The car shakes when braking at high speed, why? How to repair? How to avoid? (2023)

Suppose you are driving your car on a highway at the maximum permitted speed and suddenly you have to brake immediately. If you feel a vibration in the brake pedal or the steering wheel when braking, the first question that should come to mind is: what happened to my car? Why does my car shake when braking at high speed?

Perhaps you have recently studied vibrations and are therefore looking for an answer to this question. I will not say that it is a small problem. Maybe a real conversation will help you understand things better. So let's start the discussion. However, I will also talk about the ways to fix this problem.

Yes, you are at the right place where you can find everything about it.

Let's not waste any more time talking about this.

What is the name of the problem?

The problem of car jerks when braking is called brake judder or brake judder. This can happen for a number of reasons, which we will discuss later.

Brake shudder can be a barely noticeable shudder, a strong vibration, or anything in between. No matter how much vibration you feel, you need to take care of it immediately.

Reasons why the car vibrates when braking

If you experience brake noise when you stop, this could be due to a number of causes. Let us know.

• uneven brake disc

As an essential part of the braking systemyour brake discsplay an important role in braking. In order to brake efficiently, you must have a smooth surface.

But friction brakes generate an enormous amount of heat in the rotors. The rotors are designed to withstand heat and cool down quickly. However, if you brake frequently at high speed and do not allow the brake disc to cool down, the flat surface may become uneven due to heat.

When the brake pads come into contact with this uneven surface of the rotor during braking, they cause vibrations. Therefore, brake vibration occurs during high-speed braking.

• bad brake pads

if one or moreyour brake padsare in bad condition, your car will shake when you brake at high speed.

Brake pads can be damaged for many reasons. The heat generated by frequent braking at high speed is one of them. Also, these will get damaged over time. External elements such as dirt, oil or other things also cause damage to the brake pads.

Damaged brake pads with uneven surfaces cannot properly hold the brake discs. As a result, brake chatter occurs when braking at high speed.

• alignment problems

To have a good driving experience, it's important to keep your wheels aligned. If the wheels are out of alignment and you apply the brake pad at high speed, one or more wheels will respond differently to braking.

As a result, your car will shake under braking at high speeds and not the rotors. You can feel the shaking in the steering wheel.

• Problems with suspension components.

Components in your suspension system can wear out for a variety of reasons. Worn suspension components can cause vibrations when braking at high speeds. Also, vibrations can occur during normal braking if there are problems with the suspension system.

These are the most common reasons why the car shakes when braking. Also, problems with engine components can occur. Let's talk about ways to fix the problem.

Fix brake vibration

In order to repair brake chatter, you must first determine the exact reason that is causing this problem. Therefore, you should carefully consider all the possibilities. To do this, you can first check for alignment issues.

There is an easy way to test whether there is an alignment problem or not. Choose an empty road where you can drive your car at about 60 mph. Then let go of the steering or hold it slightly and see if the car is going straight or trying to turn left or right.

If it is straight, the alignment is correct. Otherwise go andget the wheelslined up as soon as possible.

If the alignment is correct, check the brake discs. Check each rotor individually. Also check the brake pads. If you find rotors with an uneven surface or brake pads with problems, replace them. When you change the rotors,try to get new brake padsAlso.

For now, if all goes well, there may be problems with the suspension system.

Check the components of your suspension system. You will surely find some problems there.

I suggest you go to a specialized mechanic to test drive your car. If you have no idea about the car and its components, please don't do it yourself.

How to prevent the car from shaking when braking at high speed?

Now that you know the basic reasons why the car shakes under braking, you must have guessed how to avoid it. With that said, I'm going to talk about some basic steps to avoid brake chatter as much as possible.

• Do not brake frequently at high speeds

An uneven rotor surface is one of the most common reasons for brake chatter. The rotor surface becomes uneven due to the heat generated during braking. Although rotors are designed to withstand heat and cool down quickly, you must allow them plenty of time to cool down.

If you accelerate and brake frequently at high speed, the rotors will not have enough time to cool down. This causes them to heat up and eventually become uneven.

So if you have this habit of accelerating and braking frequently, get rid of it as soon as possible. Otherwise you could end up with some rough rotors and frequent braking.

• Use high quality brake components.

Because brake components get hot easily, they need to be good enough to withstand at least regular heat. So,Use high-quality brake discs., pads and clips that resist heat.

The use of inferior components can cause recurring problems.

• Keep the wheels aligned

You must keep the wheels properly aligned. Also check the alignment regularly. I shared a way to check the orientation of your vehicle. Use this trick and align the wheels if they don't.

If you keep the wheels aligned, the chance of brake chatter is very low. Misalignment can also cause accidents. So do not avoid this important problem.

• control regular

Check your car regularly. Learn how to check basic things like wheel alignment, brake system condition, etc.your suspension systemand other systems checked by an experienced mechanic every six months.

If you often use the car on off-road tracks, then the check should be done more often. With regular checkups, you can avoid a number of problems other than brake chatter.

Here are some of the ways to keep brake chatter away from your car.

Another auto vibration problem

Apart from high speed braking, some other situations can cause the car to shake. Let's talk a bit about them too.

• The car jerks when driving slowly

Sometimes you may notice that the steering wheel shakes when braking at low speed. In this situation, the driveshaft can be the main culprit if the car is rear-wheel drive.

The driveshaft transmits power from the engine to the rear axle. A crooked driveshaft shakes the car, especially the steering wheel. In most cases, the shaking increases with increasing speed. In this situation, you should check the drive shaft and change it if necessary.

• The car shakes when braking at low speed

A rotor with an uneven surface can cause the car to shake at low speed if the rotor surface is severely deformed by the heat of braking. This mostly happens when you use inferior brake discs and pads.

So if you're faced with something like this,check the brake padsand rotors. Change them if necessary.

Frequently asked questions about brake noise

Is it dangerous to drive with sticky brakes?

It is always recommended to contact a mechanic as soon as you notice brake noise. A slight tremor might not affect you right away, but it would damage your car over time. Strong vibrations can also cause accidents.

Therefore, it does not matter if the tremor is light or strong. If you are facing something like this, you should go to a mechanic immediately to have it fixed. Driving with rattling brakes causes major damage.

How much does it cost to repair a brake pull?

In this article you have seen that there are several reasons for the vibration of the brakes. The cost of repair depends on the exact cause.

If the brake rotors are the main problem, you should get new rotors and add the service charge to calculate the cost. The cost of aligning the wheels is different than the cost of changing the rotors. If the problem is in the suspension system, it may cost more.

Therefore, you will not find a fixed answer to your question. Costs vary depending on the problem. Until you find out the exact reason, you won't be able to guess the cost.

Can I fix brake noise myself?

If you have experience working on the car's brake system, alignment, and suspension, you can find the problem and fix it. You know exactly what to check. Come on.

However, you must have sufficient knowledge of the systems andessential mechanics tools. Otherwise, trying to fix the problem can lead to disaster. I don't want you to face this.

With enough knowledge, skill, and confidence, you can fix your brake chatter problem. If you think you are missing any of these items, you should consult a professional mechanic.

final verdict

If you notice that your car shakes when braking at high speed, you must understand that the braking or suspension system has serious problems and needs your attention. So it's not too late to pay attention.

In this article, I have discussed the problem of car jerks when braking and how to fix it. I hope you understand why you need to take a quick step and fix the problem as soon as you start to notice your brakes shaking.