Diagnostic help anyone?

[bcp]

Car runs great most of the time, but tonight on the trip down to Prince Frederick right after I came through all the stop lights on 4, I developed a really bad shimmy from the front drivers side wheel.

I continued on to where I was going, (house not to far from Stoneys) and found that the rim was hot to the touch.

came back out to come home a few hours later and of course it was all cool, and no more shimmy.

during the time the car was acting up, putting on the breaks really brought the worst out in it.

do I
A: have bad wheel bearings on that side
B: have a bad caliper on that side.

 

[Mikeinsmd]

Lugnuts all tight?

Maybe brake dust build up on the rotor too.

Maybe lost a balance weight?

 

[bcp]

Yes, lugnuts all tight.
just put four new tires on it this morning and watched them torque them down.

since it came back the same distance with no problem, Im wondering if a combination of the distance and the constant breaking at the end of the drive had anything to do with it building heat like that.

the rotors have less that 5k on them, but the caliper on that side has 100k.
I think the bearing are original also.

 

[Mikeinsmd]

Yes, lugnuts all tight.
just put four new tires on it this morning and watched them torque them down.

since it came back the same distance with no problem, Im wondering if a combination of the distance and the constant breaking at the end of the drive had anything to do with it building heat like that.

the rotors have less that 5k on them, but the caliper on that side has 100k.
I think the bearing are original also.

Oooooo.... you gave new info!! New tires. I'm thinking you lost a wheel weight now.

You'd hear a bearing.

 

[Moonchild]

Moonchilds hubby here:

Sounds like either the caliper is stuck, or the brake line itself failed in such a way that its acting like a check valve, keeping pressure on that caliper even when your note pressing the pedal.

I once replaced two calipers on one wheel, figuring the rebuilt one I had bought was just flat bad out of the box.

Turns out, the inner section of the hose can fail and trap pressure. So, make sure they check that also.

 

[bcp]

Moonchilds hubby here:

Sounds like either the caliper is stuck, or the brake line itself failed in such a way that its acting like a check valve, keeping pressure on that caliper even when your note pressing the pedal.

I once replaced two calipers on one wheel, figuring the rebuilt one I had bought was just flat bad out of the box.

Turns out, the inner section of the hose can fail and trap pressure. So, make sure they check that also.

This is something I will check tomorrow. matter of fact, I might just replace the lines anyway, I never thought of that.

as far as the shimmy, I dont think a wheel weight would create this. Let me explain shimmy a little better. I actually stopped to see if a wheel was loose, or a tire went flat. It felt like I was running over those little ridges on the side of the road only worse (and I wasnt) the steering colume was jumping.

and like I mentioned, after it sat and cooled, it made the trip home feeling like it was a brand new car.

You dont get that kind of action from a quarter bed in a cheap motel.

 

[Moonchild]

It was something I'd never heard of either. Since these lines are dual-layered, thats what can happen. If it inner layer separates at the forward edge, and flaps back, wala, check valve.

Pressure input
------->
__________
__________

when fluid comes back, the flap falls back

__________
______/..____

Pressure is retained, to bleed off slowly

 

[Kyle]

... The Blinker-Fluid was low?

 

[donbarzini]

Sounds like caliper; BUT...if it's front wheel drive it could be CV joint with the steering wheel issue you mentioned.

 

[willie]

Driver side caliper binding. Possibly just the slide pins. Calipers are cheap but the heat may have warped the rotor causing the shimmy. It is a waste of money to turn a rotor, they are cheap also.

If it is a Chrysler product, especially Dodge, this is a standard feature.

 

[desertrat]

Jack up that side and see if you can wobble the wheel by hand. That would indicate bearing. Otherwise something with the calipers.

 

[itsbob]

Did they remove the Wombulator shaft when they changed the tire? maybe they put the left handed wombulator shaft on the right side. or vice versa..

 

[bcp]

Did they remove the Wombulator shaft when they changed the tire? maybe they put the left handed wombulator shaft on the right side. or vice versa..

better not have touched my wombulator shaft.

just had a guy on the side of the road shop in west virginia replace those along with my knibbly pins.
1500.00 for that repair, so I know they are good

 

[bcp]

So,
I now have two new front rotors, two new front calipers new pads new front brake lines and all new tires.
I put in new universal joints and ordered a set of new springs for the back.

car should be riding like new in no time at all.

 

[JOOP]

what kind of wear was on the old break pads? Hopefully you have it fixed by now.