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Sedans Chevrolet Malibu 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu
1301 messages, Last post on Nov 24, 2009 at 8:22 AM
You are in the Chevrolet Malibu Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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I have had my Malibu almost a year and it's as smooth and quiet as day 1. If you are having a clunk, get it checked immediately. |
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Replying to: ohgeez (Aug 29, 2009 7:16 pm) |
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Replying to: bwia (Aug 29, 2009 5:54 am) The most common cause of warped rotors and drums (if you have them) is having a wheel removed from the auto as in rotating tires or brake inspections. Wheel nuts are to be tightened upon reinstall to specific torque values. Too often the mechanic uses an impact wrench that is not set or calibrated to that vehicle. He may be using one that will install truck wheels to 160 ft-lbs. They then try to guage the correct tightness by feel of the torqueing motion of the impact gun. There is no way to be accurate with that. Consequently you end up with a wide range of different torque values on the nuts. Over time that uneven pressure spreads to the face of the rotor and you develop that shimmy, pulsation, etc. For a few years there were attachments to use with those impact guns known as torque sticks. A few years ago, ASE, American Society of Engineers, said using a torque stick was no longer valid. These means the only way to correctly tighten your wheel nuts is with a calibrated torque wrench or with an impact gun that is calibrated for a specific torque value. The latter would mean that the mechanic would probably need to have at least a dozen of those guns laid out in a row to get the proper one for your vehicle. If the mechanic can not prove he used a torque wrench, it is a free brake job, and I would not settle for turning of rotors since most of the time it can only be done once. I would insist upon new ones, especially if yours were low mileage.
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Replying to: bohemia1 (Apr 24, 2009 11:22 am) I think most of the problem would be eliminated if they used a true tilt steering wheel, one that tilts up completely out of the way like older models. And on the tilt issue, I find it near impossible to find a position where the wheel does not block part of the speedometer and it is comfortable. I guess the test dummies don't have eyes. Part of that might be eliminated if they put a decent sized steering wheel back in vehicles. I'm rather broad shouldered and would find it much more comfortable if it was at least 2"larger in diameter. I'm hoping it lives up to mileage claims. |
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Replying to: e_net_rider (Sep 08, 2009 4:25 am)  low milage) and the GM dealer would not replace the rotors as I requested. They would only turn them, which solved the problem for a short time. Now I'll have to replace the rotors. This Malibu has other issues which they will not address. Beware of the characteristic. GM treats it's cutomers in a shabby BS way. Maybe that's why they have lost so much market share. I will not purchase another GM product.Way to go GM.
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Replying to: winz (Sep 08, 2009 3:55 pm) What other "issue will GM not address"?
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Replying to: vanman1 (Sep 13, 2009 4:00 pm) I was at a chain that also keeps a store when an irate customer got free rotors and drums because of impact wrench use. The manager then went and got an arm load of torque wrenches from the store shelves and handed them to mechanics, saying "Put this in your tool box." And that is where they stayed. The guy got them because they could not even show him one. So a picture will speak all that is needed. I also got a set of rotors and drums. I had just done a brake job and had only 2000 miles on it. Well broke in. I went in for a tire rotation and in a few days the warpage started to show up. About two weeks passed and the whole car would shake when braked. I have not seen the construction of the Malibu rotors. GM started using some two piece rotors in mid 90's. The top hat area was not cast into the rotor. Instead it was a stamped steel plate welded to the rotor. This seemed more forgiving to improperly torqued wheel nuts, but it was not perfect I can say from personal experience. When it came time to turn them because I was replacing pads, they were ruined. I am not sure if it was the shop and a bad lathe or bad mounting, or because of the design. |
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Replying to: gonogo (Aug 29, 2009 6:27 am) As I recall, the issue was with the battery holder which is the negative contact. It is made of a material that will not take solder but merely fills the gap around the leg of the holder. I came up with a fix that secured it better. |
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Replying to: kplacer (Aug 30, 2009 5:05 am) Weight is why you no longer have glass head lamps, but instead a formed plastic assembly with a small bulb. |
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Replying to: vanman1 (Feb 14, 2009 6:22 pm) I would rather have a tranny with over-run clutches, unless driving continuously in steep grades where I would force a downshift. You will get better mileage. Needing that slight engine braking that occurs in the moment you let off accelerator before applying brake likely means you are driving to fast for road conditions, following to closely, and wasting gas. |
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