Braking issues 2018 P100D

[Jayskywalker21]

I changed my oem pads to hawk high performance street 5.0 brake pads. My mechanic said these are much better for stopping. Before this the brakes would not stop hard and cause vibration under sudden braking(when I really needed it) Almost got into an accident. I changed the brakes to these pads and I'm still getting this issue somewhat but the brakes are better. My tires have a ton of tread and my guy told me my rotors looked good. Anybody else feel a ton of vibration and or issues stopping their tesla when you need to slam your brakes?

 

[Doanster1]

Rotors “looking good” from a wear perspective doesn’t mean they’re not warped. Did you properly bed-in the new pads?

 

[dustinfl]

Mine vibrate under light-moderate braking, and smooth out under heavy braking. I don't know how they got that way.

My rotors are probably warped. Whenever I wash the car, rust forms on the discs, so I'll usually hear a grind-quiet-grind-quiet type of noise until the rust is gone.

My next visit to the mechanic in a few months (for control arms) will include new rotors and pads for a fresh new start.

 

[DerbyDave]

I changed my oem pads to hawk high performance street 5.0 brake pads. My mechanic said these are much better for stopping. Before this the brakes would not stop hard and cause vibration under sudden braking(when I really needed it) Almost got into an accident. I changed the brakes to these pads and I'm still getting this issue somewhat but the brakes are better. My tires have a ton of tread and my guy told me my rotors looked good. Anybody else feel a ton of vibration and or issues stopping their tesla when you need to slam your brakes?

The antilock brakes will pulsate (vibrate) the pedal during hard (sudden) braking as the mechanism modulates the pressures sent to the brake pads. This is normal, and you should be able to slam the brakes on steady and hard "to the floor" for the quickest and shortest braking with anti-lock brakes, but you will feel the modulation feedback in the pedal.

 

[beatle]

Did you grease the pins and the edges of the pads when you installed them? My 2015 had horrible brakes when I got it. I thought it was borderline dangerous as well. Turns out the calipers and pads had become very cozy and were not doing much to slow the car.

A file and a wire brush brought them back, and grease ensured it didn't return. I also replaced the rotors since they are relatively inexpensive as Tesla parts go. I preferred to just use Bosch ceramic pads; more aggressive street pads will need more heat to get them into their working zone, and on an EV with regen, you're just not going to get that right away.

 

[Shateam]

Any chance you powder coated your rims?

 

[Jayskywalker21]

Rotors “looking good” from a wear perspective doesn’t mean they’re not warped. Did you properly bed-in the new pads?

Yes, right after I took the car from the mech I correctly broke them in

 

[Jayskywalker21]

Any chance you powder coated your rims?

Yeah I did

 

[Jayskywalker21]

Did you grease the pins and the edges of the pads when you installed them? My 2015 had horrible brakes when I got it. I thought it was borderline dangerous as well. Turns out the calipers and pads had become very cozy and were not doing much to slow the car.View attachment 940448

A file and a wire brush brought them back, and grease ensured it didn't return. I also replaced the rotors since they are relatively inexpensive as Tesla parts go. I preferred to just use Bosch ceramic pads; more aggressive street pads will need more heat to get them into their working zone, and on an EV with regen, you're just not going to get that right away.

Maybe I’ll bring it back to him to grease everything and check for warped rotors

 

[Shateam]

Yeah I did

If your wheel guy didn’t tape off the center bore on the back side of the wheel, it may not be seated correctly due to uneven build up of coating which would cause a vibration or pulsating when braking.

If your mechanic inspected your brakes and rotors and couldn’t find any issues and your wheels are powder coated, I would suspect this is your issue.

 

[maximizese]

Mine vibrate under light-moderate braking, and smooth out under heavy braking. I don't know how they got that way.

My rotors are probably warped. Whenever I wash the car, rust forms on the discs, so I'll usually hear a grind-quiet-grind-quiet type of noise until the rust is gone.

My next visit to the mechanic in a few months (for control arms) will include new rotors and pads for a fresh new start.

I would caution you from washing your car when the rotors are hot. Not only does this encourage warping from sudden temp change, but the section of the rotor that's covered by the caliper and pads will go through a much slower temperature change. I remember washing my first car on a weekly basis and warping the rotors in a few months.

 

[beatle]

If your wheel guy didn’t tape off the center bore on the back side of the wheel, it may not be seated correctly due to uneven build up of coating which would cause a vibration or pulsating when braking.

If your mechanic inspected your brakes and rotors and couldn’t find any issues and your wheels are powder coated, I would suspect this is your issue.

If the wheel is not running true to the rotor, vibration would be present even without using the brakes.

I'd follow this how-to guide from Hawk to clean the old brake pad deposits off the rotor and bed them in again. Sometimes the rotor surface is not warped, but uneven brake deposits build up and create an uneven surface.

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