I dont know much about suspensions...

Keira · Post by **Keira** » May 17th, 2005, 9:49 pm

but my car is riding really rough. I just got new brake pads and rotors in the rear and my tires rotated but now everything seems off. I dont know how to describe the feeling but its as if one of my wheels is gonna fall off. I can feel it mostly when im on the freeway.
I dont expect a diagnosis from what i just said but is there anything i should do routinely for my suspension?
I drive a good portion of the time on dirt roads so i know theres probably a lot of components that i am being hard on.
thanks

Tunes67 · Post by **Tunes67** » May 17th, 2005, 11:09 pm

The vibration you are feeling can be due to a couple of things.. tire balance.. worn struts.. worn ball joints. If you are doing a lot of driving on gravel roads.. and have been for a bit in your car.. might be wise to have the struts & ball joints checked out.. bumpy roads will take a toll on them overtime. Best of luck.

Tunes67

Post by **Custommx3** » May 18th, 2005, 9:42 am

You could have had a bent rim on the back and it was rotated to the front as well.

jschrauwen · Post by **jschrauwen** » May 20th, 2005, 9:13 am

Custommx3 wrote:You could have had a bent rim on the back and it was rotated to the front as well.

That's one of the things I was thinking of as well. Also not sure how you did your tire rotation but for the most part quality tires are directional meaning that the right tires right stay on the right and the same for the left side. If they had been crossed over then you could get a bit of vebration when on smoother surfaces. The tires after a period of time will fo lack of a better term "bed" themselves into a certain wear pattern. Crossing those tires over to the other side of the car could have adverse affects notwithstanding the fact that if they were a directional tire it would also play havoc with the belted treads by being utilized in the wrong direction of rotation.

Custommx3's suggestion is a lot more plausable.
A fairley inexpensive way to confirm is to have all 4 tires rebalanced and this would also aid in discovering a bent rim which in some cases if not excessive can be overcome with some really good wheel balancing.

93SOHC · Post by **93SOHC** » May 20th, 2005, 11:44 am

9 times outta 10, when I expierenced this problem in customers car after a rotation, it was the tires themselves. When your struts are blown, it causes a "choppy" pattern on the tread. If, say, your rear struts were blown/bad, and caused the tires to become "chopped" that might cause you to expierence a vibration. Things like a bent rim or bad tire are harder to feel in the rear, which could be why you are expierencing it after the rotation. To check to see if you have the "chopping" problem is simple: Place your hand on the tire and rub it towards the front of the car, and then towards the rear. If "chopped" the tread will feel considerably different. I wouldn't rule out anything that was already mentioned, but it is just something else to check. My .02, good luck!