I cannot figure out this vibration when I use my brakes

So I have had this vibration when I go to use my brakes that turns into something of a shudder as I get slower and slower. Can't figure out any point of origin by the feel of it. I recently installed a new wheel bearing that was going out on the driver side and I probably need to change the passenger side as well. I put new pads and rotors on the front this past weekend and I thought that was the issue because they have never been changed and I have 175,000 on the truck. But alas the vibration is still there when I brake. I am thinking maybe it is the rear brakes? I need new tires pretty bad. I haven't rotated them in a year and my truck could use an alignment I am sure....aside from that anything that I am missing or will one of those mentioned be the culprit? 2005 PreRunner Access Cab 175,000 miles

 

Vibrations up front when brakes are applied are usually attributed to warped rotor's. If you installed the new rotor's and tightened the lug nuts with an impact wrench you could of worpped the new rotor's. It's not your rear brakes. Does it do it if you come to a stop in neutral. If its only in gear then its torque shudder. If its in neutral could be bad bearings. Stop while turning right. Then turning left. The bad bearing will feel the worst. Try some and check back.

 

So this vibration under braking was there before you put on the new brakes?

Where do you 'feel' the vibration? Pulsing in the brake pedal, or in the steering wheel, or elsewhere?

175k on original brakes must be something of a record. Lots of interstate miles I'd guess?

 

May be the rear brake drums if it has rear drum brakes, they can get out-of-round & give the similar vibration. You can remove them & have them re-cut (trued-up) sometimes if they're in tolerance. There's 2 small threaded holes near the bolt circle ,12mm, I think to help push them off the axle.

 

Nah, didn't use a impact wrench to tighten the lugs back. I used my four way and I made sure I got them pretty darn tight...could I have over tightened them with a four way?

 

If it's the fronts you'll normally feel it in the steering wheel & brake pedal.

 

Maybe your tires are out of round? You mentioned not having a rotation and balance in quite some time. I would recommend doing that.

 

No pulsing in the steering wheel per say...I feel it mostly in the body of the truck. I put it in neutral and it still does it. Its a grinding vibration. After a complete stop and then accelerating and shifting into second gear it does it while accelerating through second gear.

 

Needle bearing in the front diff?

Edit: nvm. OP is a prerunner.

 

Try braking with just your e-brake, and see if 'shudder' is there, if so, then its the rear brakes (shoes and/or drums).

 

should use a torque wrench to tighten not a four way.... its possible that the new set is warped also from uneven application of torque on the lug nuts...

 

Ok, I will try that when I go to lunch today.

 

So weird. It's raining here today, so everything's wet. I noticed that my vibration/grinding went completely away! Smooth as butter! This definitely has something to do with this rain. What is the deal here?

 

Prayed about it and the good Lord answered and the problem is gone...I think the issue was possibly a stuck caliper piston. Thanks for everyone's input.

 

Update: Vibration came back again and I scratched my head for a bit trying to figure it out. Decided I would take it to the Stealer-ship and let them tell me what was wrong with it. They showed me the rear U-joint and it was toast. They said $300 to install and I said well that isn't too bad for all three of them...he said "naw man that's for just one". I went to Autozone and picked up a Duralast U-joint with a grease zerk lifetime warranty for $14.99. Take a look at the pictures of the factory U-joint. The seals broke loose and all the grease had come out of them. In one cap all I had was needle bearing dust and another cap was just a pile of crumpled up needle bearings. The other two caps had a little grease but weren't far from going out. The U-joint was very stiff and that was causing the vibration. After dropping the drive shaft and installation of new U-joint this truck drives like it came off the showroom floor! Word of advice, when you go to reinstall the new U-joint make sure you orient it to where you have good access to the grease zerk from the bottom.

 

Been there done that. Glad you figured it out OP!