Occasional 'violent' vibration while braking

PASSINGPHASEONE

MEMBER
VOLVO 850

I have a 95 850 77,000 miles. I had the front brakes done about 2 months ago. For about 2 weeks now, occasionally while braking, at less than 10 MPH the whole car vibrates 'violently'. The best way I could describe this: sometimes you pull up next to a car with some sort of super bass system installed, and that whole car shakes and rattles loudly, and you wonder how that car doesn't rattle apart. Well thats what my Volvo feels like to me. This doesn't happen all the time, but lately does seem to be happening more frequently. Once I finally stop, the car stops vibrating. I don't know for sure, but it seems the vibration is coming from the rear. Today I pulled off the rear wheels and did an amateur inspection, checked rotors for smoothness, checked pads for wear, checked tailpipe for looseness, I could not find anything suspect. I have never had this problem before with any car. And this is not your usual squealing brakes, or the sound a pad makes when it has worn down to metal. Simply put - it sounds like someone has installed a massive woofer in my car and once in a while cranks it up and shakes the whole car.
HELP?
Scott

1 Reply

MHPAUTOS

MECHANIC
31,937 POSTS

Hi there,

You have to narrow down the options a bit to nail this one down. Now when the vibration occurs is the steering wheel shaking or is relatively steady? This would indicate front brakes if the steering was shaking as well. If it is the rear brakes you would fell the body vibrate and the steering would be relatively unaffected. Also you might feel a pulsation in the brake pedal, this is a very good sign that a brake rotor is warped. Check that out and re post, this will help narrow down the problem. Other things can and will cause vibrations like faulty engine mounts, but lets check the basics first.

Mark (mhpautos)