from warping rotors, try to to be stopped and standing on the brakes after a slow down from a high speed/aggressive stop. This usually puts a lot of stress on the rotor which is now red hot from the stopping, but yet you are keeping all the heat in one spot of the rotor and that causes warping.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

slotted rotors reduce braking surface area. it may prevent "warping" a bit, but not worth the performance loss, esp if you just let off the brake as soon as you stop. 99% of drivers do not do this and then complain their brakes suck when in reality the driver sucks. i've been driving over 15 yrs and see maybe a handful of cars a year that release the brake pedal when waiting at a light.

KurtzN1

Of course, drivers are USUALLY the main cause of brakes going bad.

user 73802

Hi there guys,

I am having exactly the same problem. My rotors are warped so I need to replace them. My steering wheels shake when braking at high speed or downhill. I read this thread, and I will go with the recommendation to buy the Honda rotors and I found the best price at Majestic Honda. There is one question that I need help with before ordering my parts. I checked the brake pads and they are still good so the question is:

Do I replace ONLY the rotors?
or
Do I replace rotors AND pads?

Please advice

lowlife9

i would definitely replace the pads yes.