2001 Saturn SL - Brakes

[92zman]

Got 2001 Saturn here that when u are driving around 50 and up and start to hit the brakes it shacks. U feel it in the pedle and the streering wheel. Put front rotors on it and buffed off all the rust on the hub and put on rear drums and it did seem to get better. Put is still there. Any ideas ( this is the boss G/F car ) lol

[Tim Martin]

Well, I have seen even new rotors and drums out of the box needing turned. Been there done that already. Not saying that's what you got but it's worth a shot. Are the rear brakes adjusted properly? That can also do it.

[brianp87]

Id resurface rotors on the vehicle there may be play in the bearings or something.

[ricmorin]

Dial micrometer measurements? What's the runout?

[jbadenoch]

Id drive it and apply p-brake and at least seperate fr from rear. More commonly have seen out of round drums than rotors

[nickscarcare]

Dial run out gauge would tell you alot!! Snug up the rotor on the car and install runout gauge, read measurement, probably out of spec, don't rely on just because the rotors are new!! Been there before.

[steven kiser]

probably a run out issue. the way it kicks back the brake pedal and shakes the wheel it sound drastic. should be noticeable with the front wheels spinning on a lift. may be a bent hub. a run out gauge is a great tool but i see a lot of shops that don't have one. unfortunately i'm seeing a lot of shops that don't have proper diagnostic tools but that's another story. leave the wheels on and spin it. i have a feeling that the r/f will wobble and need a hub. if this is true also look closely at the caliper. it may have had the sh*t shaken out of it and need replacing. it being the bosses piece and he's probably eating it, don't let his wallet effect your diagnostics. i can't begin to tell you how many times someone has brought a vehicle in for a pulsation and when after i pull teeth and see a bent hub or even a strut suddenly the remember hitting a pot hole that threw them across the road.

[Tim Martin]

Isn't it interesting how that after the repairs are made then the driver pops the question "DId that happen back the other day when I got off the road or ..........?" "Oh yea, that's when the problem started" If only you could extract the info before you began the diagnosis.

[92zman]

Found hubs to be bad. Dont know why i really cant see her out jumping the car. lol

[steven kiser]

sometimes it's harder extracting information than doing the work. more than a few times when a husband and wife droped a vehicle off for repair with a story or issue i've called them separately and asked what really happened. that's when the real story comes out. i've had some real doozies. the vehicles that the children drive i never get the story but i've often thought "how in the hell did that happen" this couldn't happen if you tried to do it.