Brakes or wheel bearing problem?

[FCser]

Hello!

The vibe has been a great car for the last 10 years or so and it's still running strong. But there were a few issues recently. When driving around 50 MPH or above, the car starts to shake, the steering wheel shakes and it seems like something is wrong. Even after driving just ~5 miles at ~50MPH or above the front driver's side rim and brake rotor were extremely hot and covered in brake dust.

So it appears there is a problem with the brakes, rotors, or wheel bearings.

I know a bit about cars but have not done a brake / rotor replacement on a vibe.

So anyway, a friend helped disassemble the vibe, the front wheels and brake calipers were removed. The brake pads and rotors appear to be OK. On the drivers side, the rotor seemed "loose" and the brake pads / caliper were stuck to the rotor... The rotor just came off the axle... (not sure if this is the correct term). The rotor on the passenger side appears to be stuck.

So anyway now the vibe is half disassembled and I'm wondering where to go from here. The rotor on the driver's side is off, the rotor on the passenger side is on. The brake pads appear OK and the rotors are smooth and seem OK.

Any input / suggestions appreciated... I just want to get the vibe working again.

So will just replacing the brakes and rotors "fix" the issue? Or maybe just replacing the driver's side wheel bearing will work? Otherwise I'll have to get things put back together and take it in to someplace.

Thanks for any suggestions / direction!

Here are some pics of the rotor and driver's side wheel well.







Or just links to the full images...:
http://i.imgur.com/De5KaWJ.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://i.imgur.com/akZiGXT.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://i.imgur.com/L75yWPv.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[kaflex]

sounds like it's the wheel bearing to me...Same thing happened on a jetta that I had. I have yet to do any wheel bearings on my vibe, only did a rotor/pad upgrade so far.

[Raven]

I'm just finishing a full brake replacement on my '06. 160,000 miles and all the rear brakes were original, even the brake shoes. I replaced everything in the rear.
On the front I was going to do the pads and rotors again but discovered the right front caliper pins were seized. I got remaned Raybestos calipers from Rock Auto and replaced the pads and rotors also. Now I just have to bleed them all. Both my rotors were loose as they should be. The wheel nuts and caliper hold them in place.
If your front calipers are original or even 4 or 5 years old, I would suggest replacing them as well At the very least lube all the pins etc.and make sure everything is moving freely.
It's not a hard job on the Vibe but must be done carefully and properly.

P.S. A bad wheel bearing usually is noisy, it doesn't normally cause a shake. I had my right front bearing changed 2 years ago. I'm guessing a front tire is out of balance or has a broken belt.

[lannvouivre]

In addition to what Raven said, you can check your bearings if you feel worried. To check them, try rocking the hubs (which have the wheel studs on them) back and forth toward and away from the car. They should have NO play. Next, spin the hubs like they would while driving. With the brake calipers, rotors, and pads off the car, the hub should spin smoothly and silently.

[sideshowalan]

My internet diagnosis is seized drivers caliper or sliding pins. That would explain the excessive brake dust and the caliper feeling stuck to the rotor.

Recommend first making sure the slide pins move freely back and forth.
Test for a seized caliper by trying to compress the caliper, it's seized if the pistons refuse to budge.
Good luck.

[gtv237]

Put the wheel back on and try to shake it left to right up and down. If it's loose at all you could have a loose wheel bearing but It would have to be flopping all around to cause the symptoms you're describing.

As far as the rotor being loose, the only thing holding it tight is the wheel. Once the wheel is off the rotor should be loose. Some times they rust and get stuck to the hub. When that happens just hit them a few times with a big hammer and they should pop off.

The shaking you were feeling was probably the rotor being warped. It sounds to me like a caliper locked up and overheated it. I would try to push the caliper pistons back in. Use light to medium pressure with a C-clamp, don't force it. If they don't go in, open the bleeder valve and try again. If they go in now then that means the brake hose collapsed internally.

[FCser]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions. I'm learning a few things and it seems we are a little closer...

So far the wheel bearing appears OK, there is no grinding, the hubs spin smoothly and don't appear to rock.

The caliper pins do slide, but the caliper pins on the driver's side do appear a little different. The rubber cover isn't really covering them and they did seem a little sticky at first. But after moving them in and out a few times, they did move smoother. The passenger side the caliper pins slid smoothly right away.

I attempted using a C-clamp to compress the piston but it didn't appear to move. I was cautious about pushing it too hard and causing damage.

As for the driver's side rotor being warped, that may be the case. It definitely was hot when I noticed the car shaking. I tried rolling the rotor along the floor and it tips over at one point which may indicate it's warped...

Also sprayed WD-40 and hammered on the passenger rotor, it still is on. Will be hammering on it more tomorrow, hopefully the WD-40 loosens it up some over night...

Passenger side rotor:

http://i.imgur.com/hnJegpp.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Driver side rotor showing the pins / rubber covers not covering them:

http://i.imgur.com/H9dMVnb.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Driver side rotor showing the piston:

http://i.imgur.com/G2j8ipN.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So thanks again everyone for all the suggestions. I'll be talking with another mechanic friend and seeing where to go from here. It's looking like quite a job if it ends up being brake pads, calipers and rotors... At least there is a spare care to drive in the meantime.

[FCser]

Thanks for all the suggestions. It turned out to be a seized caliper. After completely disconnecting the caliper and attempting to compress the piston with a C-Clamp it would not budge. New caliper is installed and things are working well!