How to Fix a Warped Disc
A brake disc is the round, disc-shaped component on a car's brakes. When the brake pedal is applied, the brake pads inside the caliper squeeze the brake disc, which slows the car. Brake discs are subject to extreme amounts of heat when the brakes are applied. If too much heat builds up in a brake disc, the disc can warp. A warped disc will cause the brake pedal to pulse and the car to shake when the brakes are applied.
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Things You'll Need
- Floor jack
- Jack stand or stands
- Socket set and ratchet
- Flat head screwdriver
- Phillips screwdriver
- Torque wrench
Instructions
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1
Park the car on a flat surface. Set the emergency brake and place it in "Park' if the car is an automatic and in gear if it is a manual.
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2
Loosen the lug nuts on the wheel at the corner of the vehicle where the disc is warped. Slide a floor jack under the car and jack it up. Place a jack stand under the car and lower the floor jack. Finish removing the lug nuts and the wheel.
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3
Remove the caliper bolts, which will face the wheel well, with a socket and a ratchet. Slide the caliper off the disc. Support the caliper with a box or something similar so the weight of the caliper is not on the soft brake line.
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4
Remove the set screw or screws that hold the brake disc to the vehicle's hub, if the vehicle uses them. Some discs are not held in with set screws and can be pulled off once the wheel and the caliper are removed. Set screws are usually removed with a Phillips screwdriver or a flathead screwdriver.
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5
Take the brake disc to a machine shop to see if there is enough material left on the disc to allow it to be turned. Turning is the process of machining the brake disc flat again. Most modern brake discs cannot be turned and will simply need to be replaced.
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6
Use degreaser and a rag to clean the area on the hub where the disc installs. Install the new brake disc or the turned brake disc onto the car in the opposite order of removal. Install the set screws if applicable.
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7
Slide the caliper and the brake pads over the disc. If the pads are too close together to fit over the brake disc, use a C-clamp to compress the caliper piston back into the caliper until there is enough room to install the disc.
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8
Install the bolts that hold the caliper to the vehicle. Tighten the caliper bolts with a socket and a ratchet.
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9
Reinstall the wheel and the lug nuts. Tighten the lug nuts. Lift the car with the floor jack and move the jack stand out of the way. Lower the car to the ground. Finish tightening the lug nuts with a lug wrench.
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