Crap Brakes!??
#22
#24
I suspect alot of the problem stems from improper lug nut torque when rotating tires etc.
#25
Senior Member
Joined: 01-13-2006
Posts: 2,999
From: Superior, WI - Over the Hill Warranty Club member
"I Gear" works good for driving down grades, It saves on brakes by letting the engine slow you rather than standing on the brakes. We have a grade here in Duluth where I work i go down once a day, speed limit 30. I gear works great on it and you only need to briefly brake 2 times, at 42 mph the trans shifts up so between 30 and 40 is the ticket for the other grades in Duluth and driving the hills there.
#27
I have a 2LT with ABS, have over 33,000 miles, and no problems with my brakes. No vibration, no pulsing, nothing. I guess I'm just lucky? As tom stated earlier I use I gear on downgrades and don't ride my brakes. In fact I've never had to hit the brakes hard, so you could say my car has been "babied". Perhaps that is the difference.
#29
I highly doubt that the ABS system would be related to a rotor warping problem. Things that can cause rotor warping are:
1) Improper / unequal lug nut torquing
2) Overheating / overuse
3) Flash cooling (as in: hit a cold water puddle when the brakes are hot)
4) With hot brakes, keeping intense brake pressure in one spot during a stop.
Do you see a pattern here? Other than the torquing issue, cooling and heat dissipation are key factors. For the sake of saving weight and money, rotors are made thinner and smaller(not just for the HHR, it's across the board), which limits their heat dissipation properties. Resurfacing them amplifies the problem.
Yves
1) Improper / unequal lug nut torquing
2) Overheating / overuse
3) Flash cooling (as in: hit a cold water puddle when the brakes are hot)
4) With hot brakes, keeping intense brake pressure in one spot during a stop.
Do you see a pattern here? Other than the torquing issue, cooling and heat dissipation are key factors. For the sake of saving weight and money, rotors are made thinner and smaller(not just for the HHR, it's across the board), which limits their heat dissipation properties. Resurfacing them amplifies the problem.
Yves
#30
RE: Crap brakes
FYI:
Had the rotors turned under warranty at 6K miles after horrible headshake when stopping.
We drive 90% highway and rarely use the brakes at all. No hills of any kind.
We have a 2LT with ABS and traction control.
We are now at 11,6XX miles and they are starting to go again.
Dealers (two) state that all they will do is resurface until they are too thin.
If you are in the initial 36,000 mi. warranty when the rotors get too thin, you get a new set free. If you are beyond that point, even if you have had multiple resurfacing under warranty and have a GM extended warranty, you are screwed and will have to pay for the new rotors yourself.
Combine that with the patently atrocious service at all my local Austin/Bastrop Texas Chevrolet dealers and i'm better off waiting until the warranty runs out and getting a set of aftermarket rotors.
At the rate i'm going, i'll have the rotors turned about 5 times before the warranty runs out and then have to buy them myself.
This is so stupid.
They resurface rotors which prematurely wear - which makes them thinner and therefore more likely to heat up and wear faster.
Seems it would be cheaper for everyone involved to just replace what are clearly bad/cheap parts.
Had the rotors turned under warranty at 6K miles after horrible headshake when stopping.
We drive 90% highway and rarely use the brakes at all. No hills of any kind.
We have a 2LT with ABS and traction control.
We are now at 11,6XX miles and they are starting to go again.
Dealers (two) state that all they will do is resurface until they are too thin.
If you are in the initial 36,000 mi. warranty when the rotors get too thin, you get a new set free. If you are beyond that point, even if you have had multiple resurfacing under warranty and have a GM extended warranty, you are screwed and will have to pay for the new rotors yourself.
Combine that with the patently atrocious service at all my local Austin/Bastrop Texas Chevrolet dealers and i'm better off waiting until the warranty runs out and getting a set of aftermarket rotors.
At the rate i'm going, i'll have the rotors turned about 5 times before the warranty runs out and then have to buy them myself.
This is so stupid.
They resurface rotors which prematurely wear - which makes them thinner and therefore more likely to heat up and wear faster.
Seems it would be cheaper for everyone involved to just replace what are clearly bad/cheap parts.