Car Shakes When Braking: All You Need To Know

If you notice that your car shakes when you brake, then this could be an indicator that the parts of your vehicle are beginning to wear down. This shaking will often signal the beginning of a more serious issue with either the braking system or suspension system, and it is crucial to get these problems tended to as they can affect both safety and performance.

Car Shakes When Braking: All You Need To Know

During a long, hard break they many times cause a car shake. This is what happens when the wheels lock up and this causes the vehicle to make noise and shake as it decelerates. You may notice this shaking within the first few times that you use your brakes after having them replaced or repaired, and it will also happen if they are working very poorly or if they are not being used at all.

The brake linings cause the most commonly worn parts in a vehicle and are very easy to replace if you need to. The biggest cause of wear on the brake linings is from driving them too hard or from not using them properly. Dry weather, rocky roads and driving on very poor quality roads can easily damage your linings and make them ineffective. This is why it is important to always properly use brakes when they are being worked on, or you will have an issue with the new parts being covered in rust within a matter of months.

What causes a car to shake when braking?

What causes a car shakes when braking
  • Excessive tire tread wear.
  • Drum brakes with worn-out linings.
  • Worn out brake hoses, brake lines or brake master cylinder.
  • Faulty front suspension.
  • Broken or cracked rotor.
  • Worn out caliper pin and/or pad pins
  • Defective brake pads
  • Excessive and uneven tire wear.
  • A defective wheel bearing.
  • Incorrect tire balance.
  • Worn out or incorrectly aligned torsion bars.
  • Defective, loose or worn ball joints.
  • Leaking ball joints.
  • Corroded axles and exhausts.
  • Exhaust heat, too much brake fluid and/or thinner than recommended fluid.

How to diagnose the problem?

How to diagnose the problem?

Step 1: Start the engine and let it warm up.

Step 2: Park the car on level ground and have someone hold the wheel hub while you turn the wheel to move something loose, such as a brake pad or cable out of its place.

Step 3: Then back off of the brake pedal slowly to check for noise, vibration or any erratic movements. If you hear any strange noises from within the car don’t drive it yet, but get help from friends so you can gather more information about what is causing this shaking.

Step 4: Continue to back off of the brake pedal and try different speeds.

Step 5: After you feel more confident that you have identified the problem, then drive the car.

If you find from this point forward that your vehicle is still shaking when braking, then it would be wise to get some help for expert assistance with this repair. This is because many times people may not notice that there is a problem with their brakes until they are driving down the road and see them making noise as they decelerate.

If this is not the case you may want to check your brake fluid level first and see if it is less than the recommended amount. If it is then filling it back up with the correct amount of fluid may do the trick.

Preventing a car shake when braking

  • Use optimal tire pressure.
  • Avoid driving on rough and uneven surfaces as this will wear out your brake linings faster and cause a shimmy in your vehicle.
  • Avoid over heating your brakes or reduce your braking pressure.
  • Have a professional mechanic check the brake linings and hoses on a regular basis.
  • Get your brakes serviced regularly.
  • Avoid hard braking on dry, dusty roads as this can easily damage your brake linings.
  • Use consistent brake pressure by keeping it in the recommended range for all conditions. Badly worn linings need special attention as they are more prone to cracking, hence why you should avoid hard braking in the first place.
  • Keep up with all recommended servicing on your vehicle.
  • Avoid driving with worn-out brakes or hydraulic lines.
  • Have your wheels aligned regularly to ensure proper tire wear and reduce vibrations in your car.
  • Immediately have any brake noise checked out by a professional mechanic and they will get to the root of the problem before it becomes a serious safety hazard.

How can I reduce the shaking?

Change your driving habits. If you experience shaking when braking, you may be driving too fast for the maximum amount of stopping capacity of your brakes. Slow down and increase your following distance to give yourself more time to slow down before getting to a stop.

Get rid of any debris on your brake pads. An accumulation of dust or gravel on the surface of your brake pads can cause a vibration or shudder as you apply the brakes.

Have your vehicle inspected if you have problems with the brake system or suspension.

Do not drive if you experience excessive vibrations in the car. Do not exceed the recommended speeds for your vehicle and do not drive over rough or uneven roads. Step on (not off) your brakes when you encounter poor conditions to prevent unnecessary damage that can cause more problems.

Lubricate the brake linings from time to time with a commercial brake fluid lubricant to keep them from rusting and corroding so easily.

How to fix the problem?

The problem is with faulty brake pads or linings. If you think you hear a grinding sound when you press on the brakes, but your car stops fine, then you likely have a problem with your brake pads. On the other hand if after doing this, your car still shakes when braking, then it may be your brake linings that need attention. In this case there are several things to do first before replacing them.

How to fix the problem?

Check the level of your brake fluid. If it is low, then you may have a leak in your brake lines or master cylinder.

Then inspect the condition of the linings by taking them out and checking them for any cracks or holes that may cause them to wear down even faster. If they seem okay then you will want to check the condition of the rotors and calipers as well as all of your wheel bearings.

You can do this by removing the wheel, then taking off the calipers and checking for any damage to the pad pins or caliper pins. If everything checks out okay, then you will want to replace the linings with new ones and that should solve your problem. It would be wise to have a professional mechanic inspect your vehicle before driving it again.

A car shaking while braking may also be caused by incorrect tire pressure. If you have balanced your tires and they are almost even, but the shaking is still there, then it may be caused by improper tire pressure. A good tire pressure reading is between 35 and 55 psi.

Then check with your vehicle owner’s manual to see if there is an optimal pressure range for your vehicle. This amount of air in the tires will allow you to accelerate easily, while giving you enough braking power to stop at higher speeds as well.

Conclusion

A car shaking while braking is not a good thing for any vehicle and should be taken care of quickly by the proper mechanic. Your vehicle may be damaged when you drive it back to the shop and it could even hurt you. Not all shaking is caused by worn out brake pads or linings. There are other things that can cause this shaking, so if you have to face any problem, then please contact a mechanic nearest to your area. 

However; if you absolutely must drive your car for odd distances, then you may want to consider replacing the brake pads with new ones as well. Using these parts will increase your stopping distance and will not cause a problem like this again.

Car shaking while braking can be dangerous to both you and those around you, so if there are any problems that arise when driving with shaking brakes, have your vehicle inspected right away by a mechanic who knows what they are doing.

So that’s all! Take care of your car and maintain those steps and implement those tips to make sure that your car don’t shakes when braking. You can also read this article to maintain your car to last many years. It is also useful to make sure that your car don’t shakes when braking. Because lots of effective guides and tips are included here that’s are help you more to sure that your car don’t shakes when braking and to maintain your car to last many years.

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