Shuddering brakes

One of our readers sent in this problem: “My car starts to vibrate every time I try to stop. The steering shudders a little. I put in new brake pads and shoes. Slight change but back to normal vibration after a few days.” – Sami Ahmed.

Car: 1998 Toyota Starlet Reflet

Other than the slight massage action on your wrists while holding on to the vibrating steering wheel, there are no plus points to this. If your steering (sometimes also brake pedal) vibrates ONLY when you try to brake, it's a case of warped brake discs/rotors. The discs have very uneven wear possibly created by overheating or by improperly fitted brake pads.

Solution: Have your discs turned. In Bangladesh, we say 'cut'. The discs will need to be taken to a machine shop that has a lathe and then the surface has to be cut a little to remove the unevenness. The cost for this falls anywhere between 600 Taka to 1500 Taka depending on how active your mechanic is on Facebook. Do not use your old brake pads because they will have the uneven fit. You can't fix those either and you shouldn't. Get new ones. For a 98 Reflet, a set of pads will cost 800 Taka upwards starting from the decent non-OEM stuff.

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