used to be only when I was braking, so I bought new rotors. Haven't even put them on yet and now it seems like the whole front end wobbles once i hit about 50. Someone mentioned it could be something with the tie rods? IDK....

Help?

 

First thing to check is shocks/struts. If they're sloppy, they're just letting the front wheels bounce around uncontrolled. (couple that with lumpy tires and you're in for a rough ride!)

Could also be tie rod ends, but you'd feel that as play in the steering wheel, as well.

Ball joints are also a possibility, and to a lesser degree, wheel bearings.

To check all but the struts, jack the car up, grab the wheel and push-pull it left and right and up and down. Feel for any movement. If you don't feel any clunky movements in any direction, then your tie rod ends, ball joints and wheel bearings are probably okay.

 

thanks I'll check that and let you know how it goes

 

Oh, and I overlooked the obvious... could simply be one or more out-of-balance or out-of-round tires. Balance problems usually get really bad around 60-65.

 

any speed related vibration is almost always related to tires and wheels. If it come and goes at different speeds , ie shakes at 45 and goes away at 60 , is a balance issue, Lower speeds is usually and out of round tire. You cant just jack up the front end to check suspension. you have to jack it up from under the lower control arm, especially a strut car. You have to unload the lower control arm to check tie rod ends and ball joints. A brake pulsation is definitly the rotors but a high speed vibration is most likely a wheel balance problem

 

pretty sure thats what it is. although, its not always 100 percent accurate. sometimes i hit 50 with no movement, and other times its all over the place.

 

I would try your tie rod ends and also bushings in your lower control arms. A balance issue wouldn't have gone from a condition under braking to a condition at around 50 MPH. If it feels like the same thing then I would check what I mentioned before (in my opinion). If it feels like something different then I would check the whole front steering and suspension, as well as have your wheels balanced.

 

A shock issue would.

 

Very true Loren. I honestly overlooked the shocks all together.

 

I just bring it up because I had that problem with a Miata once. Blown RF shock was allowing the RF tire to oscillate over bumps, especially under braking. (made rattly noises and FELT like a braking issue) But, the front suspension was so low at the time that there was very little suspension travel, and the springs were so stiff that it didn't move much... so it was really hard to tell that the shock was dead otherwise.

Dead shocks can sometimes be hard to diagnose... but they are very common.