voigtsga

I had an '07 LS that got totaled thanks to a tractor trailer a few months ago. I now have another HHR that we bought as a replacement, an '08 LS. I've run into the same issue with the '07 when I had it just before it got totaled that I am now running into with my '08.

Both HHRs had stock rotors that were just shot, and so I put Raybestos Advanced Tech rotors on both, and Wagner Thermoquiet brake shoes on the '07, and Raybestos Ceramic pads on my new-to-me '08. I did check the lateral runout on both, and in both instances per the Raybestos' specs, they were only at .001" checked on both sides of the rotors. I did bed the brakes in properly, and took it especially easy for the first few hundred miles. After just 3-4k, I experienced/am experiencing brake pulsation that can be felt in the wheel. On my '07 shortly before it was totaled, I checked the runout again, and it was still at .001". The '08 that I have now is doing the same exact thing. I haven't checked the runout again yet on my '08, but I'll bet it is still sitting at .001".

I am using good quality rotors (at least I assume that the Raybestos Advanced Tech are), good name brand pads, bedding them in properly (40-60 mph to near stop about 10 times in a row), and especially taking it easy when the brakes are new, not being hard on the brakes normally anyway, and still I end up with pulsing. I need to check the rear shoes, but as far as I can tell, they aren't out of adjustment.

I am wondering if the problem lies in the pads themselves. It seems to me that I am obviously having issues with brake pad material becoming unevenly embedded in the rotors. Is there another brand of pad that would eliminate this? Should I just get the rotors lightly turned and try EBC redstuff pads or something? Should I just give up and go by some other kind of rotors/pads? I've never had issues like this with ANY other model of car/truck I've owned. What rotors/brakes pads are you using that have worked over time?

Greybeard999

Rear brake adjustment... The self adjusters on the HHR don't work so you end up overworking the front brakes because the rear brakes aren't doing their job.

badassbowtie

If you have a caliper hanging up, it could be overheating the rotors? thats my $.02
X2 what greybeard said

sleeper

"What rotors/brakes pads are you using that have worked over time?"

Still sporting the stockers on my '08, but I do maintain rear brake adjustment as Greybeard has mentioned..

EcotecRacer

This!

oneton

95k Still same stock pads & rotors I'm going for 100,000 I think I'll make it. all wheels come off at each oil & filter. Clean & adjust rear drums. pull cal. clean & lube slides & pins thats all there is to it. All three HHR have never had any brake work or new parts.

voigtsga

interesting. Thanks for the feedback. I'll take a closer look at the rear wheels and see what's happening. I wish they would just put disc brakes on all 4 wheels and be done with it.

I think I'm just going to have the front rotors turned lightly, adjust the rear, and see what happens.

solman98

This seems to the ongoing for some. Mine, no issues at all for the first 47K miles. New pads/rotors. 17K miles later had to have the rotors turned. Went maybe another 10K miles and same thing came up. Had the originals turned and put them back on. Now only a few thousand miles later, I'm getting a faint hint of it returning. Rears are adjusted, I'm getting 2 clicks on the hand brake on a normal pull. I know driving has a lot to do with it, in my area, I'm hard on brakes. When I had the stocks turned last time, I know that would be the last time for them as the tolerance was near the end so they might just be too thin now. I'm going to pick up a new set in the near future and when it happens again, I'll get the NAPA's turned if they have enough left on them for a quick swap. At least that keeps down time to a minimum.......

voigtsga

Well I took the rear drums apart. I found that both drums had been pretty deeply turned at some point in the past, and both drums were grooved enough that I ended up having to buy two new drums along with new shoes. I got them in and got them installed.

I took off the front rotors and took them to a place locally to get them dressed up. They took off very little, and I put them back on with new pads. I am running into a problem however that the left side is just fine with a runout of .001", but the right side is coming up at .003". I cleaned the rotor face and the hub before installing. I remounted the rotor 2 more times in 2 more positions with the same resultant .003". I checked the hub surface itself and it is coming up at .001". The spec calls for no more than .002" runout on the rotor. I am thinking that maybe there was a slight error when the rotor was turned, so I'm going to take it off as soon as it quits raining a few days from now (no garage) and have them check it. Given that the runout was at .001" on both sides when I first installed the rotors, I either have an issue with the turn job on the right rotor, or may have a hub bearing problem.

donbrew

I'd go with hub bearing is bad, since it is not possible to turn a rotor with a runout error, by the definition of machining. Unless they are totally incompetent, like not capable of finding their butt independently. The edge of the hub surface is several inches inside of the edge of the rotor, so any runout of the hub will be magnified on the rotor, unless you are setting your gauge at exactly the same spot each time.

Many times you can actually feel the play in the hub bearing, if you can feel ANY it's bad.
Also check the rear hubs for play.