Tazman0072

This is really a 89 mercury tracer but in this department i don't think its changed mine for the 90+ gen. Umm basicly i get vibration and some slight noise when i hit the breaks at about 60 mph or higher more then just alittle. I can feel it in my steering wheel and in my brake peddle. In my brake peddle though i can feel it pulsing less the closer i am to stopping (ie lower mph) but my steering wheel feels about the same i think. Car has 115k miles on it ATM, wondering if the ball joints should be replaced (they have torn boots) or if maybe my rotors are warped as dejanews.com upon a search shows alot of 323s (old and new) having warped rotors and the same symptoms pretty much. ATM i can't afford to spend money on the car unless i REALLY have to. I usually downshift anyways versus braking whenever possible. Well let me know your take. Thanks. BTW when i bought the car with 107k it didn't have much (if any) vibration BUT the brakes were EXTREMELY week and we had to bleed them. Been fine except for about the last thousand miles it has been getting slowly worse. Thanks.

UCSBgeek

Does it have rear drums?

If it does, I bet they are worn out...

semtex

well like you suggested warp rotors

since you said that they only vibrate a little then you can let it go a lil longer but keep in mind it causes damage else where to the car, pads and those vibrations are never good

but if i were you id go out and get new rotors and slap them babys on there, they were only $30cdn for me per rotor


as for the boots thats up to you
in my eyes id let her go till she starts to click then get a new axel, cuz just replacing the boot, you have to take out the axel anyway so you might as well wait and do the entire axel

Tazman0072

Yes it has rear drums. And the vibration basicly gets worse as i push the brakes harder. And the boots, i meant the ball joints as in on the steering area. Not the cv boots Those i already did before. Thx

UCSBgeek

Almost certain it's the drum brakes.... have them checked out...

Tazman0072

So worn out drum brakes will make the vibration in the brake pedal and steering wheel? Slap me if i am wrong but, that doesn't make sense to me.

UCSBgeek

yeah, I might be a little too assertive in that diagnosis... but I'd say, your rotors are warped (which doesn't happen very often anymore, unless perhaps your lug nuts are overtightened, or rough conditions), or other worn brake components. If it was the pulsating brake pedal alone, it'd be a lot easier to say drum brakes... but the vibration in the steering wheel probably means it's front brakes...

UCSBgeek

I think I need my brain examined... it's probably the rotors.... but hey look what I found!

http://autos.yahoo.com/repair/tree/0.2.2.html

Pretty neat

Tazman0072

Hmm.. loose lug nuts no. I checked all that myself after i got the new tires. Out of balance hmm.. i don't vibrate at any speeds except when braking so thats out too. Loose steering linkage, ball joints i would think is part of this but my steering isn't loose at all, no play so thats out too i think. So only thing left is rotors or bearings but i never heard the usual bearing going bad noise except in the back left side once in awhile so it might not even be going bad. But 115k on the odo so rotors i guess ugh.