1991 Toyota Corolla Very bad vibration

STEWKREW

MEMBER
1991 TOYOTA COROLLA
4 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
125,000 MILES

I recently had my front brake pads on my 1991 corolla changed. The I notice the old pads had shims
attached to them but when the new pads were installed the shims were not put back in or replaced.
After about three or four weeks my corolla started shaking the steering wheel very bad when I applied the brakes around 40 or 50 miles an hour. I took the car back and was told it needs new rotors and new shims wouldn't help with the vibration, I was also told rotors on the car had bearings keeping them from being turned when they replaced my pads. Please tell me what the shims are for and why did it take a month for the vibration to start, if the rotors were bad, why didn't it vibrate before, also I had no vibrations with the old brake pads at all.
I still think the vibration is a result of not replacing the shims when new pads were changed?

2 Replies

MERLIN2021

MECHANIC
17,250 POSTS

The only purpose the shims serve is to quiet the brake squeal. The shopo should have either machined your rotors or replaced them when the pads were done. There is a bearing protector for use on a brake lathe, and when I can't find it, a shop rag tied around the bearing works fine too!

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Monday, February 11th, 2008 AT 8:02 AM

MERLIN2021

MECHANIC
17,250 POSTS

From: Stewkrew
To: merlin2021
Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 9:18 am
Subject: Brake Rotors
Thanks a lot for your reply, I'm thinking about just replacing the front brake rotors myself, when I was told about some type of bearing being in place, I was a little nervous about trying it. You think once I remove the calipers and pads the rotors should come off pretty easy, no bearings to mess with?
From what I see all you have to do is remove the torque plate, that's the caliper mount, and it should slide off, NO bearings. If rust holds it on use a ball peen hammer and give it a few good wacks, it will come right off!

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Monday, February 11th, 2008 AT 8:24 AM