Going down a steep grade recently while gently applying brakes in '01 Camry with 32K miles. Front wheels were jerking / bumping. Is that a problem with brakes, front-end alignment or wheel balance? Mechanic just told me last month that brakes looked good. Should I start with wheel balance to identify problem?
Camry
If the hill had gravel on its surface, it may have been your car's ABS working. The ABS modulates the hydraulic pressure to the wheels by interrupting the pressure at a fast rate : on..off..on..off etc while you have sufficient pressure to cause a skid. ABS is designed to prevent skidding and usually comes into effect at heavy braking,....
The other cause, going by your description caould be warped brake-discs,..loose wheel-lugs/nuts, or some serious wear or looseness in the front steering/suspension.
If your brake pedal is transmitting back to your foot a pulsing effect, you need to have the discs looked at for trueness.
If you are unsure how to inspect your car re this problem, go to a reputable steering-suspension place.
Jason
The pins that go thru the calipers may have rust on them --- there is a special grease to be used on the pins. It they get rusty the pads don't slide smoothly especially when lightly breaking. Often times when the pads are replaced the pins are cleaned and regreased.
Camry
I have the same problem with my 2000 V6 Camry 60k... First I thought it was faulty tyres so repalced them, also had alignment... still the same... now thinking it is buckled disc rotor but not that bad to worry about yet as only happens when slow braking. If you are concerned enough, I would suggest having a reputable mechanic test the disc rotors for trueness... , some mechanics only have a quick look...
Camry
If it happens when you apply the brakes it is brake related most likely warped rotors. Wheel balance or alignment would be also be noticeable when not applying the brakes. Rotors can be checked by using a dial indicator on a magnetic base to measure the runout and determine whether it is within specification. If you wanted an approximation, you could remove the wheel, mount a fixed pointer and see if the surface of the rotor varies position when turning. Sounds like you need to resurface or replace the rotors. By the way, you should have anyone who installs your wheels observe torque specifications and tighten the lug nuts in several passes in a criss cross pattern using a torque wrench to avoid excessive or uneven tightening which has been said to stress the rotor(s) unequally when they heat up during normal use.
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