You are here: Forums Sedans Pontiac Grand Am Pontiac Grand Am Brakes

Pontiac Grand Am Brakes

60 messages,  Last post on Jul 18, 2009 at 2:29 PM

You are in the Pontiac Grand Am Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens

What is this discussion about? Pontiac Grand Am, Brakes, Sedan

Messages Page 4 of 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 Prev Next Last

Go To Msg # Search This Discussion

#31 of 60 01 GAGT by stuckinohio Jun 06, 2007 (12:12 pm)
GA's are notorious for warping rotors, most owners know this already. You'll get a pulse through the wheel when braking. If bad enough, things start shaking violently. GM rotors warp easy. Just buy some aftermarket rotors next time and it's mainly cured. Til the next rotor replacement, have the rotors turned.   I ran Powerslots with performance friction pads for quite awhile. Good combo for stopping, but very dirty. Eventually ate up the Powerslots, but they lasted much longer then factory parts. (I am extremely hard on brakes, and I have a heavily modified suspension).   I've also replaced the front calipers before (done at home) for creaking and *crunching* noises. As in when you press on the brakes, you hear a crunching metallic sound. While I had the pads and rotors off, I was compressing the piston back into the caliper, and it made the noise. Lubricated the piston sides with grease, but it came back eventually. (The local Pontiac dealer acknowledged that short of replacing the calipers, they've been largely unsuccessful at getting this sound to go away permenantly, but they also grease the piston, as per a TSB from GM) So I replaced the calipers with remanufactured units. Sound went away for awhile. Eventually started again on the new calipers, comes and goes, but I always add a bit of grease to the sides of the piston while I have the brakes torn down. And always grease your slides, as they can hang up.   GA's also are known to wear one pad more so then the other, usually the outside pad on the fronts. Not uncommon to wear down the outside and then pull the pads only to see that the inside has half the material remaining. It's pretty normal, and doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong. Wear should be even from the front to the back of the pad surface.   I've been through a few kinds of pads now. Including the original set, I've had 5 sets of front pads by 65,000 miles. I can tell you the factory pads weren't all that bad. Good compromise between grip and dust. Performance Frictions (which I came back to again and am currently running) stop hard, but generate a lot of dust. Bendix semi-metallics wore quickly and didn't stop very hard. Bendix Ceramic CT3's stopped better, but still wore too quickly.   I've never had this confirmed, but I was once told a hypothesis that these brakes creak and grind so much because of the aluminum design of the calipers. It makes them more vulnerable, whether through different temperature ranges and expansion rates, or something else. It could make sense I suppose, depending on what material the piston itself is made of. Replies to this message: 04ganeedhelp (Oct 18, 2007 5:02 pm)
#32 of 60 Re: 2004 Pontiac Grand Am ABS Issues [getalinks] by lavena Jun 07, 2007 (1:48 pm)
Replying to: getalinks (Feb 12, 2007 3:47 pm) I had the same thing going on...I had rear brakes put on 2 or 3 yrs ago, from that time on, the ABS light came off and on and the ETF (?) light was off...and occasional the traction light said no traction...kept going off and on now for that time frame....I had the tires rotated and balanced this last time, I had to replace front brakes, and the lights still came off and on..after having the ABS diagnosed, it coded for the Module (Master cylinder), and the light still came on, (it would not read the next problem because the Module was bad until replaced then it was re-tested and coded for the speed censor...maybe they could just test the speed censor first...I got reconditioned parts with a warrenty, and the dealer ship wanted something like $1500 -$2500...I was charged $975 for the used ABS Module and $285 for the sensor, but did get a warrenty of 6,000 miles....(do NOT go to Value Brakes since they charge this amount)..After the work was done I called a near by Mech. and with the same things needed (used parts refurbished, and a warrenty of the same) I could have walked out with a price of $600 total....so check out your prices before you do your work, I was dumb....since I haven't had to do repairs since forever...I have about 87,000 miles on my 1998 PGA and only replaced the brakes once, the timming belt, and now needs a compressor for the A/C...so I have had really good luck with mine....
#33 of 60 brake problem by russ_95670 Jun 28, 2007 (10:53 pm)
i have a 95 grand am 3.1 liter v6 automatic. a few days a go this problem started. the car brakes fine until i almost come to a complete stop and then the car surges forward, its almost like the bakes let off the rotor or something. it still does this problem when i slow down in neutral so its gotta be the brake i know it is because i can feel the pedal, well the problem went away and now its back, no abs light is on and brake fluid reservoir is full.brake pads looks fine.it doesn't do this when i slam on the brakes and if i could describe it it almost feels like a car when you slam the brakes and the abs kicks on.
#34 of 60 92 Grand Am Brakes by tcraver Jul 16, 2007 (7:14 pm)
I'm new here and in need of help and info. On my daughters car a 92 Grand Am, The brake lines blew. Along story short the lines were cut of the cylinder on the engine. I just shook my head. It has 4 lines coming out. 1. Does it matter which line goes to what wheel? 2. If it does, from the front of the cylinder which line goes to what wheel?   Thanks for any help Robert befudled in Iowa
#35 of 60 2005 grand am se vibration when braking by geminii64d Sep 07, 2007 (11:11 am)
I have been looking online and have found many posible causes from warped rotors to needing to set my e-brake everyttime i park to keep the brakes adjusted. the e-brake solution seemed silly to me but it does seem to help alittle but does not fix the problem at all. it also does not vibrate when i use the e-brake to stop making me think the problem is in the front end. looking for a cheat easy solution since i have a brand new baby boy. please help!!! Replies to this message: dblakester (Sep 16, 2007 7:41 am)
#36 of 60 Re: 2005 grand am se vibration when braking [geminii64d] by dblakester Sep 16, 2007 (7:41 am)
Replying to: geminii64d (Sep 07, 2007 11:11 am) If you feel the vibrating or pulsing when braking then the problem would be warped front rotors. I'm replacing mine today on my '01 Grand Am because of the same problem. The only solutions are to replace the rotors or have them turned which means the rotors are ground down to smooth them out. That can be done at most auto parts stores.
#37 of 60 Re: 01 GAGT [stuckinohio] by 04ganeedhelp Oct 18, 2007 (5:02 pm)
Replying to: stuckinohio (Jun 06, 2007 12:12 pm) I have an 04 and my rear drums keep warping?.?.? Why is that. I was told they are near impossible to destroy. I am working on my second drum in 2 years.   Can anyone help?
#39 of 60 pontiac grand am 2000 ??help by dustin560 Oct 26, 2007 (3:08 pm)
ok heres the thing; my car has a 4cl engen and i was wasnt watching much and was told i had a 6cl engan so i got breaks for a 6cl will mess up my car i have drove about 2000 miles sence i changed breaks. and will it mess my car up useing a house sub hucked up to back speaker
#40 of 60 any one by dustin560 Oct 27, 2007 (10:49 am)
is any one going to halp?!?!?!?

Messages Page 4 of 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 Prev Next Last

Go To Msg # Search This Discussion

You are here: Forums Sedans Pontiac Grand Am Pontiac Grand Am Brakes