Warped rotor after two years?

[kevinbednarek]

Do you drive hard? It could be mounded bedding on your rotor. Also, did you break in your brakes properly? What happens is if you get your breaks really hot and come to a complete stop, part of your pad actually melts to your rotor (this is what makes the bedding or the friction area on your brakes.) someone else mentioned this, but chek the runout on your rotors with a dial indicator and if it is just mounded bedding, you'll be able to put your rotors on a lathe and possibly take it off. It's all part of a routine brake job to let you know this if you take it in and get it done right.

[BMWManiac]

Looks like they were warped....replaced driver side caliper, new front rotors/pads, shimmy is gone!

[einstein57]

I placed them on a flat surface and it teetered. Had them turned and the shimmy went away.

[jlevie]

I managed to warp new rotors in under 3000 miles. :)

Have you proved that the rotors are warped by a dial indicator check?

[einstein57]

I managed to warp new rotors in under 3000 miles. :)

[audiquattrot]

yeah the initial diagram i posted i think was wrong. The part # i gave you is what i pulled from my order.

[audiquattrot]

audiquattrot, if you wouldn't mind, can I have the part number? I know you said it is different, but I looked on realoem and it is the same diagram, but they didn't have a part number listed for #5. With your part number, I can do a search for the exact verbage.

Exodus, I had to replace the passenger side caliper because the bleed screw was stripped. I'll look into replacing the driver side.

Part # for the iX

32311155102

It wasn't a cheap part. I think i paid $150 for it new.

[BMWManiac]

audiquattrot, if you wouldn't mind, can I have the part number? I know you said it is different, but I looked on realoem and it is the same diagram, but they didn't have a part number listed for #5. With your part number, I can do a search for the exact verbage.

Exodus, I had to replace the passenger side caliper because the bleed screw was stripped. I'll look into replacing the driver side.

[Exodus_2pt0]

Unless you all might think it is something else, my steering wheel has a shimmy whenever apply my brakes. The car also has a tendancy to pull to the passenger side when braking.

Pull your calipers and check pad wear on each side. Also check to see if both calipers compress without excessive resistance.

This sounds like one of your calipers is not doing it's job (left seized and not working properly, or right hanging up). This would also explain the brake shimmy, because one rotor is doing the work for both, causing excessive heat and warping the rotor. Personally, on a car this old, if I replace one caliper i'm replacing both.

Unless there is a problem with your calipers, brake rotors warp from hard driving.

[audiquattrot]

Wow, your issues sound exactly like mine! I'm also experiencing the loose steering issue, at least what I feel is loose....can you tell me the part you replaced?

As far as the braking, I, too, attribute it to cheap, non OEM parts....I'll wait a bit and see what you find out.

i know the part # is diff between the iX and yours, but the part i replaced is #5 in this diagram There was a ton of play in this knuckle when removed.

i'll update here once i replace the control arms to see if that helped any

[BMWManiac]

Wow, your issues sound exactly like mine! I'm also experiencing the loose steering issue, at least what I feel is loose....can you tell me the part you replaced?

As far as the braking, I, too, attribute it to cheap, non OEM parts....I'll wait a bit and see what you find out.

[audiquattrot]

I'm going thru a very similar issue w my IX . Less than 2yrs ago I overhauled almost everything including brakes rotors, tie rods, sway links, shocks, springs. Rear control arm bushings. The last six months I've been getting a shimmy upon hitting the brakes at highway speeds, and attributed it to the fact that I went cheap w the rotors and pads almost 2yrs ago

In addition I've been having a loose steering issue.

Fast forward to last week, I installed new Oem rotors, new ebc pads, installed a new u-joint in the steering. My steering is nice and tight, but the shimmy I had upon braking was still there....if not even more amplified now.

I'm pretty sure it's my control arms since its the only thing I haven't replaced since I bought the car. I ordered them, and hope to install nxt week. I'll update here if that has solved my issue...g/l OP

[BMWManiac]

Tie rods, control arms, control arm bushings, struts/shocks, sway bar/bushings, control arm to sway bar mounts, have all been replaced and are less than 2 years old. I'm thinking that the rotors/pads may not have been up to OEM standards.

[jlevie]

While a warped rotor is possible (check for runout with a dial indicator) in almost all cases the cause of the vibration will be something else. Like worn tie rods, struts/shocks, wheel bearings, control arms or bushings. A pull to one side can be worn suspension parts or a problem with a caliper or line. Using pads not suitable for the driving style/conditions can result in uneven pad deposits on the rotors which will cause a vibration in the brake pedal while braking. But a vibration in the steering wheel is a suspension problem.

[BMWManiac]

No, the rotors/pads were replaced 2 years ago. I had an alignment at the same time, as well as overhauled the suspension....all when I bought the car