[Thunder-71]

Originally Posted by flash968

yeah - i hear this one a lot. shops tell customers that their rotors are warped, so as to sell them new rotors. in the real world, rotors don't warp. it takes something catasrophic to warp a rotor on a car (like a frozen caliper). i've done a few thousand brake jobs, and seen exactly 1 warped rotor. i have seen a bunch of rotors with deposits and/or hot spots though.

more than likely you just developed deposits on the pads. i have had to toss brand new pads, due entirely to an inadequate break in procedure. it happens.

hopefully you can replace the pads, and just surface the new rotors. it will really depend on how long you have been running the old pads on the new rotors. however, do NOT merely replace the pads. make sure you surface the rotors. they guy at the shop will tell you they are fully thick, but if you tell him you are trying to remove the deposits to cure a vibration problem, he will do it.

do yourself a favor though, and before doing any of that, just to rule out the suspension, get the car up in the air and inspect the lower control arm bushings. it will cost you nothing, and if that is the problem, it will save you a more costly and then pointless process on the brakes.

I had a chance to get under the car today. Tie rods/ball joints are clean and tight on both sides, lower control arms look visually good, no visual issues on the bushings, they look good. Since I had the wheels off I checked the rotors and pads. Before removing the pads I span the rotors by hand (no wheels on them) left rotor spins smoothly but the right was biting a little on a couple spots about 6 inches from one another. I removed the pads and span that rotor, seems visually good with no wobbly signs but is it bad? both sides pads are clean, no deposits, both rotors have nice and smooth surfaces. Should I replace the pads on both sides tomorrow and see what happens and if problem still present replace the rotors? I also noticed slightly leaky struts that I plan to replace the inserts. What do you recommend on those?