Diamonds and Pearls

Pearls of Wisdom about the Diamante

By Mr. Vivona

BRAKE PULSATION

Some Diamante owners have experienced problems with brake pulsation, a vibration felt when
stopping. Though these owners may feel that way, this is not a problem that is unique to the Diamante.
It is a common problem with modern high precision cars and can be caused by improper shop practice.
The story is often the same. The brakes begin to pulsate upon stopping. Pads are replaced and rotors
are resurfaced. The problem goes away only to come back in 5,000 miles. What is going on?

HOW BRAKES WORK

First let’s describe how disc brakes work and define a few terms. The circular unit that your wheels
mount on is called the hub. The hub can rotate because it is supported by a wheel bearing. A metal
disc (the rotor), about 11 inches in diameter and 1inch thick, is attached to the hub. The wheel is
mounted on five lugs (large bolts) that extend from the hub through the rotor. The inside surface of the
wheel is in direct contact with the center area of the rotor. A hydraulic device called a caliper is
mounted to a non-rotating part of the car. When you press your brake pedal, brake fluid is sent under
pressure from a master cylinder to cylinders in the caliper which then functions like a clamp to squeeze
a set of brake pads, one on each side, against the rotor to stop it from rotating. When you release the
brake pedal, the caliper relaxes its grip and the pads retract and just lightly rest on the surface of the
rotor.

With each stop a bit of the pad material wears off the pads. This is the brake dust you see on your
wheels. When the pads wear to the minimum thickness of pad material, a part of the pad mounting clip
comes in contact with the rotor to make a noise to alert you that brake service is needed. If you ignore
the warning and continue to drive for hundreds of miles, this clip can scratch the rotor surface. When
the brakes are serviced, if the surface of the rotor is smooth and meets the specifications outlined
below, all that will be necessary is a change of the pads and pad mounting clips. The caliper is also
checked for leakage and rebuilt or replaced if found defective. If the rotor does not meet specifications
it can be turned on a lathe to remove some of the metal and restore the smooth flat surface needed by
the pads. Rotors should not be turned unless necessary. Each time they are turned the removal of
rotor surface leaves the rotor thinner. Once the rotor thickness reaches a minimum specification, the
rotor must be replaced. In many cases it is possible for a rotor to last over 100,000 miles without ever
needing to be turned.

WHAT CAUSES BRAKE PULSATION?

If you experience brake pulsation, it is important to determine exactly what is causing it. Brakes pulsate
because something is causing the stopping force to be uneven as the wheels rotate. Mechanics are all
too quick to just turn the rotors as a solution. Many times it is not the rotors that are causing the
problem and once you have rotors resurfaced you may be inviting problems that you didn’t have to
begin with. More on that later. Brakes that pulsate or make a groaning noise in the last few revolutions
before stopping are caused either glazed pad material, a glazed or pitted rotor, or both. Brakes that
pulsate when braking at highway speed are caused by rotor thickness variation, which is the result of
rotor warping.

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LOW-SPEED BRAKE PULSATION

For low-speed brake pulsation or noise, the first thing to do is change the brake pads. The surface of
the pads may have become hardened, or glazed, due to a panic stop during the first 500 miles before
they were fully broken in. Use only original equipment Mitsubishi pads for best results. Aftermarket
(non-Mitsubishi) pads may not be formulated correctly to match your rotors and could lead to noise or
excessive heat. The excessive heat can lead to rotor warping. When changing the pads, make sure
that all pad mounting clips are replaced and that the rotor is cleaned with brake cleaner.

If changing the pads doesn’t cure the problem, have the surface of the rotors checked for rust or pitting.
If your Diamante sat for a long time before you bought it, the exposed part of the rotors may have
developed some surface rust that resulted in pitting of the rotor surface. Often just continued driving
will wear the surface smooth, but a mechanic can speed up the process by using a rotor buffing disc to
add a non-directional finish to the rotor without having to resurface it with a lathe. If changing the pads
and buffing the rotor doesn’t cure the problem, then (and only then) have the mechanic turn the rotor,
but make sure he follows the procedure outlined below.

Please note that if you only experience occasional brake noise after your car has been parked for
several days, you may have parked it with wet rotors (from rain or a car wash) and some light surface
rust has developed. This usually quickly wears after a few stops. This is common characteristic of any
car with disc brakes and should not be a cause for concern.

HIGH-SPEED BRAKE PULSATION

If you experience vibration when stopping from highway speeds, your problem is caused by disk
thickness variation, or DTV. If there is any variation in the thickness of the rotor as the brake pads
squeeze it during braking, this variation will be felt as brake pedal pulsation and steering wheel
vibration. DTV is the result of the rotor being warped, but it takes several thousand miles to develop.
This warp causes the pads to wear the rotor surface irregularly so that the actual thickness around the
circumference of the rotor is not uniform. So it is not rotor warp, but the result of that warping, or DTV,
that you feel as a pulsation when braking.

What causes a rotor to warp in the first place? The leading cause of rotor warp is overtightening of the
wheel lug nuts. When the wheel lug nuts are overtightened the wheel presses too hard against the
center of the rotor, which can warp it, or stress the rotor metal which can lead to rotor warping later on.
This is particularly true if one nut is overtightened first. As another nut is tightened the lever action
causes the first one to get even tighter.

Why are wheel lug nuts routinely overtightened? Mechanics are usually paid by the job according to a
flat rate for that job. Anything that can make the job go faster can make more money for both the
mechanic and the repair shop. The use of air impact wrenches has become universal among
mechanics, but this tool can create problems. The amount of tightening force is expressed in foot-
pounds or ft. lbs. These impact wrenches can deliver over 1,000 ft. lbs. Even the small electric ones
available for do-it-yourselfers can deliver 240 ft. lbs. The wheel lug nuts of a Diamante (or a similar car)
should never be tightened over 80 ft. lbs.

Any time a mechanic uses an air impact wrench on your wheel nuts, the chances are almost certain
that the nuts are being overtightened. Watch the mechanics at any service facility. As soon as the nut
is run up on the stud and the wrench makes a hammering noise for more than a second, the nut is
being overtightened. Some shops claim that they use a torque stick, which is an extension that goes
between the impact wrench and nut, to limit the torque. The only problem is that the mechanic will
typically first tighten the nut without the torque stick, and then attach the torque stick to the impact
wrench and go back and finish tightening the nuts. I have personally seen mechanics make this
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mistake many times. This does not work because the nuts have already been overtightened, so the
torque stick has no effect since it cannot unloosen an already overtight nut. The same problem
happens when the mechanic uses a hand torque wrench after first using an impact wrench.

The only way to prevent the problem of overtightened wheel lug nuts is to always install wheels with
hand tools only. The lug nuts should be first tightened to 30 ft. lbs. in a star pattern while the wheels
are off the ground. Then, after the weight of the car is on the wheels the nuts should be tightened to 75
ft. lbs. in a star pattern. As soon as the torque wrench signals that the desired torque is reached
(usually by a clicking sound or a reading on a scale) it should not be turned any further. The star
pattern is used to evenly distribute the tightening force around the wheel.

You can check (and correct) the torque of your wheel nuts by buying your own reversible torque
wrench. A good cheap beam type is the Craftsman 44642 ($25), an excellent click type is the
Craftsman Digitork 44597 ($100). Whatever torque wrench you use, it must be reversible. With the
weight of the car on the wheels, try to slowly unloosen each wheel nut with the torque wrench and note
the torque reading at which the nut first moves. For a beam type wrench you just watch the indicator as
you unloosen and note the final reading. For a click type torque wrench first set the wrench to 50 ft. lbs.
Then try unloosening the nut until the wrench clicks. Stop and set the wrench 5 ft. lbs. higher. Keep
doing this until the nut moves without the wrench clicking. At that point you will have your reading. The
final reading will be the approximate amount that the nut was originally tightened to. Then, before
loosening another nut, retighten the current nut to 75 ft. lbs. Continue this process in a star pattern one
nut at a time. You do not want several nuts loose at the same time with the weight of the car on the
wheels or you may end up with a warped car or personal injury. This process is a quick way to get the
wheel nuts properly tightened, but the best procedure is the one in the previous paragraph.

Warping means that the rotor has excessive side-to-side wobble, or runout, as it turns. Keep in mind
that we are talking about very small measurements here. The specification for rotor runout is no more
than .002 of an inch, which is one half the thickness of a piece of printer paper. That means that as the
rotor turns the part that passes through the brake pads must not move from side-to-side by more than
.002 of an inch. What happens if it does is that over the next 5,000 miles the side-to-side motion
causes the rotor surface to wear irregularly, resulting in a variation in the thickness around the
circumference of the rotor. As the rotor turns through the two brake pads, any variation in the thickness
of the rotor is felt as brake pedal pulsation and steering wheel vibration. It takes very little disc
thickness variation, or DTV, to cause problems. The rotor thickness must not vary by more than .0002
of an inch, which is one-twentieth of the thickness of printer paper. That is truly microscopic!

You may wonder why modern cars seem to have more disc brake problems than older cars did. Front
wheel bearings used to have some play in them. Because this looseness absorbed any vibration
caused by disc runout, the brake pads did not irregularly wear the rotor. Modern cars have preloaded
wheel bearings which have no play in them. Preloaded bearings allow better wheel alignment and
improved gas mileage. But with preloaded wheel bearings it is imperative that rotor runout be
extremely low. This has changed the type of lathe needed to turn rotors.

Another cause of rotor warping can be overheating of the brakes. Overheating can come from
excessive brake usage, the use of incompatible aftermarket brake pads, an improperly resurfaced rotor,
a brake fluid distribution problem, or a caliper that does not retract the pads fully when the brakes are
released. In some cases you would notice the burning smell of the pads and see excessive brake dust.
In any case of recurring rotor warp, these causes should be checked to rule them out. Also, warping
can sometimes result from a rotor that was greatly overheated and then run through deep enough
water to immerse the rotor and cool it too quickly.

So let’s assume that you have taken your car in for service due to brake pedal pulsation. The first thing
the mechanic should do is measure the rotor runout with a dial micrometer. This is done with the wheel
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off, but the wheel nuts reinstalled to hold the rotor firmly against the hub. If the rotor is well within
specifications and the thickness variation is also within specification, the rotor is not warped. If the rotor
surface is pitted or rusted, it should be buffed with a sanding disc. The rotor should only be turned if it
has runout, DTV, excessive surface pitting or deep groves. Sometimes the rotor metal may have a
variation in hardness around its circumference due to stressing and overheating. This will usually show
up as a variation in the color of the rotor metal. Turning may restore a good surface, but if the metal is
irregularly hardened beyond the surface, the problem will come back. In that case the rotor will need to
be replaced.

Improper rotor turning procedure is a leading cause of the problem returning in 3,000 to 5,000 miles.
Rotors should be only turned on the car using a caliper-mounted lathe like the AccuTurn 8750 as
recommended in the Diamante service manual. If they are not turned on the car, they may still have
excessive runout once remounted due to microscopic variations in the hub surface. Caliper-mounted
lathes are the only effective method of turning rotors on modern cars with preloaded wheel bearings.
While it is true that a very careful mechanic that takes the time to measure and compensate for hub
runout may successfully use a bench lathe, time is money and that will not likely happen.

Since even the proper torqueing of wheel lug nuts can add .001” to rotor runout when the wheel is
mounted, having the rotors as close to zero runout when mounted on the hubs is important, and this is
accomplished with a caliper-mounted lathe. Typically, a shop uses a bench lathe, or a variant called a
hub-mounted lathe, which may result in zero rotor runout on the lathe, but once the hub is mounted on
the hub, the runout of the hub will be reflected in the rotor. Let’s assume that the result is .0015” of
runout. Now, when the wheel is mounted and properly torqued, this adds .001” and the runout goes to
.0025”. That is sufficient to cause DTV wear and brake pedal pulsation 5,000 miles later. But if the
rotor was turned in place with a caliper-mounted hub, even with the wheel mounted the runout will be
well within specifications.

Remember, even if the rotors were turned with a caliper-mounted lathe, improperly torqueing the wheel
lug nuts can cause excessive rotor runout and brake pedal pulsation later on. Only by turning the
rotors with a caliper-mounted lathe and properly torqueing the wheel lug nuts can you be sure that the
rotors will not have future problems. And don’t forget about other maintenance that involves wheel
removal, like tire rotations and replacements. Any time the wheels are removed and reinstalled, the lug
nuts should be properly torqued.

MITSUBISHI’S COMMENTS

I spoke with three separate representatives of Mitsubishi national customer service. I asked if they
have a known design problem with Diamante brakes. They said they may get an occasional call
regarding brake pulsation, but no more than they may get for other models and no more than you would
expect for any make of car. They said their warranty repair records also reflect this fact. They also
said that they have had no recalls or service bulletins regarding pulsation of Diamante brakes. They
said the leading cause of brake pulsation was overtightening, or unevenly tightening, wheel lug nuts.
The next cause was improper rotor turning procedure. They said that they advise dealers to properly
torque the lug nuts and use a caliper-mounted lathe when turning the rotors. If this procedure is
followed, the problem is solved.

WHAT TO DO

If you have had problems with brake pulsation, become more familiar with the procedures needed. I
hope this article will be of help for you. Absolutely insist on hand tools and hand torqueing of wheel lug
nuts every time the wheels are removed and replaced. No exceptions! It’s your car, remember. Don’t
let a mechanic routinely turn your rotors during brake service. Make sure that your rotors are turned

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only when measurements show excessive surface roughness or excessive runout or DTV. Replace
rotors that get too thin from repeated turnings.

Some owners may attempt to use aftermarket brake pads and rotors as a solution to brake pulsation.
There are specialty items available such rotors that have holes drilled in them to increase cooling and
release gasses that are emitted from the brake pad material. There are pads with different kinds of
friction material. Any time you use non-factory parts you run the risk of changing the braking
characteristics of your car. And further, changing to aftermarket parts will not cure brake pulsation.
These parts are just as susceptible as the original factory parts are to problems created by improper
rotor turning and overtightened wheel lug nuts.

Diamonds and Pearls is a periodic article by Mr. Vivona, an automotive enthusiast that has worked on his own cars all his life.
Over the years he has acquired quite a bit of knowledge and resources about automobiles, and Mitsubishi vehicles in
particular. These articles are written from the viewpoint of the owner and are intended to provide news and tips. Diamonds
and Pearls is presented for your information, and good faith attempts are made to provide useful information, but Mr. Vivona
cannot assume responsibility for the outcome of your reliance on these articles.

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