Uneven Braking - Rotor Issues

[1999eticket]

I have been experiencing uneven braking at low speeds as the car comes to a complete stop. I purchased my corvette from an original owner in Nov 2001. In January, I began to notice the car was braking unevenly and jerky at low speeds and became increasingly worse over time. The dealership indicated that the rotors were warped and needed to be turned. Once again the car is beginning to do the same thing. I ran into another 1999 corvette owner that had the same issue and eventually changed out all four rotors and no longer has this problem. The shop he took his car to indicated that they had seen many corvette between 1997 and 1999 that experience the same issue. They indicated that the rotors had metal impurities and inconsistencies during the manufacturing process which caused the rotors to warp at lower temperatures. Has anyone else experience this? And has anybody convinced the dealership to pay for the repairs.

 

[MacShee98]

This sounds like a question for C4C5Specialist.

My 2002 had the same problem, which was "repaired" under warranty. The dealer resurfaced the rotors and the uneven, lurching low-speed braking went away. They just shrugged when I asked about the cause, but I suspect strongly, as do some other folks - including a notable Corvette engineer, that the locking lug-nuts were slammed on with an impact wrench, by the same dealer no less, just before I took delivery.

I cannot speak to the issue of metal impurity in the 97-99 rotors, but frankly I've never heard of it. Of course it's possible, but I'd suspect that the lugs haven't been torqued to the 100ft/lb spec before anything else. You can resurface the rotor and then screw 'em up again by not torquing the lugs properly, and it'll come back again in 3000-7000 miles.

 

[Oldvetter]

I agree, improper torque (especially using an impact wrench) can cause rotors to warp. Probably the # 1 cause of warped rotors. First thing I did was to loosen wheel nuts and retorque using a torque wrench. He's correct in that this takes 3000-7000 to show up. Chevy even has a bulletin out on this.

 

[John L]

I had the pulsating brake pedal sensation when my car was new also. Initially my dealer turned the rotors and block sanded the pads which corrected the problem, temporarily. The condition returned, and they applied the same solution with the same results. I did some research and found that there was a TSB out which covered the problem. The dealer then replaced the rotors and the pads. I have had no problems with pulsating brakes since. TSB 00-05-22-002, SUBJECT: Brake Rotor Service Procedure, DATED: 02/2002, outlines the procedure under which the dealer can replace the rotors & pads. Mine was under the original new car factory warranty at the time.