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1997 Camry wabble and noise front right


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ceandries
Novice

Jul 29, 2013, 7:42 AM

Post #1 of 18 (1860 views)
  post locked   1997 Camry wabble and noise front right  

Hello,
This is my first post, I would like to thank everyone in advance for any advise offerred to help solve this problem.

I have a 1997 Toyota Camry
3.0 V6 165k
Manual

I have a vibration/wabble coming from my front right side. It seems to only happen at speeds between 40 and 55 mph and after driving significant distance. Coasting, holding speed or accelerating does not make a difference. At higher speeds the car rides smoothly. I noticed this for the first time a few weeks ago after driving about 100 miles at 70mph and then slowed due to traffic. At the lower speeds the wabble was very violent, to the point where it seemed possible the axle might break. At that time the car also had a constant vibration that was noticable but was never really a problem.

Since then I have replaced front rotors, bearings, ball joints and tie rod ends, had 4 wheel alignment done, and got new tires all around. The constant vibration is definately gone, and I thought I had solved the wabble problem but the other day I noticed the wabble again, although not as bad as before.

I drive about 10 miles to and from work everyday and I do not hear or feel the wabble, but yesterday I drove 80 miles and it was very noticibly shaking the steering wheel.

All 4 struts need to be replaced, but I don't think that is causing this problem.

My CV boots look good, I didn't see any obvious leaks. The fact that it seems to only happen after driving long distances confuses me. The next canditate for replacement will be the cv shafts, but I wanted to see if anyone else had input. I have never done CV shafts on a manual, will it be any different than auto?

Thanks for reading.


(This post was edited by ceandries on Jul 29, 2013, 7:49 AM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jul 29, 2013, 8:28 AM

Post #2 of 18 (1840 views)
  post locked   Re: 1997 Camry wabble and noise front right  

Did they look close at the wheels when they balanced them?



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



ceandries
Novice

Jul 29, 2013, 10:42 AM

Post #3 of 18 (1831 views)
  post locked   Re: 1997 Camry wabble and noise front right  

Not sure, the guys at Discount Tire balanced the new tires when they put them on. I have rotated the tires since this started and there was no change--noise still coming from front right.


(This post was edited by ceandries on Jul 29, 2013, 10:42 AM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jul 29, 2013, 11:12 AM

Post #4 of 18 (1825 views)
  post locked   Re: 1997 Camry wabble and noise front right  

You can't be looking for a vibration if you don't even know if the tires were balanced or if the rims are bent.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



ceandries
Novice

Jul 31, 2013, 7:20 PM

Post #5 of 18 (1809 views)
  post locked   Re: 1997 Camry wabble and noise front right  

Like I said, I got 4 new tires last week and they were balanced at discount tire when they put them on. If a rim was bent I imagine they would have noticed that when they balanced the tires.


Tom Greenleaf
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Aug 1, 2013, 12:49 AM

Post #6 of 18 (1799 views)
  post locked   Re: 1997 Camry wabble and noise front right  

Noticed problems by the fast and furious discount places - don't count on that too much,

T



ceandries
Novice

Aug 2, 2013, 2:07 PM

Post #7 of 18 (1778 views)
  post locked   Re: 1997 Camry wabble and noise front right  

Ok. I will get tires balanced and rims checked on Monday by my usual shop and post results.


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Aug 2, 2013, 2:13 PM

Post #8 of 18 (1776 views)
  post locked   Re: 1997 Camry wabble and noise front right  

Just ask them to check that. Balance could be correct on a bent wheel,

T



ceandries
Novice

Aug 4, 2013, 6:26 AM

Post #9 of 18 (1764 views)
  post locked   Re: 1997 Camry wabble and noise front right  

Noticed something new today, front right rim and rotor are very hot after driving 10 minutes. What could be causing that? The car does not pull to the right- it would pull if the caliper was sticking, right?


Hammer Time
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Hammer Time profile image

Aug 4, 2013, 6:29 AM

Post #10 of 18 (1763 views)
  post locked   Re: 1997 Camry wabble and noise front right  

That means the brakes are not releasing which definitely could cause your wobble but you stated in your original question that the rotors were replaced so I don't know how that could have been missed up until now.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Aug 4, 2013, 6:44 AM

Post #11 of 18 (1759 views)
  post locked   Re: 1997 Camry wabble and noise front right  

Yes, as HT said that would do it. Unfortunately that could have warped rotor which could be fatal for that rotor and I/we aren't great fans of doing just one side with brake things. It had to have harmed or changed those pads too.

Why does this happen: Caliper issues anywhere, brake hose could have been missed and happened with a caliper hanging by it.

What to do? Bring it up with the person or shop that did the job. "Pilot Error" is a bit unknown if you will as it may have behaved and been done fine and just bad luck IMO. People just don't want to hear throw all of it out and sure it cost to do that but can save a lot of issues.

Needs re-inspection and pick a plan. That job could be junk already IMO dammit,

T



ceandries
Novice

Aug 4, 2013, 8:39 AM

Post #12 of 18 (1749 views)
  post locked   Re: 1997 Camry wabble and noise front right  

I did the rotors. If the rotors were warped I would feel vibration in the break pedal correct?


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Aug 4, 2013, 9:17 AM

Post #13 of 18 (1744 views)
  post locked   Re: 1997 Camry wabble and noise front right  

Good point. Trouble is if and that's not so sure without some hard checking that even a new rotor if hot enough could warp - arggh. Your observation of ONE warm wheel is real damning for a dragging brake on that wheel and the exact reason isn't really known yet.

Calipers on a '97 would be high on the list. I think this uses slide pins too which should be lubed and free. Piston inside can be unseen and frozen slightly or if stuck bad would have wild problems worse than you have. Frequently just in retracting themm for pads and rotors (I would hope you put new pads on too with rotors?) could fool a bad one for a while but that's not for sure either.

What I think techs should be looking for is uneven wear on one side vs the other when they are there. That's a huge reason to suspect troubles exist.

It never ends, sorry. Sometimes pads don't fit real well but should be noticed right away when doing those. Not so sure if one was sticky would totally cause your symptoms so fast or just not feel right but probably not drag. The warm wheel is a dragging brake.

Flex hose has a stronger inside covered by the rubber you can see. Inside can fail like a "Reed" valve meaning fluid applies the brake and can't let the pressure out enough or at all. Some will be so bad you can barely move after a hard brake application.

It really should by rights be pulling IMO towards the cooler brake not the dragging one once driven along till hot or do either but many current materials used in linings don't "fade" it's called meaning you really lose friction when hot - very hot.

OK: Upon inspection if that side's rotor is blue from heat a common reaction to excessive heat and the other isn't it would suggest machining them but the problem is there isn't much metal over spec even new to take more off and the thinner the more apt to warp so it's a rock and a hard place.

Whatever the reason it isn't going to get better without doing something. Then it's the tech's judgement on the best approach and since you just did some of it you may ask for some consideration for additional parts not noticed and some can escape notice right at the time.

No tech or shop is thrilled (I hope!) to have a "come back" for something they did. Takes some trust here and IMO behaving like adults. Stuff can happen or if they see something was done wrong should admit it and take care of it.

There's a lot more to brakes than just the common wearing parts and actually takes some experience, judgment to do them.

Then there's always some outside chance something else is the source problem but with ONE warm wheel I doubt it,

T (sorry for the novel)



ceandries
Novice

Aug 6, 2013, 4:13 PM

Post #14 of 18 (1718 views)
  post locked   Re: 1997 Camry wabble and noise front right  

Brought it to my shop yesterday, front right caliper not releasing properly. New one on the way!


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 6, 2013, 4:16 PM

Post #15 of 18 (1716 views)
  post locked   Re: 1997 Camry wabble and noise front right  

Are you sure the caliper itself is the reason?



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



ceandries
Novice

Aug 6, 2013, 4:18 PM

Post #16 of 18 (1712 views)
  post locked   Re: 1997 Camry wabble and noise front right  

Well, I guess I'll know once the new one is on. I'll post updates.


ceandries
Novice

Aug 28, 2013, 5:41 AM

Post #17 of 18 (1680 views)
  post locked   Re: 1997 Camry wabble and noise front right  

Finally got the calipers replaced on the Camry (the front right was backordered). No more wobble or noise and the heat buildup on the front right is gone.
Thanks for the help everyone.


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Aug 28, 2013, 5:45 AM

Post #18 of 18 (1679 views)
  post locked   Re: 1997 Camry wabble and noise front right  

OK - As problem seems solved and you are happy with it I'll close the thread. You can ask any moderator to reopen it if you wish,

T







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