I know, I know, you folks are tired of these damn shimmying Seville questions. But, I need a little info. My Seville still shimmies after new tires, and road force balancing. I just noticed today, that in certain situations, the shimmy gets more pronounced, when braking. Now, the steering wheel vibrates, and I feel the shimmy, but the brake pedal does NOT pulsate at all. Does this mean I can rule out the possibility of warped rotors, and focus more on the front suspension/steering? Tie rods, struts, steering rack? What do you folks think I should attack first? Thanks
On my 2000 sls I was told by the dealer that all 4 rotors were warped also 1 bad motor mount and driver side tie rod bad. The after market warranty covered all but the brakes. Had the front rotors turned (just cleaned up they were not warped) it viberated as you described . problem solved.
sts96
Thanks for the info. I am probably going to change out the tie rod ends, as they are fairly inexpensive. My biggest concern, is the brakes. I am making the assumption, that since the pedal doesn't pulsate, that the rotors aren't warped. Can someone confirm, that a warped rotor(s), will "always" cause a pedal pulsation? My experience says that this statement is true. But, if it is wrong, please inform me.
I have heard the motor mount thing, but I do not understand something. An engine, only knows RPM. So, if a mount is causing a vibration, it will occur, at a certain RPM. It will occur in first gear at that RPM, second gear at that RPM, etc. If our cars are having a problem at a certain speed, than it can't be a mount. Let's say, that the shimmy begins at 60 mph, at 1,800 rpm. If it was a mount, I should be able to feel it, in first gear, at 20 pmh, when the engine is at 1,800 rpm. This doesn't happen though. I have also never had a vehicle, that developed a vibration/shimmy, that goes away, with a higher speed. They usually get worse, the faster you go.
So, if anyone can confirm the brake question, I would really appreciate it. I am pretty good with fixing problems, just not too good with diagnosing them. Thanks
The rotors were the shimmy problem. there was NO pedal pulsation. I pulled the rotors took them to the local shop they resurfaced them $ 10.00 each. problem cured that easy.
sts96
yea, rotors can cause it, but still have no pedal pulsation. Cheap and easy to find out! Hopefully you have a parts car or secondary back up that you can run the rotors to the machine shop in, instead of having them remove them for ya...saves a few bucks!
Front rotors are not expensive. If the person (sales clerk) at the auto parts store is the one doing the resurface, it could cause hot spots in the rotor by taking too much metal away from an already slightly warped rotor. End result is severely warped rotors and serious pulsation when brakeing, once the thin spots begin to warp.
Just my 2¢
Check the price of new front rotors at the parts store, chances are you can get them for $14.99 each, new. Pick up a set of high quality front brake pads to go with your new rotors. You should be good for another 3 years.
If you still have a slight shimmy problem, invest in new tie rod ends. Please get an alignment when you are done.
Pick up a set of high quality front brake pads to go with your new rotors.
When you say high quality, are you refering to the harder compound pads ?
Im asking because Ive had people tell me not to use the more expensive harder compound ones.
They have told me that sure they do last longer. But there is a much more likely hood of them tearing up the rotors.
My last brake job the front rotors were scored preety good. Had to machine them. Was told it was probably because of the harder pads.
Come spring I will be doing new pads and rotors all round.
Apparently there are 3 grades of rotors to select from.
And the 2 different compound pads.
So the more info the better
Its something Ive heard frequently.
Im sure there are pros and cons for both. But was wondering if there was any validity to what I'd heard about the harder compound pads ?
No, when I mentioned high quality, I was making only a distinction between “house brand” and name brand pads. Pad hardness quality is up to the buyer. Some people swear by high metal content, while others simply love ceramic pads. Bargain brake pads are just that, a bargain at the time of purchase and will not likely last any length of driving distance as compared to a quality brand name.
I am not sure about rotor "grade" you referenced. There are different types and styles, like OEM, Slotted, Cross Drilled etc... but OEM (type) is sufficient as long as it is tested true at the time of manufacture. Yes, even the ones imported from China are good to use. They must pass Federal controls(numbers stamped on the rotor) to be imported and sold in the USA, so don't worry.
cguthrie
Good Point! Proper lug nut torque is not apparent, it is fact!
