Car vibrates after brake and tire change

[x3L2004]

Just had all 4 brakes changed and winter tires off rim and summers put on. I noticed vehicle vibrates if I brake at high speed like on the highway. Could this be because I need an alignment since I swapped tires or the brakes were not installed properly?


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[bmwdirtracer]

Most likely culprits:
The tech did not clean the hubs before putting the new rotors on.
The new rotors were warped, straight out of the box. (I have seen this, on two consecutive sets of rotors from the same quality manufacturer).
Wheel bolts were grossly overtorqued, which warped the hub/rotor.

Possible:
Your control arm bushings picked now to fail
IF the vibration happens any time except braking, it's likely the tires are not round, or the wheel/tire assemblies are not properly balanced.

Take the car back to the shop right away, tell them the problem, and ask them to fix it.

[x3L2004]

Man I'm so pissed off. I changed all four brakes and rotors and now there's the weirdest and most annoying sound ever. It's like a mouse stuck on my car I roll forward or backward without stepping on the gas I hear this terrible squeak. I took the car back and all they did was reinstall and clean up some of the calipers but didn't work. What could be the culprit? Anti rattles were not changed FYI.


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[TonyAngel]

Brake lube? What pads did you use? I put Centric Posi Quiet pads on mine and as a test, didn't use any lube when I installed them. Not a sound out of 'em. They grab really well without being too grabby and a lot less dust.

[x3L2004]

I got textar pads and rotors. The mechanic used the lube that came with the brake kit


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[TonyAngel]

Maybe you should do a visual check to make your that there isn't a metal clip rubbing or something. I mean, a brake job is pretty straight forward and pretty tough to screw up; or, so I would think. Is it just one wheel squeaking?

[bmwdirtracer]

My wild assed guess is that the backing plate is bent. But really, you paid a pro to do your brakes with top-quality parts. Take it back -- AGAIN. If they don't fix it, call your credit card company and file a dispute.

When you pay a pro to do the job, you should be able to drive away happy. I'm replacing rotors and pads on an E60 tomorrow, that I did four months ago.....the rotors have been "heat-checked". In other words, they have pad deposits which have caused the rotor to overheat in one spot, causing vibrations and shaking. (Yes, people call this "warped rotors", but there's really no such thing.)

The point is, the customer is paying NOTHING for me to replace rotors and pads....we warranty our work.

And by the way, I have recently insisted that out company use only Zimmerman rotors when available, from now on. All others (Bosch, Textar, Meyle, Centric, StopTech) are made in China now. Zimmermans are still German made.


EDIT: Because SOMEONE'S going to tell me that warped rotors are real, here you go:
http://www.stoptech.com/technical-su...nd-other-myths

[TonyAngel]

Zimmermans, eh? I wish I had know that a couple of weeks ago. I went with Brembos. Live and learn.

[bmwdirtracer]

I have never seen a "Made in China" label on anything made by Brembo. Someone else will have to advise on this.

My own M5 has Meyle Platinum rotors; they are labeled "China". My shop typically installs Textar (OEM) rotors; they are now labelled "China". My M5 is now shaking like mad; I've got two sets of visibly perfect Meyle rotors which shake equally. I can make the shake go away, by scuffing the rotors with garnet paper; but the shaking comes back, in 2 days.

I can't prove that the Chinese rotors are to blame, but you know, I have NEVER got my rotors hot, and then stopped, which would transfer pad material unevenly....I am very damned careful, of that. I'm going to believe that the Chinese iron is inferior, and changes to Cementite much more easily.....until I see otherwise.

Just my 2 cents....I'll appreciate any other input from experienced Bimmerheads ???

[shadowpuck]

i'll have to look at the box on my e36 rotors - i'm not even sure right now what brand they are. i usually just take whatever bimmerworld has available for a reasonable price. have yet to have an issue, but, e36 is a much different beast than the monster e39.....i'll try and remember to look at my boxes next time i'm in the shop...

[jclausen]

Best pads and rotors are factory BMW parts the most expensive and make dust. But they feel great and rarely warp

[bmwdirtracer]

Rotors do not warp. This is a myth. See the link.

Textar, Jurid, Pagid, Brembo. Meyle, Ate, Girling are all OEM manufacturers for BMW brake parts. They make the exact same parts as you get in the white BMW boxes.

All that said, I use pads and rotors by one of those manufacturers, for street use. Except that I will not, anymore, if Zimmerman German-made rotors are available, instead of the Chinese. As for dust, I don't give a damn. Dust means that the friction surfaces are working.

I agree completely that the OE and OEM dusty pads are the best, when it comes to the brakes working perfectly, stone cold, or hot. But I am now going to avoid Chinese iron, even if it comes in a BMW box. I'll take my chances with German iron.....Zimmerman is the only box that says "Made in Germany".

[jclausen]

We just had the sales rep from ate coke and he confirmed that they don't know exactly what goes in to the materials that BMw uses in there pads and rotors

[MauiM3Mania]

...I'll appreciate any other input from experienced Bimmerheads ???

I've seen no survey, but from reading the track forum over the years, the consensus is to use cheap blanks, brand regardless.

[bmwdirtracer]

And, until the last year, I agreed completely with that, my friend. But over that year, I've had to replace SO many rotors, under warranty. And my own rotors are shaking me to bits.....AGAIN. I have two more sets which did the same thing, sitting under my toolbox. And I think you know that they were all correctly bedded, and never, ever have I stopped while the brakes were unduly hot. I drive around the paddock for 10 minutes, AFTER a cool down lap. before stopping.

And then let's ignore ME, because, well, I beat hell out of my brakes.

I'm having to replace Textar, Bosch, and Meyle Platinum rotors every single week, on old lady's cars.....and I personally bedded those new pads and rotors! And all these rotors have, in the last year, shown "Made in China" on the boxes.

Crap iron? I don't know....but I DO know that the Zimmerman boxes say "Made in Germany"....and when they're available, they're pretty much the same price as Chinese.

This phenomena has caused me to object loudly enough that the shop where I work will be using Zimmerman rotors henceforth, whenever they are available. Because, you know, the shop loses money, the customer is dissatisfied, and no one is happy when expensive brake jobs create shaking, a month or two later....

Just my 2 cents, and my own experience....... and I ask that others share their experiences here. I hope that everyone will bed their brakes correctly (see the link above), in order to give valid basis to their inputs. We've got some of the very best, at this forum, and I greatly respect the experiences of all the regulars here.

[x3L2004]

Guys how involved is changing the brake backplates?


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[TonyAngel]

Honestly, I don't remember the last time I had to change one. They are really just thin metal and I've bent them on occasion. I just bend them back so that they don't rub on anything. Actually changing them usually isn't hard. It depends on what you have to remove to get to them. I've never done an X3.

[bmwdirtracer]

+1 - just use a long screwdriver, and push them back....you don't even have to take the wheels off, for this. You do NOT want to even CONSIDER changing them! That is an AWFUL job!

Didn't happen to have any Textars or Bosch or Meyle around Friday, but took some pictures of Akebono and Zimmerman rotor boxes....

[TonyAngel]

Pfft, I can remember a time when Brembos were good stuff. I got them and put them on my car without even thinking about it. Man, I am getting old and things are happening and just passing me by.

I ran across this and apparently, it happened a while ago...http://www.brembo.com/en/company/news/china

I also recently read an article about ZF 6HP transmissions still being built by a ZF plant in China. I guess that's why eBay is swamped with 6HP parts coming from China. What I'm wondering now is whether "genuine ZF" still means anything.

[x3L2004]

+1 - just use a long screwdriver, and push them back....you don't even have to take the wheels off, for this. You do NOT want to even CONSIDER changing them! That is an AWFUL job!

Didn't happen to have any Textars or Bosch or Meyle around Friday, but took some pictures of Akebono and Zimmerman rotor boxes....

Great recommendation dude. I had a little piece of a wood dowel that I hammered away at the plates with and sound seemed to have disappeared. Thanks for the suggestion you beast of a mech!


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