Brake Pedal Vibrates or Shakes Inspection
If Your Car Vibrates When It’s Braking, Call a Mechanic
When they are doing their job properly functioning brakes are easy to use and smooth-acting. However, sometimes, brakes can become shaky or vibrate when you press down on the pedal. This is not a catastrophic issue by any means, but it can be alarming. Nonetheless, it should be addressed as soon as possible.
If you are curious about why brakes tend to shake or vibrate, and how to fix it, then keep on reading.
Why Does a Brake Vibrate?
Vibrating breaks are not normal. But they are a common issue. When the problem is particularly bad, it can feel like the entire body of the car is shaking violently. This can be a scary cause for concern.
The good news however is that despite the vibration, the brakes on the vehicle will still function. Do your best to get the vehicle home, or in for service, so a mechanic can find out why the brakes are vibrating.
There are a couple of different reasons why the brakes on your vehicle might vibrate.
Warped Brake Pads
Cars that utilize a hydraulic disc brake system utilize brake pads to squeeze the disc rotor. The friction the pads create upon the rotor is what helps slow the vehicle down, and bring it to a complete stop.
Over time, it’s possible that the brake pads in the disk brake system become worn out and warped. If the brake pads are warped, the car will no longer have smooth braking action. Instead, the brakes might shake or vibrate as they are applied.
Brake pads can also accumulate dust, grime, rust, and other debris that can affect their braking performance and make them vibrate.
Warped Brake Drums or Rotor
Besides disk brakes, some cars utilize hydraulic drum brakes. Oftentimes, the disc brakes are on the front wheels, while the drum brakes are on the rear.
Like the brake pads, over time, brake drums and rotors can also become warped. This can happen especially in extreme heat. When drum brakes or rotors become warped, the braking action can feel wobbly or shaky.
Loose Bearings or Lug Nuts
Bearings and lug buts are very important hardware for your vehicle’s wheels. They help keep everything tight and secure and offer a smooth, consistent rolling experience. Overall, they help the wheel, tire, and hub work in unison.
When bearings or lug nuts are loose, the smoothness of the spinning wheel is lost, especially when braking. At higher speeds, the momentum of the car keeps things running smooth, despite loose hardware. However, when the brakes are applied, it could feel like the whole car is shaking.
Unaligned Tires
When wheels are perfectly aligned, they are at the exact right angle so that they all share the work. This helps ensure that the car travels in a straight line, even without the driver steering.
With time, tires will eventually come out of alignment. This is normally not an issue and is addressed during routine maintenance visits like oil changes. However, if it has been a while since the tires have been aligned they can become very uneven.
When tires become significantly maligned, they can create a shaking or vibrating sensation, especially as the car begins to brake and come to a stop.
What to Expect When Fixing Shaky Brakes
As you can see from above, there are a few different reasons why your car may shake or vibrate when the brakes are applied.
As such, the first step in fixing the problem will be to diagnose why the car is shaking by performing an inspection. A trained mechanic performing a detail-oriented inspection of the common culprits for vibrating brakes should identify the issue rapidly.
If you have shaky brakes and want a quote, click here. We can provide you with more guidance on the severity of the repairs, the parts that may be required, and the labor process.