GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

...so I have a front end suspension issue...I think...no clunking noises...more of a "hovering helicopter" sound. Car doesn't overly vibrate. I know the passenger side lower ball joint is close for replacement as I can see grease by the seal . The sway bar links too since they twist side to side pretty easy. I was thinking might be the wheel hub bearings, but when I check them I don't feel no movement or looseness...I can hear the sound more at a higher speed than a lower one...just had tires balanced but they have around 40000 miles on them and they're 70000 mile tires. Front end was alined not too long age, less than 7000 miles age. So any ideas on what I can check out myself?

2007 Vibe base front wheel drive. 91000 miles give er take...

First thing to do: check if the brake pads are dragging.
2nd: rotate the tires. If that changes the noise then the tires are the culprit.

Wheel bearings could make noise before they get loose.

Watching this thread-

Having a similar noise on my 2005 AWD with 85k.

I've found it sounds clearest at 25 MPH, but changes with speed.

Can feel some vibration in the floor and steering wheel.

Was thinking it was potentially a warped rotor, since they were changed to cheap blanks three years ago and are pretty rusty on the hat & cooling vanes. That, and two lugs were waaay over-torqued on the front driver side (needed a breaker bar to get one loose! ).

Don't overlook vibrations coming from those large plastic panels under the front end, held in place to the chassis with only a few plastic fasteners.

I notice the 'helicopter' vibration primarily at higher speeds 50mph+, when one or more fasteners are missing and the panels are loose, but if you manage to pop enough fasteners loose, the panels can vibrate at about any speed.

I've managed to pop several of the fasteners loose parking at high curbs, striking chunks of ice on the road in winter, and one icy hill that provided an off-road excursion into a cornfield over the years.

...okay some good things to check on. The brakes do 'chirp' when 1st applied. Pads looked good but there is some rust inside the caliper piston? And those plastic panels underneath are missing some of those fasteners so I'll tighten that up and see if it makes a difference...

vibrologist wrote:First thing to do: check if the brake pads are dragging.

How do I do that?

dnoishere wrote:...okay some good things to check on. The brakes do 'chirp' when 1st applied. Pads looked good but there is some rust inside the caliper piston? And those plastic panels underneath are missing some of those fasteners so I'll tighten that up and see if it makes a difference...

Rust inside the caliper piston is "Normal".

dnoishere wrote:How do I do that?

You can lift the front end and see if you can easily rotate the wheels in front. The pads are pretty much always touching the rotors, as these cars don't have the return springs/clips and only use the dust boot on the caliper piston to remove pressure, so you will probably still hear them drag a little, but you shouldn't have trouble spinning the wheels in neutral.

There's also a test where you drive a short distance, stop gently, and then feel the air around your wheels.

Additionally, if a caliper were seized up, you'd have your car pulling toward whichever is seized and wouldn't be able to push the piston back in. You can check the pads for uneven wear as well by measuring multiple spot of the pads and comparing them.

dnoishere wrote:

vibrologist wrote:First thing to do: check if the brake pads are dragging.

How do I do that?

There is more than one way:
1. Drive the car and let it come to a stop on its own or applying the e-brake only. Get out and check the temperature of the rotors. If they are hot they drag. They require a good cleaning of the sliders and greasing of the sliders.
2. Put it on jack stands. Push the brake pedal and let it go. Turn the wheels by hand. After a few rotations the wheels should run free of brake noise. This is not that easy on driven wheels, that is why I like Nr. 1 better.
3.Put it in neutral while on a very slight incline. If the car does not roll the brakes probably are dragging.

You are not sure? Just clean those sliders, grease them and put them back in. If things are better now the brakes were dragging. Use high temperature grease.

...well it doesn't pull left or right but I'll see if the pads are dragging a little...thanks!

dnoishere wrote:...so I have a front end suspension issue...I think...no clunking noises...more of a "hovering helicopter" sound. ...just had tires balanced but they have around 40000 miles on them .....So any ideas on what I can check out myself?
2007 Vibe base front wheel drive. 91000 miles give er take...

Have you inspected the tires closely? One or more may be "cupping". This could become more noticeable after wheel rotation. Were the wheels rotated when they were balanced, or possibly mixed-up upon re-installation? If its the tires, you may notice less noise on wet roads.

...well I guess it is a tire issue....I'm gonna replace the front struts when parts get here and get new tires. Question now is should I get the tires on 1st then put struts on then get an alinement? Or put struts on 1st then alinement and new tires last? Also can I do all the work on the front then do the rear shocks at a later date?

Change all the struts, then change all the tires and get the alignment. Don't do piecemeal. This is your chance to get it done right.

When you get the alignment tell them to make sure the steering wheel is centered.

thanks vibro...okay struts ordered and are on their way. I'll attempt to replace them (never done it before)...where can I get new nuts/bolts if they are not included?

Any auto parts store will have those.

I hope you also got the strut mounts. They have thrust bearings which are integral parts of the steering and wear out.

Do one side at a time, follow the instructions very closely, don't let the calipers hang from the hoses.
I have done it on a Mazda Protege and on a Ford Windstar. You probably need an impact wrench and you certainly need a torque wrench and a spring compression tool. You can get those tools on loan by auto parts stores if you have a credit card. They loan out top notch tools for free.

It is a good idea to watch a Youtube or two on this job. Take your time and you will be fine.

...Well I got the whole Strut and Coil Spring Assembly ...one piece so I don't have to compress the springs...came with the top nuts but should I replace the two bottom bolts that hold the strut to the steering knuckle or can I reuse the old? I have the service manual but I don't really understand about marking those bolts in relation to the knuckle? I have watched a few videos also..have the impact and torque wrench on hand...

...side bar....one of the struts was mis-assembled. The bottom rubber (damper?) is not seated correctly so I may have to get a spring compressor after all to remove the spring to fix that. After taking it apart how will I know what the torque is on the top nut? And what do I use to hold the rod while disassembling it?

Return the bad strut for one that is correct.

...yes I could return it but would have to re-order another and pay for the return shipping.

dno:
what did you buy where?

About markings: I don't know what you are looking at, a Haynes manual maybe? Let's say somebody needs to remove the strut assy and wants to reuse it rather than replace it. If that guy carefully marks the relationships of the various parts he can avoid an alignment job by lining up the markings when he puts it back together.
Since you replace the struts you can't mark them. Just make sure you set the depth equal on both sides.

First let's make sure you got the right stuff.

dnoishere wrote:...yes I could return it but would have to re-order another and pay for the return shipping.

You should NEVER have to pay return shipping on a bad part! Where did you get them from? Call them and tell them you really hate to have to tell the Worlds Largest vibe Site how Crappy their customer service is! Good luck.

got them from Parts Geek...and that's their return policy...

How Should I Ship Back My Return?

1. Check that all of the parts you wish to return are included in your RMA e-mail.
2. We strongly recommend that you return your item with a shipping carrier that can provide you with insurance and a tracking number in case of loss or damage.
3. All returns should be able to be tracked from the time you ship your return until it is signed for on the dock.
4. Please make sure to clearly write the correct RMA number on the outside of the shipping box.
5. Please do not write on the "boxes" your parts come in as your product will not be considered "resalable".
6. All returns are freight prepaid by the customer. We do not offer return shipping reimbursement regardless of the party at fault.

What product did you buy? Brand name and parts number, please.

Can you show us a picture of the rubber that is out of place?

http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/2007/p ... embly.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's this one: Monroe Strut and Coil Spring Assembly - Front Left
-Parts geek # 19088-07164172

http://www.monroe.com/en-US/catalog/e-Catalog/172117" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
-monroe ##172177
I'll get a picture too...

heres a couple pics...as you can see the Spring Insulator is not seated correctly...

Monroe! That is very disappointing. Are they loosing their ways?

You probably don't need to open the top nut at all. Get a good quality set of spring compressors ( borrow at a store) and seat the insulator properly, release the spring compression slowly and evenly.

....will try that vibro & I'll let you know how I do...thanks for all your help!

*** I fixed the issue of mis-assembly...will be installing them soon! Wish me luck.

Well got everything done. 4 new struts. 2 new sway bar links. 4 new tires. Alinement done. Time to drive, rock & roll. Thanks genVibe.com for all your help!

Been quite a while... did all the work fix the "something aint right" ? Everything working fine now?

My 2007 Vibe has vibrated and rattled since the day I bought it. I have 79000 mi. on it now. Thing is a rattle trap that rides like crap! Can't wait to pay the thing off so I can get rid of it.

crashbandit wrote:My 2007 Vibe has vibrated and rattled since the day I bought it. I have 79000 mi. on it now. Thing is a rattle trap that rides like crap! Can't wait to pay the thing off so I can get rid of it.

Wow, really? Was it pre-owned? Mine with 212,000 miles is extremely quiet as far as rattles and squeaks. Maybe because it was driven mostly highway miles it did not get exposed to a lot of rough roads. And my son's with 72,000 miles is just as quiet.

trb wrote:

crashbandit wrote:My 2007 Vibe has vibrated and rattled since the day I bought it. I have 79000 mi. on it now. Thing is a rattle trap that rides like crap! Can't wait to pay the thing off so I can get rid of it.

Wow, really? Was it pre-owned? Mine with 212,000 miles is extremely quiet as far as rattles and squeaks. Maybe because it was driven mostly highway miles it did not get exposed to a lot of rough roads. And my son's with 72,000 miles is just as quiet.

I had a similar reaction when I read crashbandit's comment on rattles. I would trace them down starting with the license plate and hatch, then work my way to the front.