Weekend before the Expo I had to change my driver's side front wheel bearing and I put on new brakes (used Cobalt G3000 rotors). After the long.. I mean very long ride out to the expo (lots of rain, lots of traffic, lots of heat in the car (no AC), and a few friendly fights with the girlfriend) we made it to the hotel for the dinner. My girlfriend drove the last 4 or 5 hours of the trip and when I passed the car over to her everything was fine. i get in it to drive it over to our hotel down the road (for the dog) I felt a vibration in the steering wheel under braking, but no other time.

Friday night before the expo I jacked the car up and checked every single nut and bolt on the front end to double check my work Still had the vibration on the track, but the brakes worked fine and everything felt good otherwise.

So, I checked the wheel bearing, its ok. I checked all the ball joint nuts; they are tight to the factory specs. I still get the vibration. I haven't had time to take the rotors off for inspection yet. I just read Smitdog's (I think) thread about the Cobalt rotors.

any suggestions on tests to rule out the ball joint? There is no clunking or other noise during te vibration.

Cliff's:
changed wheel bearing and brakes before expo
on way to expo something went bad, steering wheel vibrates under braking.
all nuts tight, no play int he front wheels with no load on them.
still vibrates under brakes and I can feel it in the steering wheel very lightly in gentle turns sometimes.
Help?

thanks!

 

did you bed the pads correctly?
the pad film transfer might not have been completed 100%.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Willard &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">did you bed the pads correctly?
the pad film transfer might not have been completed 100%.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Sorry I left that out. I did bed the pads correctly.

Is it safe to assume i don't have a ball joint issue? I would think i would feel some play in the wheel when it is jacked up and I would hear some noise under hard cornering.

 

Bump because i am interested.

 

Vato^D^D^D^D Autozone rotors are a pretty cheap way to rule out Rotors. Plus, they don't warp.

I wouldn't THINK it could be tires, but might try rotating them. A bulging sidewall/tearing cord might cause a shimmy under breaking/cornering. I would think you'd notice it going straight but maybe not. Could be damage on the inside edge of the tire.

good luck...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Matt_ITR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> I felt a vibration in the steering wheel under braking, but no other time. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Hmm, do you feel a pulsing in the brake pedal when you're pushing them? That would be a giveaway for a rotor.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ccfries &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Vato^D^D^D^D Autozone rotors are a pretty cheap way to rule out Rotors. Plus, they don't warp. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Someone will make you eat those words sooner or later.

Most of the time someone thinks he's warped a rotor, it's something else. However, just about all rotors <u>will</u> and <u>can</u> warp.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Matt_ITR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I can feel it in the steering wheel very lightly in gentle turns sometimes.
Help?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Before we go off on another tangent, I want to make sure I understand that you are saying that in a turn, with no brakes and with trailing throttle you are feeling the vibration in the steering wheel? Is that right?

That changes things. How many miles on this car?

 

My car does the same thing right now, but I know the rotors were never good due to the previous owner warping them.

If you didn't break you brakes in properly something can go wrong.

For example, you slow down from high speeds and then keep your foot on the brake, the rotors will warp. Did you or her do this by chance?

Wait a minute...you said the rotors were used right? Maybe they were already a bit warped to begin with and you just didn't notice, or it got worse.

 

thanks for4 the replies guys.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by George Knighton &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Before we go off on another tangent, I want to make sure I understand that you are saying that in a turn, with no brakes and with trailing throttle you are feeling the vibration in the steering wheel? Is that right?

That changes things. How many miles on this car?</TD></TR></TABLE>

That slight, and I mean very slight vibration in the steering well if after braking, with minor input to the wheel and constant throttle. But if the rotors are warped badly, maybe brake drag is causing that.

The car is a 97 with 47000 miles.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ericlee303 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
For example, you slow down from high speeds and then keep your foot on the brake, the rotors will warp. Did you or her do this by chance?QUOTE]

that could have been. We would cruise at high speed and have to get slowed down for stopped traffic on the highways.

[QUOTE=ericlee303]
Wait a minute...you said the rotors were used right? Maybe they were already a
bit warped to begin with and you just didn't notice, or it got worse.</TD></TR></TABLE>

the rotors were brand new, fresh out of the box. I think I am going to throw my old rotors on the car (haven't tossed them yet) and check my current rotors on the granite table at work.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by George Knighton &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Someone will make you eat those words sooner or later.

Most of the time someone thinks he's warped a rotor, it's something else. However, just about all rotors <u>will</u> and <u>can</u> warp.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I shoulda used the winkey smile after that statement. But at the same time, I'm an optimist. Murphy be damned.

 

1st:

http://stoptech.com/whitepaper...h.htm

2nd:

http://www.baer.com/Support/Te...pID=4

&

3rd:

http://www.baer.com/Support/Te...pID=5


I've devoured and used the following methods despite my pads and rotors being a different manufacturer and have had minimal if any related braking issues.

If you are feeling the shake or whatnot in the corners and have checked everything you've said you'd checked, I might rule out brakes or film transfer and "warping" mostly since you aren't still applying the brakes in through the corner. I might look at the caliper itself then at alignment settings or even tire balancing.

I too am chasing down a funny wiggle in the steering wheel but under different circumstances and with different results. My next step is a good alignment.

 

your chick warped the rotors. she probably drives like every other chick in the world and waits til the last second to hit the brakes.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mike K &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">your chick warped the rotors. she probably drives like every other chick in the world and waits til the last second to hit the brakes. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Hey, that's how I drive.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mike K &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">your chick warped the rotors. she probably drives like every other chick in the world and waits til the last second to hit the brakes. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Hmmm. Well, if it's pad and rotor life you're concerned with, that's actually a healthier way to stop than dragging the brakes over a longer distance.

The fastest track drivers seem to have brakes and rotors that last longer than those of the slower drivers, and this is partly the result of very compressed brake zones.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 1GreyTeg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you are feeling the shake or whatnot in the corners and have checked everything you've said you'd checked, I might rule out brakes or film transfer and "warping" mostly since you aren't still applying the brakes in through the corner. I might look at the caliper itself then at alignment settings or even tire balancing.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Makes perfect sense.

I doubt he's worn out a CV joint at his mileage, but it wouldn't hurt to check the axle boots while he's rooting around.

 

Nah, the CV joints are good. I just moved up to Vermont and all my tools are still back in MA. Wehn I go home this weekend I am going to throw another set of the pads and rotors I have on it and I will see if that makes the problem go away. I am going to order a lower ball joint just in case.

I will post up my findings.

 

What is a good test to see if that lower ball joint is crap? I jacked the car up last night and followed the directions in the helms (wiggling the wheel up and down and left and right). I was pulling pretty hard and there is no play.

 

Its not the brakes. I ordered a lower ball joint, but there is still no play in the front suspension, really a shot in the dark. If this doesn't work I will try resurfacing my rotors and getting new pads.

fun fun...