Recently, I had my tires rotated. The shop used an impact wrench and ended up tightening the lug nuts so much that I bent my tire iron trying to take one off!

Anyway, after the rotation, I've been noticing a pulsating sensation when I brake. It's only noticeable when I brake lightly though. I would say 90% of the time when I brake, I can't feel it.

Is this minor warping something that I need to have fixed right away, or can I wait to replace the rotors during my next brake replacement?

 

If its only under light braking and you can live with the pulsation, you are fine for awhile.

 

if vibration is at the brake pedal then it's the rotors, if vibration is at the steering wheel, it could be related to your tires recently being rotated too and should be gone in a few miles unless you had bad camber/toe wear.

 

The vibration is definitely not from the steering wheel. It makes the whole car and the brake pedal pulsate - but all very faintly.

So I've decided to replace my rotors - anyone got any recommendations? I want the quietest rotor available.

 

Also, do I need to replace my brake pads along with the rotor? I've heard that most places replace the rotor and pads simultaneously. But my pads are in fairly good condition.

 

Do a quick search here on AZ, there are lots of recommendation for rotors. In terms of replacing the pads, they are short $$, so most folks replace them with the rotors.

 

Some times if the rotor is still within thickness spec you can get it machined down . This can remove the vibes. It can also be done without having to remove the rotors.

 

I called my local Acura dealer, and they would've charged $360 to resurface my rotors!!!!!!!! For that price, I could buy higher performance rotors with higher performance brake pads, which is what I ended up doing.

I can't wait to see how they look on my car! This is the perfect excuse to upgrade my rotors.

 

Dealers are typically good at diagnosing issues, but they are always pricey in getting you to a solution.