I'm going to be putting on brand new calipers, rotors, and racing brake pads on the front left and right side wheels. theres a little problem with the right side caliper but it shouldn't effect this. it seems that my steering wheel starts to rattle as i hit 2500 rpms+. anyone know what might cause this? what to look for?

 

bump...

 

um, all I can think of is loose ends. try and tighten everything.

 

is this from sitting in neutral? or are you driving the car? is the shake coming from the wheel/hands or from the chair/butt?

 

its nothing loose. something is wrong. see when i drive and i let go of the steering wheel, it leans to the right. then when i pull it back to the left a little to straighten it out, thats when it starts to rattle as i hold it in place straight. something is causing this.

 

check alignment. or put the front tires on the back and vice versa, that checks for wheel balance. jack your car up and hold one of the front wheels one hand top one hand bottom (12 and 6 oclock) , and give it some tiny shakes.

if it is loose: check ball joints

grab the wheel on left and right (9 and 3 oclock), give it a little shake or two, like you were turning the steering wheel. It would help if someone was under the car looking at the tie rods. if the wheel you are moving is moving on its own and the other isnt moving with it, then check the tie rods. The ball in them wear out after a while.

how is the car under braking? does it pull to one side and/or vibrate?

 

i just had an alignment done on the car on the front left and right side.. he didn't say anything to me except for the fact that when breaking the car pulls to the right sometimes. (thats because of the caliper on the right side) which im replacing. but i guess i'll do what you said and see whats up.

 

caliper? Well, that sounds like you might have a stuck piston! check your pads, if they are worn, the pistons may be pushed out and one could be stronger than the other.

 

im putting on new calipers with the mounting brackets, new rotors, and new racing break pads. although i'm pretty sure this will only make the breaking work fine, not fix the problem with the steering wheel..

 

Well, if it doesnt fix it, you've eliminated the chances of it being a warped rotor/stuck piston/something caught in the pad.

 

my mechanic, (robert owner of Rotary Shack), said it wont fix it. all it will do will make the breaks work right without pulling and squeeking. so what else could make the steering wheel do that? besides what you said before about switching the wheels from front to back, etc.

 

Here is a hardcore list on what to check:

Tie Rods
Wheel bearings
Loose lug nuts
Loose bolts in rear driveshaft/rear end (wouldnt make just the s.wheel shake)
Bad tire
Dented rim
Lost wheel weight (front tire)
Idler bushing
U joints on Drive shaft
Exhaust components touching something other than the rubber hangers
Tranny Mount
Warped driveshaft (Putting too much stress on it)

Basically i can narrow it down to this, if you feel it ONLY in the steering wheel, its 95% suspension related. if you feel it in your seat as well, then it could be a transmission problem. That is just some of the things that come to mind.

PS wheel bearings themselves will NOT cause vibration

 

Replace the wheel bearings since you are replaceing your brake componets

 

Improper torque on the lug bolts is one of the biggest reasons for wheel vibrations to show up.

 

I covered all of this with you in the previous 2 posts on the same subject. I informed you about the possible damage to the wheel bearings on that side due to the excessive heat generated by the sticking caliper/cracked rotor.

Replace the parts I recommended,inspect and service the wheel bearings and see what happens afterwards.

 

Agree'd. I will do this and let you guys know whats up within the next few days. Although I must say.. in regards to what trochoid said, the whole "improper torque on the lug bolts" sounds like something that might be occuring. mainly because it seems the fast I try to drive right between 1st-2nd gear, the more vibrations I get once hitting about 3k rpm.

 

in terms of the wheel bearings, if they are going bad don't they make an excessive amount of noise?

 

b

 

usually grinding/whining/squealing

 

Over tightening of the lub bolts can cause warpage of the brake rotors. The improper tightening of the wheel bearing pre-load can cause wheel vibration(too loose of torque) or destruction of the bearings(too tight).

If you have a severely warped brake rotor(out of round) when you apply the brakes the steering wheel will feel like it is getting ripped out of your hands.


I believe you just have a combination of alot of failed or failing parts that are contributing to the problem.

 

I see. Alright well I guess i'll chill with the questions for now and just wait until we put on the new calipers, rotors, and pads. Thanks again doc.

 

I had this problem years ago on my 83. I replaced the ball joints, outer tie rod ends, etc.. etc...Even after the alignment it never quite drove right. It turned out that it was the tie rod itself. It didn't look bent until I took it off completely. It was bent dammit...Didn't look it from just an inspection, though. Fixed it and she drove great!! A month later someone hit her on the same side and here we go again!!

 

wow that sucks. sorry to hear that. but that sounds like something it might be, i'll definately have to check it out.

 

Finally.. the new calipers, rotors, and racing pads are on and i'm going to be picking up the car on monday. unfortunately it seems that on the passenger side the break hose is really worn down so i have to replace that as well. if after all this, the steering wheel problem still exists, i'll check out the tie rod and see if it's bent like what kymber said. i'll be sure to post an update once I get the car back.

 

good luck on the car! sounds like your gonna have some fun with it.