If there's a different forum for this kind of topic, please alert me.

My dad drives a 1998 Mercury Sable. It's a nice car. Runs strong, decent pickup and handling. But it's always had some weird brakes that have always gotten worse. The brakes always pump themselves. As speed increases, the pump faster and faster to a point of being violent. If you brake at speeds above 45Mpg, the wheel shakes left and right about an inch really fast and the car's brake go on and off rapidly. On the interstate it feels downright unsafe because the car is lurching to a stop. It's drivable but the stopping distance is terrible at high speeds.

I thought it was the ABS system going haywire so I looked online at what fuses the ABS system uses in the car. We've removed every ABS fuse in the car. The interior fuse as well as the high current fuses located near the battery. The ABS light didn't even turn on with any fuses removed and was not on before hand.

I've ruled out that the ABS system is going haywire because the ABS system could not physically operate without power or a complete circuit. Has anyone experienced an issue like this before with another car? Any ideas on what else could be going wrong?

 

Have you replaced the pads/rotors on the car?

 

severely warped rotors will make the steering wheel shake violently. severely warped rear drums will make it pulse to a stop.

You would do well to get new rotors and have your dad drive it like its a taurus not a nascar.

 

He bought the car with the shaky brakes and they have only gotten worse. I always thought it was an ABS problem but the issue persisted. I'll go check if the Sable has front and rear disk brakes or just front disks and drums in back. I've replaced brake pads on my Blazer but have never replaced rotors. Is this about as straightforward?

 

sable should have drums in the rear, i could be wrong depending on the model options but as far as i know they are drums.

if the drum surface wears in such a way around the shoes itll be a huge pain in the **** to get them off...

it does sound like a brake hardware problem though

 

I appreciate all the help. Some time during the week, I will bring the car to a friend's and jack her up to check the brakes. I'll tell you all what I find.