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Can brake issues cause tires to go out of balance?

9 messages,  Last post on May 11, 2012 at 1:14 PM

You are in the Honda Accord Forum.

What is this discussion about? Honda Accord, Auto Repair, Brakes, Scheduled Maintenance, Tires, Sedan

Messages Page 2 of 2

#2 of 9 Re: Can brake issues cause tires to go out of balance? [jeff336] by capriracer

May 11, 2012 (3:18 am)

Replying to: jeff336 (May 10, 2012 7:38 am)
I think you have 2 unrelated issues - the brakes and the alignment. The clue? The vibration at speed redates the brake issue.
 
You've had the brakes addressed, so now you need to deal with the alignment. The alignment is causing the tires to wear irregularly. The causes a vibration. When you fix the alignment, you'll still have the vibration because the tires are still irregularly worn.
 
It's possible to wear a new pattern into tires, but that is a slow process if the alignment is good. The only other way to deal with irregularly worn tires is to replace them.
 
So I would suggest you rotate tire and see if the problem changes - move from front to rear, change intensity, etc. If so, then get an alignment.

#3 of 9 Re: Can brake issues cause tires to go out of balance? [capriracer] by jeff336

May 11, 2012 (6:48 am)

Replying to: capriracer (May 11, 2012 3:18 am)
I undertstand, but they had road force balanced all the tires and did an alignment about 6 months ago the day after I bought the car.
 
Here is the info from the service bulletin that made them address the front brakes last month:
 
Service Bulletin 09-096
 
Front Brakes Judder and/or Squeal
 
SYMPTOM
When the brakes are applied normally, the driver feels
a juddering vibration through the steering wheel or
brake pedal, and/or hears a squealing noise.
 
CORRECTIVE ACTION
Refinish the front brake discs, and install new brake
pads with V-springs.
 
So obviously, the pads were defective when I bought the car. I would think the balance and alignment they did then would still be good though.
 
Can defective pads, which led to the warped rotors, put a tire out of balance or cause the alignment to go out of whack in less than six months?

#4 of 9 Re: Can brake issues cause tires to go out of balance? [jeff336] by capriracer

May 11, 2012 (9:24 am)

Replying to: jeff336 (May 11, 2012 6:48 am)
Perhaps I didn't make myself clear, but once tires develop an irregular wear pattern, they tend to continue to wear that way. It can't be fixed by road forcing the tires.
 
Besides, the tire problem occurred before the brake issue. It is unrelated.

#5 of 9 Re: Can brake issues cause tires to go out of balance? [capriracer] by jeff336

May 11, 2012 (9:47 am)

Replying to: capriracer (May 11, 2012 9:24 am)
So, basically, what you are saying is that the tires probably had an uneven wear pattern when we bought the car (that we hadn't noticed) and the fact that it drove fine after they balanced them and did an alignment was an illusion.
 
I think they should have informed me of any tire issues when I took the car back the day after I bought it instead of doing, what was essentially, a band-aid fix.
 
I understand that companies have to watch their bottom line, but when I buy a certified car with 10,000 miles on it, I expect to not have any issues with anything for a good amount of time. I also understand that these types of issues can be caused by factors outside the dealers control, such as what types of roads the car is driven on, how it is driven, etc... But, in my case, the car is never driven off pavement, we've never hit a curb, and generally take care of our vehicles. Geez, my wife drives the car and she drives like an old lady.
 
In case anyone wants to know the dealership that sold me the car and has done all the work:
 
Honda of Ocala
 
I guess I'll have the tires checked out at my expense and replace if necessary.

#6 of 9 Re: Can brake issues cause tires to go out of balance? [jeff336] by kirstie_h HOST

May 11, 2012 (9:59 am)

Replying to: jeff336 (May 11, 2012 9:47 am)
I can understand the irritation, but it might have been hard to detect if the wear was slightly uneven - the alignment probably made it better, but over time, the uneven wear is going to get worse.
 
In any case, of those are the factory tires, you're probably going to be happier after they're replaced. Manufacturers don't usually use very good quality tires to begin with, and an investment in good tires that are rated for 50-60K miles that suit the weather conditions and your driving style preferences will make for a much better driving experience.

#7 of 9 Re: Can brake issues cause tires to go out of balance? [kirstie_h] by jeff336

May 11, 2012 (10:16 am)

Replying to: kirstie_h (May 11, 2012 9:59 am)
Thanks for all the help. I hope these posts help others that have similar issues.
 
 The disheartening part is that we love the car and would buy it again if given the chance to do it all over again. Except next time, we would pay to have it thoroughly checked out before hand. I guess when they call a car "Certified" it really doesn't mean anything these days. Or should I say when Honda calls a car certified it doesn't mean anything.

#8 of 9 Re: Can brake issues cause tires to go out of balance? [jeff336] by kirstie_h HOST

May 11, 2012 (10:55 am)

Replying to: jeff336 (May 11, 2012 10:16 am)
It isn't just Honda. We see complaints regularly on Certified vehicles from various manufacturers - that the whatever-number point inspection, which always sounds like a massive number of points, didn't catch something that seems like a fairly obvious item that would be an issue to the purchaser. Or, a component fails shortly after purchase, and it turns out it's not covered by the CPO warranty (The exception to this rule seems to be BMW CPO vehicles - either they are very well inspected, or they resolve issues well.)
 
You really gave yourself the best advice - have any potential used car purchase inspected by an independent mechanic. Also, thoroughly read what is covered in the inspection, and what is covered in the warranty.
 
I hope that after the tire issue is resolved, you can enjoy many trouble-free miles!

#9 of 9 Re: Can brake issues cause tires to go out of balance? [jeff336] by elroy5

May 11, 2012 (1:14 pm)

Replying to: jeff336 (May 10, 2012 7:38 am)
I suppose there could be a bad suspension component, and that has effected the tires. Whatever it is, I would keep bringing it back (and complaining) until they fix it.
 
People have all kinds of problems, even with brand new vehicles. My neighbor bought a new $40k truck, and the motor burned up 3 weeks later. Hyundai had to give one friend another car, when they couldn't find the problem with their Elantra. Stuff happens.

Messages Page 2 of 2

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