Yes I know I am stooopid. I recently purchased a used accord coupe and I was preparing to change the timing belt and a lot of other stuff. Anyway i got stuck on the crankshaft nut and went inside to have some lunch and ponder my next attempt and when I came out the car had fallen off the jack stands in the drivers side direction . I had only removed the drivers side wheel so basically it put the driver side rotor into the dirt. Now in my defense the vehicle was on jack stands on gravel. But obviously I should have put a board under it because the ground was wet and slowly let the jack stand shift.

The good news is I was not under it when it fell, the bad news is once I got my timing belt and stuff in the car and got it on the road I now have a very bad vibration while braking at higher speeds. It's noticeable at lower speeds but not as annoying.

I have experienced a warped rotor in the past and usually they are an issue when coming to a stop at a stop light and not as noticeable at higher speeds. This vibration is the opposite of that.

What can i check on the car to make sure I purchase and replace the correct part. My first inclination is to replace the rotor but I would like to confer with the experts on here to see what other things I could look for to ensure I am replacing the right part. Also is it worth taking to a shop to pay them to have it diagnosed and I can fix because they have access to tools and knowledge that I do not.

Honestly I don't mind replacing the rotors because they were warped before I put the car in the dirt but since I have to take alot of stuff loose to get at them I maight as well make sure I look for anything else that needs to be replaced.

 

Kind of pricey but this Brembo Rotor description is what I think people on here say is a good solid rotor. This is what I found at Tirerack.com. Is this the right way to go?

Front fitment
Style: Plain
Finish: Plain
(Front) Plain vented rotor for 4cyl models only.
Price: $58.00 (each)
$52.00 Special
Estimated Availability: In Stock
Manufacturer Part #: 25320 OR 65320

Also my bushings are all pretty crusty. If I'm going to be taking the front suspension apart is there a kit that I could buy that would replace all the bushings I will encounter while performing this repair?

 

You should check all of the suspension components on that side. Upper & lower Ball joints, tie rod end, radius rod and any bushings. Depending on the angle and how hard it hit the ground. You may have damaged part of the suspension along with the obvious, rotor & wheel bearing. Any misaligned or loose suspension component can cause a high speed shimmy when braking.

 

When you say "check" the suspension parts is simply grabbing them and pushing and pulling on them to feel for any play or looseness an adequate inspection? My concern is that I don't have any experience in identifying a bad suspension component so I guess I am curious if it will be obvious if something is bad. And as far as misaligned goes I guess that will obvious also as i look at things as well?

Thanks for the help!

 

Most times jacking up the car and pushing and pulling on the tire will give you an obvious indication that something is wrong.

If you push/pull with your hands @ 3 & 9 and you feel a clunk or jerky movement that is more than likely a tie rod. if you push/pull with your hands @ 12 & 6 and you feel a jerky movement, that is usually an upper or lower ball joint. To confirm you can try and look behind the wheel while you are pushing/pulling and you can usually see the movement in the joints.

If there is movement when pushing/pulling @ both orientations. that could be an indication of a wheel hub/bearing assembly issue.

these are just basic DIY tests. If you are not comfortable doing these tests. Or you don't think you are getting an adequate result. I suggest that you take your car in for an alignment and ask them to check everything out on that side for you. I this case, if it is a legitimate shop, they will be able to tell you if anything is loose or out of alignment very easily.

 

Well I gave it the ol jerk wiggle and roll and it feels pretty solid. I did notice most of the bushings are ripped/cracked and the grease inside them is exposed if you poke them with a screw driver but none were loose. It all seems to be solid but in need of replacement.

I did pay close attention to how the brakes sounded when I slowed down and I could hear them sliding on the rotor and it was definitely a modulating sound.

I am not 100% sure its the rotor but I would say 90%.

So Assuming I replace the rotors is there a decent bushing kit I can throw in while I am at it you would recommend.

 

Ok so I need to re clarify the issue I could visually see. The ball joint upper and lower appear to be sound and operating normally. However the boot on both of them is cracked. My main question now is should I replace just the boot or the whole ball joint. I have watched a couple videos and it appears there is a decent amount of thrashing involved in removing and reinstalling them.

I also have read some posts where people take out the suspension components arm, knuckle etc. and take them to a shop to have the old bushings pressed out and new pressed in. Is this worth the effort? I don't plan to race the car but I do enjoy a solid ride. i will also probably go ahead and install new struts and springs when I tear everything apart in addition to the Rotors.

 

replacing the upper and lower ball joint dust boots are fairly easy if you know how to "shock them off" (see some youtube vids)

check for play according to the other thread i replied to; sometimes you can catch them early this way before you either buy the dust boots or the whole joint.

https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-accord-1990-2002-2/suspension-problem-1997-accord-3029500/

 

So I have seen on ebay they have a kit that replaces alot of the suspension parts and comes with all new ball joints already pressed in and I guess there are new bushings where they should be as well. For $269and everything gets swapped out that don't sound bad figuring one ball joint costs about $25. Anyone have any advice good or bad about these products. Are the parts on my car better than this ebay stuff? Check link below.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/STEERING-SUS...item4aaeca5664