Brake Problems: Get Expert Advice & Solutions

Hello community .

Here's the problem: I constantly have warped brake rotors. (The steering wheel then starts to vibrate after about 2000-3000 kilometers.)

Why:

Basically, my job involves delivering goods. Sometimes it's just a few meters, then a couple of kilometers on country roads, and sometimes almost nothing at all. The brakes get extremely hot; you can feel the heat from a meter away when you walk past them, and they obviously smell.

I only buy quality brake discs for the front; usually ATE brand. The last time, I bought discs from NK. (I think NK is bad quality; they seem to glaze easily).

I'm slowly running out of ideas. I never wash my car when the windows are hot, etc... what can I do? It's so annoying.

Does anyone have any ideas besides "don't brake too hard"? *hehe*

Partial exam, perhaps?

It would be really great if someone had a tip...

Which car? It's possible that the problem is caused by sticking brake pads or calipers.

I once had a company-owned Fabia TDI where the ASR/EDS (traction control) was defective, causing the brake pads to constantly rub against the rotors. This progressed to the point where the front brakes became so hot and stiff that the car eventually stopped with the front axle locked. After a cooling period, it started working again.

Apparently, the brake fluid return flow was obstructed, and due to the heat, it expanded and thus blocked the axle. After replacing the hydraulic unit, the problem was resolved.

Assuming everything is alright – as the previous speaker mentioned – could you please share the FZ (front axle load) and other relevant data? Some vehicles may have undersized braking systems from the factory, so it might be possible to upgrade to a larger system.
Often, the rusted surface of the wheel hub or excessive play in the wheel bearing is the cause or a contributing factor to the problem.
Braking means converting kinetic energy into heat – there's no way around it.
You'll only get 100% performance with floating rotors; they can definitely glow if the pads can handle it, and you won't have any problems. However, this will cost 2-3 times more.
Replacing the rear brake pads with higher-performance options like Green Stuff from Ferodo or Sport pads from Zimmermann can sometimes help. Alternatively, it's worth checking the calipers, pistons, and bores for smooth operation.

1. Check the freewheel mechanism.
2. Check the SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) for proper seating within the carrier.
3. Upgraded to a larger size + Green Stuff applied to the rear.
4. Convert to the ZM Sport system with floating friction rings and sport flooring types V and H.

It's a Golf IV with small windows!

I think the key numbers are: 0603 and 418.

I always verschandeln the brake rotor marks thoroughly, and the pistons went in quite easily. The discs look absolutely perfect from the picture, except that they tend to turn blue during braking maneuvers .
During the week, I have another job that also involves using a vehicle, but driving around the city isn't an issue at all.

I didn't want to upgrade to a larger size right now. I know it would probably be the best solution, but I might only drive this car for another 1-1.5 years, so it wouldn't be worth it.

Perforated sports windshields, is it worth it? How important are the pads? Or would it be better to try driving more calmly (which affects the time )?

Tribu wrote:

I didn't want to upgrade to a larger size

. I know that it would probably be the best solution, but I might still drive this car for another 1-1.5 years, so it's not worth it. }

However, if you also buy 10 sets of brake pads and rotors during that time, you could use that money to buy something decent that costs a little more. In the end, it might cost about the same amount of money, but you'll have peace of mind knowing you have quality parts.

Sure, but a little more? Hehe. For ATE brake pads, I pay around €80-€90 including the pads themselves.

What does a decent one roughly cost?

For me, it's clear that with better, meaning sharper, windshield wipers, the front window will heat up even faster, and any warping may be more pronounced. Blue-tinted windows indicate overheating. In a city environment, the perforations offer little benefit because there is insufficient airflow or wheel speed!
Therefore, there should be more emphasis on the latter part: most of the votes tend to be quite weak towards the end.
If you don't want to invest anything, what should I advise?
Continue driving, conserve fuel, or sell it.
You now know all the other possibilities.
A solution for me would be to use EBC Green brake pads in the rear and high-carbon BS (Brembo Sport) pads in the front with standard friction material in the front. I would focus on using the engine braking more, rather than keeping my foot on the brakes while stopped.
The brake and wheel hub should be measured with a dial indicator to check for runout. If there's already any lateral runout present, everything else will be uneven and won't work properly.

@teileklaus

Yes, yes, that's how I am, stingy .

Okay, I'm still trying to keep things within a reasonable range, but you're probably right that there's essentially no other solution than spending money. I'll think about it carefully. Roughly speaking, what kind of financial investment would be involved?


Thank you for your help...

Quote:

The discs get extremely hot, meaning that if you walk past the wheel, you can still feel the heat from a distance of 1 meter, and they naturally have a smell. I only buy quality brake discs for the front; usually ATE brand. The last time, I bought discs from NK. (I think NK is bad quality; they seem to glaze easily.) I'm slowly running out of ideas. I never wash my car when the windows are hot, etc... What can I do? It's so frustrating. Does anyone have any ideas besides "don't brake too hard"? *hehe

Okay, personally, I think NK's brake pads are absolute junk. I've been forced to install them twice. Even when lightly braking, they make me feel uneasy because the friction coefficient almost drops to zero if you're not careful. Also, they don't operate quietly; they become noisy when they get hot, which is another indication of poor quality. I would definitely switch to a more reliable material there.

Under normal conditions, the standard braking system on a Go4 is always sufficient.
However, they are not suitable for use on racetracks.
Therefore, please provide information about your braking behavior. If it's within the normal range, we could consider involving the rear brake. However, if the rear brake is seized, rusted, or not providing adequate braking performance, the front brake will constantly be working at its limit.

Okay, I drive about 50-60 thousand kilometers per year, and 90% of that is in the city. I haven't experienced any problems with it at all.
"The weekend driving is quite aggressive. It often happens that I have to go from 100-140 km/h down to 0 very quickly, and I'm in a hurry. I think the problems originate from here. This time, I also used non-organic brake pads as an exception because there were no others available. Maybe the problem is only related to this. I also feel like they are constantly glazing over. At the end of the braking distance, the braking performance drops significantly. And they are glazing over there - I'm sure of it. Can the brake pads cause something like that (warped rotors)?"
Unfortunately, I don't know how it was last year. This time, there were 2 cracked windshields in 6000 km .
It doesn't happen in the winter, but it's obvious when it's 0 degrees Celsius...

Tribu wrote:

It often happens that I have to go from 100-140 down to 0.

Tell me: WHERE and, more importantly, HOW do you drive it?

So, you're not from the police hehe.

Okay, so I deliver goods on weekends at night. Sometimes it's just 50 meters, other times it's up to 10 kilometers, and that takes about 4 hours. It goes from the residential street to the country road. It's not a great job, but the money is decent.
Approximately 120 kilometers in 4 hours, which puts a lot of stress on the brakes.
Just a little faster than usual .

Okay, I'll wait to see what Teilek says about the cost. If it's too expensive, I'll go back to ATE with Super Bleeders and then we'll see. Larger brakes would be my preference, but it's just too much. I don't exactly love this car. It's a compromise, and it's mainly for work. It looks nice, but it has no power and terrible brakes *grins*.

Not that someone will be standing there with a laser next week .

What I find quite interesting is the measurement of the disc or scar after installation. I've never done that before, but it sounds interesting because I just installed a new wheel bearing. How does it work?

Tribu wrote:

Well, I drive about 50-60 thousand kilometers annually. 90% of that is in the city. Here, I have absolutely no problems. "The weekend driving is quite aggressive. It often happens that I have to go from speeds of 100-140 km/h down to 0 very quickly, and I'm in a hurry. I think the problems originate from here. This time, I also used non-organic brake pads as an exception because there were no others available. Maybe the problem is only related to this. I also feel like they are constantly glazing over. At the end of the braking distance, the braking performance drops significantly. And they are glazing over – I'm sure of it. Can the brake pads cause something like that (warped rotors)?" Unfortunately, I don't know how it was last year. This time, there were 2 cracked windshields in 6000 km . It doesn't happen in the winter, but it's obvious when it's 0 degrees Celsius...

Okay, it seems like there's a missing zero in the value for "Normal Brakes" at the 6000 km mark.

You can repeatedly reduce the amount of purchasable materials from 100 or 140 down to 0 multiple times in a row if the cooling-down periods between reductions are too short!

"Applying glass doesn't do anything! The SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) will melt and become soft! But never mind, you get the same fading effect as in a race."
The cheapest way is to install a 60 mm flexible pipe on each brake and a powerful fan in the engine compartment with a thermostat switch .
I wouldn't attribute it solely to the NK pad quality; fading is one thing, but disc warping is another. If you haven't experienced any fading yet with Red Stuff or Yellow pads, then the overloaded discs would likely be the weak point. In that case, a larger rotor and floating mounts would be helpful.
If you were to drive 60,000 km with the brake pads that cost three times as much, it would still be cheaper than the current 6,000 km replacement interval, and I don't think you've been braking gently enough.

Thank you for the explanation; I'm slowly starting to understand what's happening.

Okay, I've been driving mostly in the city this past week, about 800 kilometers, but on weekends it was the usual routine.

Ugh, well, I'll drive it for another 2/3000 miles and then I'll have to do something about it.
I would consider racing gear to be excessive.


Thanks to everyone.

Okay, then you'll just have to burn through the next few speed limits, maybe braking a little more gently eventually when it starts costing money again.
Perhaps a used 288 brake system (possibly a larger one) can be found at a reasonable price, allowing you to install a good quality system and hopefully enjoy some peace of mind.

My old saying: If you want to spend little money overall, you might have to spend a lot upfront and then be done with it, but that approach might eventually catch up with you.
Regarding the braking habits you described, I'm afraid I can't recommend anything different.
But first, try the high-performance EBC or Ferodo brake pads in the rear. That will also help keep the front brakes cooler.

edit I see now that it's 256 x 22 mm . That's an SDI. Just the Formula Z for the front will cost you €420 according to the price list, minus a discount, plus another €100? for the pads.
Pearls before swine, no offense intended, as I said, I'd prefer a larger diameter and something used.

For €420 for an SDI, I should probably really try the tip you gave me about getting a sharper image in the background.

I guess I'll slowly get used to it.