Steering Wheel Shake Under Braking

[davepi]

My 52 plate Avensis 1.8 vvti has developed steering wheel shake under braking :( . This is the only condition under which it happens. Before I approach the dealer for an investigation and repair under warranty, is there anything I can check myself?

TIA

Dave

[Fat Slob]

Sounds like disc thickness variation to me, I started to get this on my car at about 20,000 miles, I went to the dealer, they said they would skim the discs, I didnt want that, because my experience of skimming discs on previous vehicles has been a total waste of time. I decided to replace the pads with a soft after market pad , and unbelievably the problem seemed to rectify itself over the next couple hundred miles. Usually if a disc starts causing judder then there's no way back, but in my case it appears to have cured it. Can't promise anything, but worth a go.

Also go to a really good independant tyre place to have the wheels balanced properly, on the Vermont the weights should if necessary be spaced over the back of the wheels, not just on the inside rims. Dont go to Kwik Fit or ATS, they know jack **** about balancing wheels properly.

Good Luck :D

[nezerr]

yeah i had this prob at 45k dealer skimed the disks and its been fine ever since!! now done 76k just replaced the brake pads all round dealer said disks still look fine :)

hope this helps

neil.

[sjrainsford]

It's a common problem on the Avensis. Normally a change of brake pad brand usually sorts it. Something to do with the ones that Toyota use.

[Beardie]

or normally associated with abs systems where the disks have been worked hard (on/off/on...etc) causing bands on the disks. Can also be caused by sticking calipers that don't release immediately....

[Beardie]

or normally associated with abs systems where the disks have been worked hard (on/off/on...etc) causing bands on the disks. Can also be caused by sticking calipers that don't release immediately....

[silverarrow]

its the brake compound that toyota use taken them years to sort it best is uprated discs and softer pads do not use toyota pads they can not remove the heat fast enough so the heat warps the pads simle physics but try and tell toyota that

also the vibration is going all the way through the ball joints steering rack etc hence more wear and tear

[Ringthane]

I just found this site in the Interweb:

http://www.stoptech.com/whitepapers/warped_rotors_myth.htm

[Mkuk0]

Excellent, a very infomative read, thanks Ringthane