GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

No time to get my car into a shop right now with the hours i work so I thought I'd ask here...I'm having some wierd front end problems. When i brake I get a rapid vibration in the front end and I'm getting a metal grinding noise that stops when I apply my brakes. My brakes are still good and there appears to be no damage to the rotors. Any suggestions of what else I should check for?

Normally when you get a vibration or lunging feeling when you brake its because the disks are warped and need trued. As far as a grinding sound stopping when you brake, it's probably caused by the little metal chirps that are warning you that your brake pad's are getting close to being changed. Some people including myself have actually broken off those chirps because they start way to early. If you can, borrow a car and leave yours at a shop with night drop off. I'd have this checked out asap.

Tnx, yea i may have to do that. Also been wondering if I may have a piston stuck because I'm pulling hard to the right when this happens. Do you guys know if the Vibes have plastic break pistons or did GM finally do away with them?

Took car to shop today the right front rotor was badly warped and there was hardly any pad left on my brakes.

my roters are warped i was lazy and let walmart rotate my tires

If you tighten the lugnuts too tight it can warp the rotors. Also on the Vibe if you go a-little tighter they will just snap off....

Quote, originally posted by Rico Rose »If you tighten the lugnuts too tight it can warp the rotors. Also on the Vibe if you go a-little tighter they will just snap off....I'm happy your not my mechanic!!!!!!!!

Quote, originally posted by marlborocowboy82 »my roters are warped i was lazy and let walmart rotate my tires my DEALER warped my rotors by over tightening....problem is, how do i prove that they did it???

well damage to the rotor or rim is a good sign and if they have been the only one taking your wheels off... they are at fault.

Quote, originally posted by Mavrik »well damage to the rotor or rim is a good sign and if they have been the only one taking your wheels off... they are at fault.that's why i'm positive they did it. also, consider that i just had new tires installed and during that i had my wheels balanced and alignment set. i drove the car for a week and about 1000km (trip to US) and the car was awesome!then i bring it in for 'warranty' work on the calipers...i pick it up and there's steering wheel vibration during braking and at speeds greater than 100km/h. I went to a third party location to check balance and alignment and they said everything is perfect.so the only thing that i can think of that happened during my warranty caliper work is either:1. the rotors warped when they over tightened the wheels...2. used a blow torch to heat up the caliper bolts for removal and over heated a section of the rotor???? which is a 'left field' possibility but i wouldn't put it past them.either way, the car went into the dealer perfect and left with the above mentioned problems....i can't prove it was them as it would be too easy to say "your rotors may have been warped prior to your visit"....and not covered under warranty.i'll be posting a separate thread soon on my whole experience and the final outcome....

Quote, originally posted by Atomb »my DEALER warped my rotors by over tightening....problem is, how do i prove that they did it???It stuff like this that makes one postpone bringing in a car for maintenance work from a dealer ie it may come out with problems it didnt go in with .