Odd brake pulse

muohio

Member
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Mazdaspeed Protege 2003.5
Today on the way home I experienced a really odd pulse in my brakes, but it's sound different than what others have seen with warped rotors. Basically, a VW GTi and myself where doing some highspeed engine test (I know, it's stupid) and I put on the brakes to slow my car, but not hard. The steering wheel and car got a really bad vibration that went away once I lifted up. Again I tried the brakes from around 80mph and the same thing. I thought it was weird that I could have warped the rotors that bad on the first highways breaking of the day. I continued to drive on and the vibration/pulse was gone. Later on after taking the onramp to another freeway, I braked from 80mph again and the strange pulse/vibration was back. After that I drove for another 20 minutes, let the car rest and then drove 35 minutes home. The pulse/vibration did not show up at all. I find it hard to believe it was ABS since I was braking lightly and I checked that the balance weights where still on the rims. What would case this random vibration/pulse? Maybe the ABS was acting up or over sensitive at times?
 
i know i got a strange vibration in my car when i was braking hard kinda on a steep hill or something. maybe its the same thing your feeling? i never figured out what it was though.
 
I believe that is the beginning of warped rotors. I used to go through alot of rotors, and the first indicator that it was almost time for a resurface was 80+ mph braking.

I started to feel some in my protege early on, but it seems to have went away after a couple of weeks of calm braking.
 
The ABS is more a "crunch sensation"...your rotors are probably starting to warp
 
I guess now is a good excuse to either resurface or just get the vented brakes from Corksports :) I thought they might be warped, but it was very random.
 
Well, I think I found the problem when washing my car today. Appearantly, the passenger front tire has a slight buldge. The rim doesn't look bent, but has a scuff from what looks like the tired being forced up into the rim from a road imperfection. I probably hit a pothole somewhere and either knocked the tire of the rim or plainly just flattened the rim ever so slightly.
 
My brakes have been hella ****** up from 6k miles, i'm currently at 16k. They grind like a motherfucker esp. when coming to a slow stop. Oooo makes me cringe to hear it, but since i'm outa the "wear-N-tear" wtty there's basically nothing i can do. Except save up for some corksport cross-drilled :D

But other than the sound, they can stop pretty hella good (nervous)
 
if the steering wheel pulses then it's the front brakes,if the car pulses then it's the rear.

time to upgrade!
 
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