Braking the front feels bumpy

[hbhudia]

Hi Everyone,
Started the car this morning after 4 weeks of not using it and when attempting to drive away something creeked on the underside if the car and also a clang sound. The car runs without any problems but when braking, i can feel the vibrations on the pedal. IT feels like it is from the front driver wheel.

What can it be?

 

[nickmann]

Sounds like the pads have rusted to the discs. When you moved the car this morning the pads were torn away from the disc and have left a surface imperfection. They should clean up OK after a few miles of city driving. If they are really bad you may have to replace the discs but I would suggest this is VERY unlikely.

 

[Satch]

You might try the Italian Brake Service:

Find yourself a clear and empty stretch of road and do a few runs braking moderately hard. You are trying to heat the pads & discs up and burn/wear off surface grot on both but NOT locking up, making the ABS work excessively, suffering brake fade, boiling the fluid nor getting the pads to smoke although they may pong a bit! Going down from 60/70 mph to about 15/20mph should be OK.

Important that you do not come to a stop during this and drive gently for 10 to 15 minutes after that without stopping or braking much. So you are looking for a long A road or dual carriageway without much traffic, which is early Sunday morning stuff for most of us.

If you do have to stop, do not to sit there with the brakes applied when they are hot or you can imprint pad material onto the disc surface and that can lead to vibration all over again This is a favourite cause of what is often then (wrongly) described as "warped discs"

 

[damyers]

Hi Everyone,
Started the car this morning after 4 weeks of not using it and when attempting to drive away something creeked on the underside if the car and also a clang sound. The car runs without any problems but when braking, i can feel the vibrations on the pedal. IT feels like it is from the front driver wheel.

What can it be?

Hi hbhudia

Had the same problem on my SLK twice - both times the disks had warped - they are still investigating why for sure but the latest theory is that the brake pads had 'pitted' and water was in there causing a very solid cohesion to the brake disks. Problem is once they change the disks it wont happen unless I leave the car for 2 weeks which is rare so I cant be sure it is fixed - certainly I agree with other replies that it shouldnt warp the disks but I know for sure that it had in my case(s)!

see http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=13989 for my tale of woe!

Regards

Dave

 

[hbhudia]

Thanks guys,
I have been driving it now for a few days and the braking is smoother than before however it is still not 100%.

Will continue to drive and brake.

Cheers guys.

 

[Satch]

Read this and all will become clear.

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

 

[damyers]

Read this and all will become clear.

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

Sorry Satch but in my case even after driving 700 miles the brakes had still not cleared up and in both circumstances MB themselves admitted it was warped brake disks!