Pardon the thread title but that's the best way to explain it. A little information on the issue...

Details on why it occurred aren't really relevant but I will attempt to explain what happened as best as I can. I was traveling on a local two lane highway today and was speeding (guilt admitted) at about 85 mph. A car pulls out into the right lane (I'm in the right lane at this point) right in front of me so I swerve into the left lane to avoid, but as I'm pulling left, the road is starting to bend to the right.

My mistake was that I tapped the brake when I was quickly switching lanes, by instinct of course. However, my rear end actually kicks out and I start to slide the car at about a 60* angle to my intended direction of travel. I turn the wheel to compensate and lock the brakes up, simply to kill my speed, because otherwise it's likely I could have made my way into a guardrail and/or woods adjacent to the right of the highway. I manage to hold on and I come out of the slide and two small fishtails at about 40 mph and I just proceed along my way because I'm too shaken for a confrontation. I guess I should have pulled over, but that's besides the point. The other car turned off to the left behind me anyway, but not before they were probably showered with tire smoke, etc. I know my cabin was filled with tons of smoke.

Anyway. I have about 5 more miles to my destination. As my nerves are starting to calm, I realize that I'm hearing and feeling a slight thudding sound coming from the front of the car. To be honest, it feels like a flat spot in the tire, but upon visual inspection, the tires seem to be fine. I hear this thud thud thud as the wheel is rotating and it's directly proportional to the vehicle's rate of speed.

There doesn't appear to be a difference of feel in the car's drivability, both straight and when cornering. I can't determine that there is an increase or decrease in the thudding when I corner either side (not sure if it's a cv joint). I don't feel the pulsation through the brake pedal so I'm willing to eliminate rotor warping (due to extremely heavy braking). Steering seems to be as responsive as it was. I'm unsure as to whether it's more apparent when accelerating or decelerating because of my exhaust when accelerating.

Any ideas?

 

bump... no pun intended

 

Do you have some other wheels you can put on for a minute to see if it's your tires?

 

I do... I'll do that tomorrow when I have time and it's a bit warmer out.

NJ forecast:

now = 20*
today's high = 40*
tomorrow's high = 60*

If it turns out to be the tires, I'll rotate the fronts to the rear and see if that helps any (these are my winter snow tires so I don't want to take them off just yet.. it'll wind up snowing the next day if I do). Though I'm pissed since these tires still have a lot of tread left, but I think I'd prefer it to be the tires as opposed to something else.

 

on my car the same kinda thing happend. I was going pretty quick and had to lock up the brakes. After that i had a light thudding sound come from the front left wheel. I thought it was a warped rotor or a low spot on the tire due to the braking. Havent diagnosed the problem yet. Everything is fine to my knowledge, but it does worry me though.

This happend during sept. of 06, and nothing has haopened yet, except the noise got quieter, almost non existant.

 

Have you had an alignment performed since then?

 

back from the bar bump

 

I had some NAPA Axles make the EXACT same speed related noise awhile back. I know it's not brake related, but it just started doing it one day. I put some different axles in, and 2 years later, has'nt done it since. Just a thougt

 

Finally took a look today, lo and behold...





Apparently the force on the front tires was enough to take the tread clean off, and it was only on the fronts. Anywhere else on the tire is about 3/32-4/32". You can see it better in the second pic... 0/32" = complete flat spot

At least it's nothing more serious. I put these tires on the rear for now, but I guess they're going to have to be replaced.