Why Does the Car Jerk When Braking?

When you're driving, one of the most important things is being able to stop safely and quickly. Unfortunately, if the car jerks when braking, it can put you in a dangerous situation. There can be several reasons for this problem. If you want to know about them, as well as how to quickly get cash for junk cars in Sacramento or another US city, this article is for you.

Causes of Jerking When Braking

Braking jerks can occur for a variety of reasons and depend on various factors, including vehicle conditions, road conditions, and driving style. Let's look at the main reasons.

Air Ingress Into the Hydraulic Brake System

This is due to the loss of tightness of the hose, cylinder, and other parts. The presence of air in the hydraulics disrupts the normal flow of fluid to the brake discs. Usually, this phenomenon increases gradually and in the early stages is accompanied by a general decrease in braking efficiency. The manifestation of jerks turns out to be a signal of the need to urgently take action, that is, bleed the system and add brake fluid to it.

Brake Disc Warp

This defect often manifests itself when using non-original or cheap spare parts instead of factory ones. If the car is subjected to sudden and prolonged braking, the disc material heats up to very different temperatures. The shape of the part can be deformed if the metal of the car cools quickly, for example, when driving into a puddle. The minimum allowable disc thickness is 20 mm, otherwise, it must be urgently replaced, and on both wheels of the axle at once.

Air Ingress Into the Hydraulic Brake System

This is due to the loss of tightness of the hose, cylinder, and other parts. The presence of air in the hydraulics disrupts the normal flow of fluid to the brake discs. Usually, this phenomenon increases gradually and in the early stages is accompanied by a general decrease in braking efficiency. The manifestation of jerks turns out to be a signal of the need to urgently take action, that is, bleed the system and add brake fluid to it.

Brake Disc Warp

This defect often manifests itself when using non-original or cheap spare parts instead of factory ones. If the car is subjected to sudden and prolonged braking, the disc material heats up to very different temperatures. The shape of the part can be deformed if the metal of the car cools quickly, for example, when driving into a puddle. The minimum allowable disc thickness is 20 mm, otherwise, it must be urgently replaced, and on both wheels of the axle at once.

Disc Corrosion

This defect is most often found in cars that are used in areas with high humidity. If in such conditions the car stands in the open air for a long time, then rust forms between the discs and pads, the particles of which can cause shocks during braking. This is especially noticeable when braking all four wheels at the same time.

Incorrect Installation of The Brake Disc

A typical malfunction that occurs when replacing disks on your own. The part can be installed skewed, so its plane is unevenly adjacent to the pads, although there is no damage on the disc itself.

The Curvature of The Drums

This problem also affects the quality of braking. It often occurs with a sharp drop in operating temperatures or with severe wear.

Brake Pad Wear

This can be indicated by the appearance of a characteristic squeak during braking, which occurs when metal parts rub against each other. If the pads are installed incorrectly or of poor quality, the car may twitch when braking even with new parts.

The Different Softness of Discs And Drums

If hard pads are used along with soft discs, the drums will be damaged by contact with the harder material.

Excessive Wheel Bearing Play

In this case, during braking, the vibration of the wheels occurs, which is transmitted to the entire body. Vibration is most pronounced on the front axle, which takes on the bulk of the load during braking.

Faulty Silent Blocks

This is especially true for the rear of the suspension. Wear of silent blocks on it can cause jerks when braking.

Jerks When Braking in Cars With Automatic Transmission

Many owners of cars with automatic transmissions are faced with a situation where jerks occur when shifting gears. This is a rather complicated device, so usually car owners immediately turn to a car service for diagnostics and repairs. Specialists disassemble the box, inspect it, and replace individual parts and blocks, as a result, repairs cost a considerable amount.

In some cases, problems in the automatic transmission are caused by the automatic inclusion of the "Drive" mode. Often this malfunction is eliminated by a simple oil change in the transmission. If, after changing the oil and filters, jerks persist, then you need to use professional diagnostics.

Troubleshooting Methods

Let's take a closer look at the list of repairs that need to be done if the car twitches when braking, depending on the causes of the problem.

1. Incorrect drive installation. To solve this problem, it is necessary to dismantle and properly reinstall the brake discs in accordance with the requirements of the vehicle manufacturer.

2. Wear pads. The solution to this problem is very simple – you need to buy new pads and install them.

3. The different softness of discs and pads. In this case, you need to replace the discs or pads with parts with the same stiffness. In the future, pay attention to this characteristic when purchasing spare parts if you don't want to prematurely look for a company that gives cash for junk cars in any of the American cities.

4. Excessive wheel bearing play. Repair in this case is unlikely to be effective, so it is better to immediately purchase and install new bearings.

Wrapping It Up

To avoid jerks when braking, it is important to monitor the technical condition of the car, brake correctly, especially on slippery roads, and follow the rules of the road. If you experience strange sounds or sensations when braking, you should contact a specialist to diagnose and fix the problem. If you want to get rid of your old or broken car, we recommend that you contact JunkCarsUs. This is a company that gives cash for junk cars in Sacramento and other US cities.