Shaking in steering wheel when braking 05 accord

Hello,

I have a 2005 Honda Accord EX Sedan 4cyl auto, and it has about 34,400 miles
on it. Its used on regular roads city and hwy. I had the rear brakes changed
at about 28k miles. I have made sure that the fluid is full and also needed
a front rotor replaced by warrenty for a defect during the first 6 months of
ownership.

Heres my question:

When on the highway at about 60 mph and braking to a slow down maybe to 30
mph the steering wheel has been shaking a little more than usual lately.
Sometimes even when going slow like at 10-15 mph the brake pedal feels like
its vibrating a little during normal braking with no slick surfaces. I also
noticed that the general braking performance seems not as good. My thought
was the master cylinder??

I am bringing it to a Honda dealer in three weeks for a checkup, but wanted
to know if anyone has any ideas about this situation so I will be able to
ask the mechanic if they checked these areas of possible concern.

Thanks,
Al

 

"alfred" wrote

I had a similar situation with a '97 Civic sedan, and it turned out to be a
problem with the rotors. They needed to be turned. That fixed it.

 

Where did you get the insane notion that the master cylinder can cause such
vibration.

Check for out of round rotors, tires, etc.

 

I have brand new tires, its not that and they are filled to the proper
pressure. The tires were balanced and the car steering was aligned front and
rear. The brakes front and rear are okay also.

It could be the rotors, have to look into that.

The reason I thought it was the master cylinder is because I had a Ford
Taurus GL 1987 years ago and it did the same thing and for that car it was
the master cylinder. Others told me that braking which causes the steering
wheel to shake or vibrate means the master cylinder also.

Al



Where did you get the insane notion that the master cylinder can cause such

 

Something has to generate a force dependant on the angular position of
one or more wheels. Master cylinder can't do that.

I'd recheck the tires; a defective tire can easily add a lot of vibration.

 

"AZ Nomad" wrote

But he did specify that the vibrations occur only while braking... ?

 

Thats right, only when braking at higher speeds does the steering wheel
shake or vibrate and only at low speeds does the brake pedal vibrate or
pulse a little. As far as the tires, I have them filled to 35 lbs cold,
which I know is higher than the 32 lbs cold on the door jam, but the
mechanic said it improves gas mpg a little.

 

Could still be a defective tire. Force on the tread can make the
tire pull to one side or the other.

But most likely, it's the rotor.

 

It also makes the tires wear out faster in the center. The best pressure
is what the car maker recomends. What is important is the shape of
the tire, not the pressure. Less weight on the tire means less pressure
for the same volume. If the car maker says 26lbs, then that is what you
should use; not what some tire jokey uses so that they can use the
same pressure for everybody with bothering to think too much.

 

as nomad says, there's nothing in the master cylinder that can cause
that. not on a frod, honda, or any hydraulic system.

with a honda, the most likely culprit for your brake problem is
incorrect torque. especially as you've just had tire work done.
re-torque the wheels yourself, with a 2 [or more] stage process, 1324,
1324, using a torque wrench. do NOT NOT NOT allow a tire monkey to
fasten your lug nuts with an air tool. EVER.

before re-torque, with the wheel off, apply a /little/ antiseize to the
face of the hub also.

 

Which CAN be caused by a bad tire...

JT

 

"Grumpy AuContraire" wrote

To clarify: wouldn't the above referenced bad tire induce vibrations all the
time, not just when braking?

 

No. Depends on the vibration frequency.

With judicious loading up of weights, you can fake a bad tire into feeling
pretty much "right" at any speed and under any loading.

In order to appreciate this, you need to know a guru who really understands
tire dynamics. I just happen to know one of those.

 

believe it or not, basing on my experience, I bought an old accord Vi
coupe , 1994 model to be specific and has done more than 200,00 kms
since I had it a year ago. One of the problem I use to have was the
same as what you are having now, the tires vibrates not only when
running but it also was vibrating when I apply the brake......I ask
people around, my friends, mechanics and car enthusiasts...different
people had different experiences and expertise so obviously they gave
different answers. If the car you are driving goes to the left or
right when you don't hold the steering wheel, you need wheel
alignment...If the tires vibrates when you car is running, you need to
re- align your tires, If when you brake you can feel the vibration
thru the steering wheel, your brake disc might need re- machining or
probably your brake pads needs replacement.... but here's what I did
since my budget is tight... after re-aligning the wheel and tires(the
vibration were still present afterall ),instead of resurfacing the
brake disc, I tried to apply brake slowly and smoothlywhen I approach
to slowdown thinking that it would later improve the ups and downs
surface of the disc, and believe or not, the vibration is gone after
sometime.... you don't believe? well I just did it the way coz I
believe that it's like re-surfacing the disc ( I used to be an
automotive machinist and resurfacing brake discs and brakedrums are
one of my job) .Try to do what I did if your budget is tight but if
you have money, then re-surface your brake disc after confirmation
that wheels and tires are aligned... of course proper torquing is
essential to wheel and tire alignment ...Try it!

 

Not long ago, I posted a scenario where a friend had brake vibration
tires. After replacing nearly the entire braking system, the problem
still persisted until he replaced the tires "cause they were worn."

Needless to say, he suffered the symptoms for a couple of years...

JT

BTW, my splel chekker wants to correct yer handle to "egger." Go figah!

 

No. It may occur only when there's force being applied, as opposed to just
rolling down the road.