Most motorists rarely consider their car’s brakes until something goes wrong, like in an emergency or when the vehicle starts to shake during braking.
When this happens, you’re likely frustrated, and at the same time, you don’t know what to do next.
Below are some common causes of shakes while braking and the possible solutions you can choose from to fix this problem on your car.
The Effect of Car Braking
When a car brakes, the front end is pushed down on springs, which causes the springs in the suspension system to compress, which in turn causes the car’s front end to be thrown forward.
Weight shifts forward when this occurs because it is no longer distributed generally throughout the vehicle. As a result, the front wheels now have more weight than they should, so they start shaking as they try to make contact with the ground.
Because each wheel is built with its own set of springs, shocks, and other parts specific to its size, weight shift within that component can significantly affect proper functioning. As a result, brakes might not be operating at their highest level during shaking, which results in a decreased ability to stop effectively.
What Causes a Car to Shake When Braking?
One of the most frequent reasons for a car shaking when braking is worn out is the brake pads, although this could be fixed by replacing the brake pads.
Other causes may include warped rotors, warped drums, loose wheel bearings, or shocks. However, if any of these are suspected as the cause of your problem, then you should have a professional check them out before wasting money on replacement parts.
Also, most times the causes of a car shaking when braking could be the fault of improper installation of your new brakes can also be a cause of a shaking car problem.
And if, for example, you had new pads installed, but they were not correctly centered, they will wear improperly, which is what causes an unsafe shaking sensation. In other cases, if your rotors are poorly maintained, it will also cause them to wear unevenly.
Steps to take to fixing car shakes when braking
Below are steps to take to fix shaking when the car brakes.
1. Get Your Brakes Inspected: It’s always a good idea to get your brakes inspected on a regular basis, especially if you notice any odd noises or changes in your driving habits.
2. Add Lubricant to the Rotors: Adding Lubricant to the rotors will keep them from squeaking and grinding, which can lead to uneven wear that causes shaking when braking.
3. Change Your Brake Pads and Rotors as Needed: Changing brake pads and rotors as needed is significant for ensuring that everything operates smoothly.
4. Check for Damaged Parts: If you’ve already changed your brake pads but still experience shaking when braking, it might be time to replace other parts like the calipers or cables.
5. Be Sure That All Wheels Are Aligned Correctly: Misaligned wheels cause unwanted pressure on your tires, which leads to unusual wear patterns.
6. Put an Extra Piece of Rubber Behind the Wheel Bolts: Putting an extra piece of rubber behind each wheel bolt can help absorb vibrations caused by hard braking.
7. Replace Worn-Out Tires: Replacing worn-out tires with new ones can improve stopping distance and reduce vibration.
8. Don’t Use Expensive Brake Fluid: Using expensive brake fluid might not solve your problem, so save the money for something else instead.
9. Replace Loose Shocks: A loose shock absorber can cause bumping and shaking while braking, which is why they should be replaced whenever they show signs of wear.
10. Have Regular Maintenance Done: Regular maintenance ensures that all systems in the vehicle are working correctly.
Is car shaking a severe issue?
If your car is shaking violently, then you have a significant problem, so if you’re driving a shaking vehicle, the best thing to do is to pull over and check for large objects on the road. If there are no visible obstructions, then your car might be in need of a tune-up.
The car’s engine has a tendency to vibrate at high speeds, which can cause your car’s tires to shake or make the steering wheel shake when turning or stopping. The typical reason for this vibration is that something isn’t correctly aligned in the engine, like the piston rods, pistons, valves, crankshaft, etc.
Does braking damage the engine?
No, not all, don’t let anybody fool you. Engine braking does not destroy or have any defect on your engine at all; instead it converts kinetic energy into heat.
The process does not affect brake wear, but it does help conserve some kinetic energy that would otherwise waste as heat, making the brakes more efficient than they would be if there were no engine braking.
In order for a vehicle to have an easier time slowing down and coming to a stop, the driver can either use the brakes or use their gears, which is known as engine braking.
By releasing the gas pedal and changing from a higher gear to a lower gear, the car’s RPMs will increase, which means that its rotational speed will slow down, causing the vehicle’s momentum to decrease so that it can come to a complete stop.
Types of brakes
Here are five types of brakes:
Mechanical Brake System: One type is an automated brake system, which uses a caliper to squeeze the disc against the rotor. The resulting friction slows down the rotation.
Drum Brakes: Another type is drum brakes, which use a rotating cylinder with shoe-like ends that press outwards on the inside surface of a rotating drum. The pressure from those shoes slows down the drum’s rotation by pushing on its outside surface.
Hydraulic Brake System: The third type of brake system is hydraulic, where one or more small pistons push fluid through pipes to clamp around the spinning wheel. As these clamps tighten their grip on the wheel, it slows down. In this way, all four wheels can be slowed at once by one set of two actuators pistons.
Pneumatic Brake System: The fourth type of brake system on this list is pneumatic, in which compressed air pushes a piston towards the center of an enclosure.
Each time the piston retracts, some air escapes into the atmosphere and soaks up some energy from the spinning wheel slowing it down.
Electromagnetic Brake System: One final type of brake system worth mentioning is electromagnetic.
Like the pneumatic design, this also relies on squeezing a spinning wheel against another part of itself using a piston but instead of compressed air, electromagnetic coils generate high-voltage currents to slow down the wheel’s momentum.
FAQ
Why is my car shaking or vibrating when braking?
The reason could be that your brake pads, rotors, or calipers have been damaged or malfunctioning. Sometimes new brake pads that have appropriately broken in after replacement may cause vibration.
So if you suspect this is the case with your car’s brakes, then you should take it to a mechanic as soon as possible because a faulty part can not only be dangerous but also expensive.
If you experience any shake or vibration while driving, check all of your vehicle’s tires for uneven wear on the treads, potholes, and other obstacles on the road that can damage your rotors and calipers, which may cause vibrations during braking.
Should I drive if my car shakes?
If the shaking gets bad, do something about it or if your brake pads are wearing out, you might need to get them replaced.
Either way, visit a mechanic as soon as possible, or else the brakes will also start making noise if they don’t respond at all after repeated pressing of the pedal, then it’s time to take a trip to the repair shop.
Can Low brake fluid cause car shaking?
Yes, low brake fluid can cause your car to shake while braking, with this vibration from the vehicle when it comes to a stop, there is a high chance that the brake fluid may be low.
When you apply pressure on the brake pedal and it moves down an inch or two, that’s because there is air in the brake line. and that air is not compressible.
So when you push the pedal all the way down, the master cylinder compresses the air and applies pressure on your brake pads.
Low brake fluid means that there is less of a buffer for this pad-to-rotor contact, which leads to wear and damage if too much time goes by without replenishing it. The thing about low brake fluid is that you will notice symptoms of them long before they get too bad.
Why does my front end shake when I brake at high speeds?
The form of your rotors can cause your front end to shake., which means if you’re experiencing a shake at high speeds, it’s likely that your rotors are warped, which may mean they need replacing.
Warped rotors won’t stop smoothly and will create an uneven surface on the brake pads. This can lead to shaking in the front end at high speeds.
However, if you’re experiencing a shake at low speeds or at any time, it could be related to other factors like low tire pressure or an engine problem. When this is the case, a mechanic should be consulted.
Can Dirty brake fluid cause shaking?
Dirty brake fluid can cause your steering wheel to shake while braking. When you press the brakes, brake fluid should flow through the lines to each wheel.
If there is any dirt or other obstructions in the line, it can clog up and cause your vehicle to shake while braking. To eliminate this problem, you need to have your brake fluid flushed at a garage with a machine that cleans your system out.
What are the symptoms of low brake fluid?
Things you will notice when you have a low brake fluid
- The brake warning light would have been illuminated.
- A low or dirty level of brake fluid would be evident.
- There would be a spongy feeling in the brake pedal.
- It would take longer for the car to brake than usual.
- The pedal may feel softer than expected.
How often should you change brake fluid?
To know this you need to always have your mechanic come to check your brake pads and brake fluid every time you go for an oil change or after every 10,000 miles if they are not in bad shape.
If the car is shaking badly on braking, it’s a good sign that the brake fluid needs to be replaced, and even if there is no shake, it can be wise to replace the brake fluid before it becomes a bigger problem.
Brake fluid absorbs water from the atmosphere, which will corrode your brakes, especially when driving during rainy days. Brake fluid must also be replaced anytime the brake pads are changed out as well as any other part of the braking system.
What happens if the brake fluid is not changed?
The braking performance of most cars suffers significantly if brake fluids are not changed and cleaned as needed, which results to inadequate braking.
Brake fluid is needed in order to provide a clean, dry surface for the pads and rotors, which will help with the stopping power of your vehicle.
A bad batch of brake fluid can lead to leaks, less pedal responsiveness or even completely fail to work at all. It is important that you have your brakes checked periodically by a mechanic if you suspect any issues with the fluid levels so they can adjust accordingly before anything becomes a significant problem.
Does braking use more fuel?
Fuel efficiency can drop significantly by a total of 30% when you drive aggressively, braking heavily or accelerating too fast, heavy brakes take more energy from the engine than a gentle application of the brakes.
Accelerating takes less energy from the engine than cruising at a steady speed. Braking with too much force for an extended period of time can cause parts in the braking system to overheat and warp.
You should keep an eye on your gauges while driving, looking out for sudden fluctuations in fuel consumption rates. When you notice such spikes, let off on the gas pedal and brake gently to cool down your system before it’s completely warped.
Conclusion
The easiest way to fix your problem is to have a mechanic inspect your brakes. If the brake pads are too worn down or there is an air leak in the brake line, then these are the likely causes of your shaking. If this isn’t the case, then you may need new brake shoes.