Hey all, my rotors are out of true and so the car shudders when I stop. Will replacing just the front rotors fix this issue or do I have to do all 4 rotors at once? Should I just put new cheap autozone-brand rotors on or turn the ones I have?

I also get a whirring noise I notice around 35mph that gets louder as I go faster. When I bought the car it was clearly out of alignment and might have a suspension issue (of unknown type), as the rear left tire was seriously damaged in a weird diagonal wear pattern. (The car handles just fine though). I replaced the tires and got an alignment (way out of alignment) but after that it pulled to the left. Until, of course, I hit a huge pothole a week or so later with my right front wheel, and put a bubble in the tire. A new-to-me tire later, I was back on the road and viola! No more pull to the left. Did that pothole knock me into alignment? Should I get it aligned again anyway? A few weeks after this incident I started noticing the whirring, which became louder over about 2 weeks and then stabilized at a noticeable and disconcerting, but not distracting, whir from 35mph and up. I equalized the tire pressures and it seemed to reduce the volume, but it's still noticeable. I tried to see if it might have been a wheel bearing, by jacking up each wheel and seeing if it had any play, but there was none. Also, turning while moving in either direction does not affect the volume of the whir. Could it be a suspension problem? A differential problem? How can I assess and/or fix either/both of these potential issues?

I really like this car and I want to take care of it so I can see it to high mileage. I'm going on a 2,000 mile trip in a few weeks, please suggest other repairs I could consider.

Thanks a lot!

PS. Anybody had any towing experience with an Accord? Is it even possible? (:

 

first of all what year is your accord? since your going on a 2,000 mile trip, I'd get another alignment done just to be sure and I'd get all 4 rotors replaced along with new brake pads. Auto zone rotors will do fine.

 

Yeah, I guess some basic information would be useful huh...It's a 1996 Accord EX 2.2L SOHC Automatic 4-door. I've bought all the pads and rotors, definitely plan on doing that. I'm at 143k miles...bought it a few months ago...I can't know for certain if the timing belt has been changed, but I can't really afford the $700 it'll cost to put a new kit in...do you all think I really NEED to put that extra cash down now? Give me your suggestions.

 

if it's at 143k then the timing belt was most likely changed at lest once, but I would go to the original owner if possible and find out. I would also check the following: Upper and lower ball joints, Tie rod ends, any noise coming from the suspension, Belts (power steering pump, and alternator belts) check for any oil leaks, I'd do a full oil change and I'd have an Extra 5 quarts in the trunk just in case, New thermostat, change the coolant, check for any cracks on the radiator hoses, check the tranny fluid...Thats what I can think of right now. Think of it like this: It's better to spend money on stuff you probably don't even need but be sure that you'll have a safe and enjoyable trip without being worried about the car going down on you.