ZPounds07GT

I have been experiencing a jerk and a shake in the steering wheel when I brake slightly harder than usual. I haven't had the time to properly check the brakes and rotors yet but without taking the wheels off it appears that the brakes and rotors are perfectly fine. I'm wondering if anyone else experiences the same thing or if this is just normal for the Mustang as it is my first one and have not had it a long time to really know much about it or if I need to take further action to fix the issue. Any insight on the matter?

Nuke

It sounds like a warped rotor. You can't tell by looking.

Btw, the shake is in the steering system; the jerk is holding ON to the steering system.. Just messin' with ya'...

ZPounds07GT

Lol. Thanks. But for real, the jerking motion makes it seem like I'm pumping the brake peddle, it's pretty bad. But how could I have warped the rotor? Just trying to prevent it in the future.

Nuke

If you haven't touched the wheels lately and it's only happeneing during braking, I'll put money on warped rotors. You could always try retorquing them all under the possibility that a lug nut or 2 loosened and the wheel isn't flush to the rotor but then you'd likely have vibration under non-braking, too.

Warped rotors can occur under a few scenarios, not just heavy prolonged high speed braking.

ZPounds07GT

Alright. I'll try checking them. Yeah I haven't touched them but it had new tires put on it before I got it so there is a chance I guess. But how would I know for sure it is warped and if it is I'm guessing I should just replace it?

Nuke

Warped rotors CAN be turned down but in my experience, once a rotor has warped it'll warp again. What little problems I've had with warped OE rotors was resolved by replacing the OE's with Brembo rotors. They've always held up for me on my SUV where the OE's had warped multiple times.

ZPounds07GT

Wow. Dang.. I guess it's time to start saving.. Thanks for the help though

Argonaut

In spite of what you might hear or read on the I net, warped rotors are very rare. Ever see a LeMans race car at night? Their rotor glow bright red and they don't warp (actually any car on a race track will glow, the rotors will get up to about 1300 degrees, its just the LeMans cars run at night so its easy to see). *If* its a rotor issue, it's more likely due to pad deposits on the rotor (brake pad material builds up in one spot and makes it feel like you describe). But, none the less, checking rotors for trueness can be done at home. Check all 4. Basically get the car up on stands and remove the wheels. Put the lug nuts back on and tighten down so the rotors can't move around. Then put a dial guage or something equivalent against a rotor and spin it.

Personally I'd do some investigating before buying new rotors:
- Pull each wheel off and inspect everything.
- Look at the wheels themselves, the rotors, the calipers and all the suspension parts
- If the rotors have any dull spots - sand them with with a scotch pad or some fine grit paper
- Make sure the lugs don't have the little metal clips on them (put in place during assembly to hold the rotors on. Can/should be removed)
- Rotate the wheels
- Pull your pads out and rotate them around
- Put it all back together and go test
- Has the issue gone away? Changed in anyway?
- Do some serious, just short of ABS inducing stops from ~60 MPH. What happens? (this can clear off any pad deposits)

ZPounds07GT

Alright. Thanks. I'll probably do that with my dad this weekend. No need to replace them when they don't need to be.

Nuke

Here's a pic of the rotor clips that Argonaut refers to...