Vibration when braking after new wheel/ tire install

[TCSOboss]

I have a 07 Silverado 1500 crew cab... stock tires were (i believe) 275/50R17... i bought new rims and tires for this truck and now it vibrates alot, and sometimes violently when i brake. The new rims are 20" with 275/60R20 Cooper Zeon all terrain tires... Do I have too much tire under my truck for the stock braking system... does any one know how to fix this problem or whats causing it?

[Henchman]

It's normal. Mine does the same thing. I put 20" wheels and tires on my 2007 Silverado and notice a lot of vibration. I just brake a little easier and a loittle sooner.:gasp:

[d-web620]

I have the same prob. i just put some 22's on my 08 silverado and it vibrates like crazy when i brake

[CarpenterGuy]

my truck shakes but i have stock rims/tires right now.

[Loggerhead Mike]

your rotors are warped. next time you brake try and feel if the vibration is more in the steering wheel (the wheel will shimmy) or more noticible in the seat or floorboard. that will tell if you if your front rotors or rear are warped worse. usually your front

the new chevys are notorious for warping rotors. too big a tire and not enough metal in the rotors

and it is not normal. warped rotors will reduce your braking distance and wear your steering parts out faster

[CarpenterGuy]

i've been meaning to take my rotors off and have them turned for some time now.

[Slik]

Yep, warped rotors (or possibly unevenly worn pads...less likely). Not something you want to ignore long term.

Another option is to upgrade to larger rotors and brakes, particularly up front, especially if running a larger diameter (heavier) rim. It can be a bit pricey (usually at least $300-$500 in parts for the fronts alone in most cases IIRC), but the improvement over stock and greater confidence in upgraded stopping ability to go along your upgraded rotating mass can be a great payoff as well. This probably applies more to those who are going to a 24"+ size rim.

[vms4evr]

your rotors are warped. next time you brake try and feel if the vibration is more in the steering wheel (the wheel will shimmy) or more noticible in the seat or floorboard. that will tell if you if your front rotors or rear are warped worse. usually your front

the new chevys are notorious for warping rotors. too big a tire and not enough metal in the rotors

and it is not normal. warped rotors will reduce your braking distance and wear your steering parts out faster

Rotors warping? New chevys? What years and models? Is there a TSB out on this? Since you're a GM Tech I assume you are seeing this a lot in the shop? I'm just curious.

I have an 06 K1500 with stock 17" rims and 265/70-17, GoodYear RT/S with lots of tread on them.

The rotors look like they are fine for the size wheel/tire combination. I'm not sure if the front pads on my truck are original are not. Just bought the truck. They have plenty of meat left on them and the truck has 50K on it. The rotors look original. I can easily overcome the tires under braking and engage ABS and cause some lockup. So I have more brakes than tires at this point.

[TCSOboss]

thanks guys... ended up being the drums in the back, one was warped and the shoes were almost toast... then the front pads had to be replaced too, they were almost ready for a change as well... but thanks for the input... much appreciated...

[2COR517]

Thanks for letting us know what the problem was. Helps us diagnose in the future, and makes searching much more productive.

[ZSI52]

My 06 started doing this 2 months ago. It will vibrate and shake extremely bad sometimes. It also makes a grinding noise. I pulled the front wheels off today and everything looked fine, So im going to pull the rear wheels off tomorrow and check them out.

[teegunn]

Same problem here. Just bought an 08 crew silverado Z71. Put a 2" coil-over lift ad 20 x 9 moto metal wheels. 305/50/20 general grabber tires. LOVE the look, but the next day after install (6 days ago!) it was shaking like crazy from the right front brake area. I've put about 200 hwy miles on the truck/new tires so far, so it's not something I did. The truck only has 18K miles and was owned by an old retired dude (driven EASY) before I got it. Think I'm gonna put the stock wheels/tires back on (if they have them at the tire dealer still) and take it back to Chevy to get some warranty work done. That being said, I gotta wonder if this is something that will keep happening unless I upgrade the brakes. Maybe just putting on better/more aggresive pads will remedy it. As is I believe the rotor has to be warped at this time. Pretty wimpy that GM put such weak brakes on this otherwise very nice truck. My 01 f-150 has similar sized wheels with no problems.

[bigdigv65]

I am having the same issue on a 1997 Cheyenne. Long story short, I found about a 1/2 inch play in my drivers side front wheel Wednesday. Changed out the top ball joint this morning. Now I have normal back lash on the wheel bearings. Took it out on the road for a run. Still have about 50% vibration when breaking. Seems the most severe between 40 and 50 mph. I am thinking rotors and front brake pads next. .
My questions is....
Could a blown shock cause this? This doesnt happen when I down shift and slow to under 40 mph.

[2COR517]

... Changed out the top ball joint this morning. Now I have normal back lash on the wheel bearings.....

What? How does changing a ball joint affect the wheel bearings? And by the way, backlash doesn't apply to bearings.

[jbfireemt]

Hey there guys. i was scanning the thread and figured i'd throw my two sense in. i agree brakes may be the cause, but i may have a different explanation. i experienced the same problem with my truck about two years ago and learned that it was the wheels themselves. most aftermarket wheels are made to be whats called lug-centric, and most if not all factory gm truck wheels are hub-centric. this changes the centering and load distribution of the wheels, the name is self-explanatory. i simply added hub rings and the problem all but stopped, except on bad roads while braking. if you want more explanation, just let me know.

[bigdigv65]

What? How does changing a ball joint affect the wheel bearings? And by the way, backlash doesn't apply to bearings.
I figured you all would know what I meant. When I grab the top of the tire, push in and out there is very little movement. Kind of like back lash in a gear.
Before I changed the ball joint there was at least 3/8 of an inch movement when I pushing in and pulled out on the top of the tire. I saw the free play in the ball joint. Knew it had to be changed. Now all I have in that wheel is the common wheel bearing adjustment. Sorry I botched the description. I will be more specific or choose my wording better in the future.