Shuddering Brakes

[uglybrowncj]

I'm having a problem with the braking on my '93 YJ. It's a 4 cyl 5 spd. 4 in. SUA lift with 33s. The axles are stock, as is the rest of the drive train. When decelerating, there is a pretty harsh vibration in the drive train. It doesn't occur when the brakes are pressed lightly, but when they are pressed medium to hard. The entire drive train shakes and you can feel it in the gear shifter. I already tightened all of the suspension hardware including the leaf spring plates. They were loose, but this did not solve the problem.

 

[Sparky-Watts]

How do your pads look? Rotors ok? Sounds a little like a warped/bent rotor or perhaps a bent rear drum. Could also be a problem with the master cylinder, I think. I'm no expert on brakes by any means, but these are some things I've heard my dad say in the past. Sometimes when a master cylinder is going bad, I guess it causes a "shudder" in the pedal, but never really heard of brakes causing the whole drive train to shudder. Also, could be a broken belt in the tire, or perhaps a tire that's out of balance. Could also be an early symptom of death wobble, usually caused by bad bushings in the front suspension or steering components.

I know that probably didn't help you much, but there are plenty of folks here that are much more qualified to answer your question with much less rambling.

 

[88Wrangles]

Sounds like warped rotors or drums.


Take the wheels off and turn the rotors and drums by hand and see if there's any signs of them being warped.

 

[88Wrangles]

Dam, you beat me to it Sparky!




And ya, if they're warped bad enough, it can definatly cause a vibration/shudder throughout the entire vehicle.

 

[uglybrowncj]

I'll check that stuff tomorrow. Hopefully that's it.

 

[88Wrangles]

Ya luckily brakes are pretty cheap if you do the work yourself.

 

[dropseys]

they are a pain in the rar to do, but worth the effort to save big bucks from stealerships