Are you experiencing truck jerks when you apply your car’s brake pedal? It can be very annoying and frustrating when this happens, right? But you have to realize that your car is suffering from some illness and this is why it is jerking. Consider this as the car’s way of telling you that it’s ill. This article explains the different reasons why your truck jerks when braking so read on!
Table of Contents
Reasons Why My Truck Jerks When Braking?
There are a few causes that cause the situation, truck jerks when braking. Among them, the most common cause is said to be worn brake pads or the adjustment issue of the new brake pads you just installed. There are also other reasons why your car can jerk like a faulty steering wheel. Here are the most common reasons why your truck jerks when braking
1. Bent Brake Discs
Sudden cooling and similar conditions can cause the brake discs to bend. This can specifically happen when you drive and hit the brake several times. When this happens, the disc gets hot and when you suddenly take your car to a car wash or give one on your own, the brake discs suddenly get cold which is not acceptable.
If the brake disc is made of low-quality material, this sudden drop in temperature will lead to the changing of its shape. Brake discs are recommended to be more than 20 mm thick. If they are not, then it is recommended to get them changed as soon as possible to avoid them getting bent.
How To Fix?
If you are experiencing the situation of truck jerks when braking, one of the reasons could be bent Brake discs. It’s better to get them replaced or straightened by a skilled mechanic. Make sure to replace the brake disc with high quality if you are planning to replace it.
2. Change In Geometry Of Drum Brakes
The drum brakes can deform too, just like brake discs due to sudden cooling. In such a situation, it is best to get it replaced as soon as possible. Make sure to buy a quality drum brake made of high-quality materials while replacing them.
3. The Brake Discs Are Installed Wrong
If your mechanic installed your new brake discs wrongly, it can cause your truck to jerk when braking. This is because the wrongly installed disc brakes can cause friction against the pad. It’s best to fix the position as soon as possible.
4. Worn Brake Pads
The most common symptom that your car or truck shows when it has work brake pads is car jerking when you apply brakes. You can also confirm that your brake pads are worn using other symptoms too like producing squeaks or creaks when applying brakes. These are signs that indicate that you get your brake pads fixed as soon as possible. You have to get your worn brake pads replaced by new high-quality ones as soon as possible in this situation.
5. Sticking Brake Pads
If your brake pads are sticking, not only will your truck jerk while braking, it will also jerk while driving. This is not a very common reason but when it happens, the situation can be quite frustrating and is also a health hazard. As a solution, you need to check the brake pads and the callipers. In most cases, the brake pads will need replacement. So it’s better to get your car checked by a mechanic as soon as you notice such situations.
6. Callipers Are Worn
The wearing of callipers usually happens when your car has high mileage or the maintenance of your car. Callipers wear off with time and they will get loose. In such a situation you can repair the callipers as they will be heavily worn. You will have to get your car to a mechanic to replace the old worn off callipers with new ones. You have to regularly lubricate the new callipers after installing them to avoid the thing that happened with your old ones.
7. Differences Between The Hardness Of The Brake Discs And The Pads
The differences in the hardness of the brake discs and pads can make your truck jerk when braking. This means that you wrongly installed the wrong brake discs and hard brake pads. This sort of difference can bring damage to the discs. Thus you must choose the right kind of brake discs for your car.
8. Damages In The Bushing
Damages in the bushing can cause your truck to jerk while applying brakes. Bushing from the rear suspension is what is referred to here. They are prone to get worn with time and this can cause your truck or any other vehicle to jerk while braking.
9. Wheel Bearing Play
In this situation, your vehicle wheels, one or all of them, vibrate making your whole truck jerk while braking. This happens when the wheel bearings are either broken or worn. This is a situation that arises with time and you need to replace them with new ones as soon as possible.
10. Rust On Brake Discs
When you keep your car without using it for a while, some parts start rusting which is not desirable. Like other parts, brake discs are also prone to rust. The probability of this situation happening is more for people living in areas with more humidity. If your brakes are rusted, you would find your truck recklessly jerking while braking.
How To Fix?
The simplest solution for this problem will be to not let the car sit without use for a long time. At least start your car and take it for a short drive occasionally to prevent issues like this altogether. If your disc brakes get rusted, replacing them will cost you a lot of money so prevention will always be better than cure. In case the rust layer is thin, it will naturally disappear once you drive the vehicle for about 12-18 miles. If the jerking didn’t disappear within this period, you can conclude that the layer is big and you have to replace it as soon as possible.
Conclusion
There are many reasons why your truck jerks when breaking. All these reasons are explained in this article along with their solutions. But it’s always better to not wait until your car shows different symptoms. Take your car for timely checkups and such which would not cost you as much as replacing parts. Hope you found the article helpful!