American V8 - Brake Rotors Warped ?

Hi,

I got 2 new front tires at Sears a few weeks ago. The first 2 or 3 days everything was fine, but then I started noticing a pulsing on

braking. I checked the lug nuts (the mech at Sears used an air wrench)

and 2 of them, right next to each other were on real tight, on the right side. I had to jump on the lug wrench to get them loose. My theory is that the overtorqing by the Sears idiot caused the rotor to warp, but only after a couple days of it getting hot enough by driving,

to warp it. Is it possible to warp a rotor by overtorqing it, on a big setup like the Caprice : big wheels, big rotors? Or could the pulsing be something else? It's a one-pulse-per-revolution frequency. Also, how hard to replace the rotor? I think I'd rather do it myself

than spend my time and energy fighting with the sleazebag manager at Sears again (another story in itself).

Thanks

Reply to
abcd
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You should buy a torque wrench, extension, and proper size socket, find out the proper tightness, loosen the lug nuts and tighten them in a criss-cross pattern, taking them from just tight all around, to a mid-point in the torque spec, then a second pass to final torque. AFA the brake rotor, buy a service manual and look at the procedure. Only you can be sure if the work is beyond what you want to do. You may get lucky and properly tightening the lug nuts may fix it.

AFA arguing w/a Sears service manager, did that years ago and haven't gone back.

Ken

Reply to
NapalmHeart

Lug torque on disc brakes is critical. I can't think of any manufaturer that does not have a specified torque for wheel lugs. The only tool certified for measuring torque is a torque wrench. I don't remember any instructions anywhere for setting your impact to the correct torque for a specific vehicle. There is a such thing a torque sticks for an impact wrench but, they tend to take a beating and lose any accuracy they may have after a relative short time depending on how much air pressure the wrench has on it at any give time, when it wasw last oil, how long the tech lets it bang away and a number of other factors. In short, it the lugs were not torqued to spec with a torque wrench, there is an outstanding chance that the rotors will shortly warp. The only repair is to have them re-machined or replaced if necessary. Difficulty to replace the rotors depends on your tools, skills and the vehicle. It is doable with basic tools in most cases.

Good luck Lugnut

BTW, I always carry my own torque wrench when wheel work is to be done. The vehicle is not driven before I check them myself. I am viewed by NTB as a bit eccentric. I keep telling them I am only doing their job. I find Sam's and Costco to both be very good about properly torquing and double checking when they do the work for some reason.

Reply to
lugnut

I worked in one of their 'Service Center's' as a kid back in the early

70's... boy I could tell you stories... wow...

Erik

Reply to
Erik

You could be sued now for your own revelations What exactly have you damaged 35 years ago?

Reply to
Mark Levitski

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