vibration on steering wheel

[paj]

i am getting vibration on the steering wheel when i brake,suspecting warped discs,is there anyway of checking without the need for a special tool.van i s a 2000 smiley

[AndyG]

What's your mileage

[BigMac]

I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM I PUT NEW DISCS ON ONLY TO FIND IT WAS THE BACK BREAKS THAY HAD SOME OIL ON THE SHOES SO DO LOOK AT THE BACK BREAKS BE FOR YOU BUY NEW DISCS

[paj]

54000 miles

[gemini]

most likely cause is a balancing weight has come off the wheel

[AndyG]

Mine started at about the same mileage and as you say only happens when you put your brakes on and probably from about 50mph it's worse I would say DISCS
Do the pads at the same time though

[MrMPuk]

The way to check for warped discs is to ride the brake pedal a little and if the pedal moves up and down then it's warped discs

[Luke]

try swapping the back wheels to the front - if it goes its the wheels if it stays it aint

[Nighthawk]

I can't believe no one has mentioned using the handbrake yet

Drive to a speed where you know the judder happens

making sure traffic around you isn't going to be endangered, pull up on the handbrake lever keeping your thumb on the lever release button to prevent the ratchet from engaging.

If there is NO judder, it's most likely warped discs

If it still judders with only the handbrake applied it's most likely distorted wheels rims and drums.

Either way, i hope your cheque book can stand it !

A judder through the steering wheel without braking would be wheel balance, you usually drive in and out of the range of vibration on that too.

[100ps_drw_hicube]

Either way, i hope your cheque book can stand it !

discs arent too expensive! neither are new wheel rims £50ish each if i remember rightly

[Nighthawk]

Either way, i hope your cheque book can stand it !

discs arent too expensive! neither are new wheel rims £50ish each if i remember rightly

you must have deep pockets m8

100 quid for discs, another 40 or so for pads and then new wheel bearings as well because 9 times out of 10 they'll be noisey or you'll damage them getting them off.
and then the 1.8 hours labour charge for just doing pads and discs.

best part of 2 to 3 hundred quid there.

Drums are around 120 each and then the wheels...........christ i need to sit down, i'm getting a cold sweat thinking about someone having to spend this much money

[100ps_drw_hicube]

ye i meant pattern parts or from transit parts

got me some new drums from transit parts last year(gen ford)£54 each discs and pads£52 and the labour is free if you do it yourself but agree with that labour charge my dad had frauds fit new discs and pads and new shoes and handbrake cables last year all parts supplied by us they charged him £322 and had the van for 2 days because they couldnt get the bolts out of the discs

[madmark]

i am starting to go off the mk6!

[baconsdozen]

Hello Hicube I agree the labour charges is high (always have been when you compare them to peoples wages per hour) but I've some sympathy with the garage and the bolts holding the discs on.
I did the same job on my Merc a week or so ago and despite the fact that I sell tools and so have more than even a well equipped workshop I had a terrible time undoing bolts that had been undisturbed for twenty odd years.The heads seemed easy to distort and I eventually had two break off flush.Incidentally over the years I've still found nothing to beat the original Plus-Gas as a releasing fluid,always interested in other peoples opinions on alternatives.

[paj]

will try everything mentioned, i have replaced discs about three times on my past vans and i must have been lucky cause never had problems getting old ones off, always thought it was a easy job dont think it has many black spanners in the manual either!. a friend of mine has just had the back shoes done on his mark 6 and it cost him near on £200 trouble getting drums off,cant believe the difference in price for the parts on the mk6 .