why does my car shake when you brake?Everyone knows the uncomfortable feeling of having your entire body jostled around by your car violently shaking about as you traverse over bumpy, or uneven terrain such as gravel, speed bumps or off-road environments. It is not exactly fun for you and it is not great for the vehicle itself. But, once you get past the bad patch of road and are back on smooth pavement everything evens out. But, not everyone knows the feeling of this vibration and shaking coming up through the steering wheel and into your body as you gently apply the brakes while approaching a stop sign. If you start to experience some shaking and vibrations when you apply the brakes, you may be very worried about your ride and desperately wondering why does my car shake when you brake? Let’s dive into a few reasons why this could be happening and then look at how we can fix these issues and have you back to a smooth ride every step of the way between red lights and green.

 Why Does My Car Shake When I Brake? 

There are a couple of well-known issues and explanations that can explain why you might be experiencing some shaking or vibrations when applying the brakes. They range from easy to fix to pretty serious. Here are a few quick thoughts: 

Off-balance: One or more of your wheels could be unbalanced or without a counterweight. 

Alignment: Your front-end alignment could be askew. 

Control arm: Your steering control arm may be loose or damaged. 

Axle Shaft issues: You could be dealing with a damaged axle shaft.

Loose lugs: Loose lug nuts can cause wheels to wobble when slowing down, which can result in shaking or vibrating. 

The Most Likely Causes of Car Shakes And Vibration

While there are many issues that can result in a car shaking or vibrating when you begin to slow down, one of the most likely reasons your car could suddenly be suffering from shakes when you brake is the simplest one: Your braking system is off. 

As briefly addressed above, shaking while braking does not always mean that you have a problem with your brakes, but sometimes the simplest answer is the correct one, and in this case that would be a problem with your brake system itself. 

While unaligned or unbalanced wheels are another major cause of shaking and vibrating, these issues would cause a lot of vibration and shaking all throughout your driving experience and not just when braking. So, if the shaking issues only come when you are braking, then the chances are the braking system is your real issue. 

Why Your Car Shakes

If you are driving a vehicle that has disc brakes, then the likely cause of the shakes or vibration is that the rotor is warped or damaged in some way. This can be caused by simple wear and tear over time. Simply put, as we brake constantly over time, the brake pad is applied to the rotor can wear away the rotor material, and the heat/friction created can cause this piece to warp. While a rotor can be resurfaced in order to reduce the amount of warping, if too much of the material has been worn away, even a fix like this cannot guarantee the rotor will not warp again. 

While wear and tear overtime can cause these issues, so can underuse. A lot of vehicles that have sat in garages or driveways undriven for extended periods of time can see corrosion occur in the areas underneath the brake pads. When these vehicles are then brought out of their slumber and taken out on the road, you are likely to see the same issues you would with a warped brake rotor. 

If you are in need of new brakes or brake repair then don’t wait any longer and contact us today!

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