Topic: mini stearing wheel side-to-side vibrations

[BlackSunShine]

I've had the tires balanced and aligned again. I was thinking that when I switched to my snow tires, a rim size smaller, I should have done the alignment again; but I didn't.  I've got my summer tires back on and had them balanced and aligned. I still get this slight shemmy side-to-side on the steering wheel. Could this be a bent rim or maybe a rotor? I've got 42,000+ miles on the original disks and pads.

[JimmyBaja]

Does it happen all the time or just when you hit the brakes - if it's just when you hit the brakes it's probably warped rotors.

[Gentleman Jack]

any accidents or small bumps into hard objects?  Really bad hits on a pot hole?  steering linkage?  

need more info on when it happens, like Jimmy was asking.  Certain speed? Accel / Decel?

GJ
remote auto mechanic w/ no training.

[Critterman]

We can all take a look at Joe's this weekend and see what we come up with.

[DeepBlueGXP]

You did the right thing by having the wheels balance first.  If it's worse when you hit the brakes, it's a rotor problem. 

[kennysabarese]

Believe this or not.

http://www.stoptech.com/whitepapers/warped_rotors_myth.htm

[NormSky]

I've had older street tires that would oscillating the steering wheel at certain road speeds. So it could be old tires that create a resonance.


Norm

[Treeman]

Believe this or not.

http://www.stoptech.com/whitepapers/warped_rotors_myth.htm

Verdy interesting.....

[kennysabarese]

Stoptech is one of the biggest aftermarket brake companies out there....

[DeepBlueGXP]

Like I said, it's a rotor problem. 

I disagree with the article.  I have seen warped rotors.  They can happen when a dealer or some other mechanic uses a impact wrench to over tighten the lugs and not use a correct pattern for torquing.  Being a mechanic (USN) for 22 years, you'd think I know what I'm talking about.  I actually had warped rotors on my last car, a 93 Ford Taurus.  The metal was defective and when it was placed on a machine to clean up, you could see the wobble when you spun it by hand.  Ford later admitted the problem and changed the parts.  No recall was done due to it not being a safety related issue
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Ford+taurus+warped+rotors

[kennysabarese]

I think the article is saying that you cannot get warped rotors from the metal getting overheated during driving.

If he has defective parts, or someone installed them improperly, that changes everything.

[Critterman]

I'm thinking we need to check all the suspension and assy bolts.

[2kwk4u]

OK, here's my $.02:

The stoptech article is dealing with racing brakes and says right up front that it assumes proper torque on the lugs and the correct tightening pattern.  In the real world on a street car, that's rarely the case unless you do it yourself.  With most shops, you're lucky if they use a torque stick on their impact gun.  I don't think I've ever seen a "professional" at a tire shop use a torque WRENCH.  I too have warped rotors until I learned to torque mine myself with a torque wrench using the correct pattern.  I also spent some time working at AutoZone ages ago.  I've put plenty of warped rotors on the brake lathe (ones we sold and stock ones as well - even crappy AZ rotors that were new and just sat on the shelf... but that's b/c most AZ parts are crap).  

One thing that might be worth looking into is the wheel-to-hub interface.  Another *assumption* postulated in that article is that both surfaces are flat, true, and clean.

[numbbers]

Well, the article is wrong.  Anyone who drives the Colorado mountains will suffer warped brake rotors at some point.  All the damn braking will warp the rotors, and having them turned, or replaced cures the vibration.  I have lived here most of my life, and have replaced many sets of front rotors.

[kennysabarese]

What he's saying is that the vibrations are from pad deposits, not the rotors warping.

Turning them would solve both issues.

[Unclefester]

I noticed some steering wheel shimmy (sometimes) after I put on my Riken Raptors.  Acts different on different roads and depends on the pressures in the tires. I hand a full alignment done after putting on the new shoes.  Just my $.02.

[DeepBlueGXP]

change your front pads and rotors

[DeepBlueGXP]

make sure you research rotor breakin procedures so you don't have the same issues with your new ones.

[Gentleman Jack]

Yep. Looks like it. Crud.

BSS,

Leave the rotors out in the sun for hours with no water.  See if the feel better afterwards.

GJ

[2kwk4u]

I kept meaning to ask if your problem got resolved or somehow resolved itself at the mod meet.  Guess not.  From  your description, this sounds like something more severe than classic rotor warp.  I don't think that would render your brakes suddenly useless.  Are you saying you had to use the e-brake and steer side to side to slow it down because the pedal was doing nothing NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU PUSHED IT?

I agree that you need to change the front rotors and pads ASAP (like NOW).  Also bleed the brakes when you do it.  Check for vacuum leaks at the power booster and check valve.  When you pull the old rotors and pads off, inspect them closely to see if they're worn unevenly or severely glazed.  ...and as Joe says, pay attention and follow a good "bed-in" procedure with the new brakes.

[2kwk4u]

Good.  Family is good.  How are you and yours? 

I used to warp rotors from time-to-time on previous cars until I learned to torque my lug nuts STRICTLY with a torque wrench and in the right bolt pattern.  Haven't had a problem since.  I'm not saying this is definitely what caused your warping, but it seemed to solve my problems.

When you want me to fix that shift light for you?

[Critterman]

Yep. It's good advice all the way around.     The pedal was solid, but the vibration in the tires and steering wheel felt like the ABS system was on; but it wasn't.   I hobbled it over to Midas today  and had them take a look. Major warping.   They were able to machine [?] them back into spec,   but it took twice for each rotor. They also suggested getting new ones soon, as these wont last another year. Time to upgrade.    They said the pads looked really good, but they could physically see the hot spots on the rotors. When they showed me, it looked like a warpe  CD. Go figure. I don't drive it that hard. Maybe all the stop-and-go on 95 ate them up? Anyway, I'm online now looking for new rotors and pads.-go figure. How is the family doing? How are you?

One word for a source of brakes:   DDMWorks

[Brad Kenny]

  This is definitely the direction I would go!!!

[ASETech67]

Get new Rotors and pads for sure, and/or upgrade the braking system if you'd like...Im very surprised tho that midas would even turn the rotors seeing that they had hot spots embedded in them...once hotspots are there, you can never fully machine them out...you end up tearing up the bits on the lathe due to the hardness and density of the hotspots and the rotor looks more like an old Vinyl LP when finished (and may still have Thickness Variation issues) instead of the proper finished product you'd see after machining a normal rotor without hotspots.