Why Does the Front Wheel Shake When Braking a Truck?
3 Answers
There are many reasons that may cause the front wheel to shake when braking a truck, mainly including excessive wear of the front wheel brake pads, excessive tire wear, or damage to the front shock absorbers. Trucks should regularly clean and inspect the brake pads; otherwise, it may affect driving safety. The specific details are as follows: 1. Excessive wear of front wheel brake pads: Normally, the thickness of car brake pads is about 10mm. If the brake pads are excessively worn and their surface becomes uneven, intense friction during braking can cause abnormal front wheel shaking. In this case, the wear level of the brake pads should be checked immediately and replaced. Generally, car brake pads should be replaced every 50,000 kilometers. 2. Excessive tire wear: If the car tires are out of round, bulging, or excessively worn, shaking may occur during braking, or severe bumpiness may be felt during normal driving. In such cases, timely repair or replacement of the tires is necessary to avoid safety hazards. 3. Damaged front shock absorbers: If the front shock absorbers are damaged, it may lead to issues such as shaking when braking, abnormal steering, or tire noise. In this situation, it is advisable to seek professional inspection at a repair shop or 4S store.
Truck drivers may have experienced front wheel shaking when braking. I encountered this issue too when driving heavy trucks, especially noticeable when going downhill with a heavy load. The steering wheel felt like holding a vibrator, which was quite unsettling. Later, a mechanic found that the front brake discs were warped due to prolonged hard braking causing high-temperature deformation, resulting in an uneven surface. When the brake pads rubbed against it, the vibration was transmitted to the steering wheel. Another possible cause is improper tire dynamic balance, where the lead weights on the rims fell off unnoticed, also causing shaking at certain speeds when braking. The most dangerous scenario is loose steering ball joints, which must be repaired immediately to avoid affecting steering. If you encounter such a problem, don’t delay—get a comprehensive check-up right away.
Truck front wheel shaking when braking is quite common in repair shops. From my experience, there are several main causes: The most frequent is worn or warped front brake discs or uneven surfaces - heavy-duty trucks doing frequent braking at high temperatures are prone to this. When disc flatness exceeds 0.15mm, shaking occurs. Second are steering system issues - loose tie rod ends or excessive steering gear clearance. Tire problems shouldn't be overlooked either, especially deformed front wheel rims or uneven tire wear throwing off the balance. Another cause is inconsistent brake pad material leading to unstable contact. During inspection, lift the vehicle to check ball joint clearance, measure brake disc thickness variation, and examine tire roundness while you're at it.
