cino21

I have had my new wheels for about a month and about 2 weeks ago my car would start vibrating it would start in the steering wheel and eventually after driving for a while the car would shake violently

I've noticed my right front rim is extremely hot and it smells like something is burning, not rubber. I took the wheel off and it doesn't look like anything was rubbing so I thought maybe I didn't have the wheel on tight enough so I took it off and put it back on..problem still there vibrating and same wheel hot too touch.

I googled symptoms and a 99 bmw had the same symptoms with one wheel and it was the brake caliper seized.

Im just asking for input, im at work now and ill look at it more this weekend and maybe take it up to pep boys

I know other vibration reasons could be wheel balanced or alignment but I wouldn't think it would heat up the wheel.

Now I am no where close to a mechanic so this is going to be a stupid question .. I looked at the brake pads and they have meat on them but they are touching the rotors without anyone on the brakes.. should they have a gap from the rotors to pads until you step on the brakes?

Cleanshots

iTrader: (2)

what kind of wheels? where the weights stick on? they could have fell off then it vibrated and then the bearing is now going bad.. could be warped rotors too.. could be the seized caliper too..

SW2UZ

iTrader: (3)

there should be a very small gap between pad and rotor, is the rotor dark purpleish in color? more than likley it's a stuck piston not retracting when you let off the brakes

cino21

No the rotor doesn't look bad yet. They are 19 inch chrome wheels and they are stick on weights but if it was a bearing or balance wouldn't it vibrate all the time .. it doesn't start till I drive awhile like something is heating up which made me think the caliper seizing could be it and there wasn't a gap. I couldn't stick my fingernail between the pad and rotor. Thank u all for the input! And for not pointing out my lack of knowledge. Learning as I go lol

cino21

ALSO.. from a stop when I let off lightly on the brake pedal it makes a noise on the right side like a metal to metal sound not grinding but rubbing

A buddy at work said this happened to his accord and the tire caught fire and he said the caliper seized up

Tabaka

iTrader: (8)

drive it till the wheel falls off.





jk, seriously, could be a few things. Are you positive it's not rubbing anything like the fender lining? Are you riding pretty low?

Vibrations could be a wheel that needs to be balanced, a shock that needs to be replaced, a ball joint gone bad.

If a wheel is hot there is only two things that come to mind....either your rotor/caliper is having an issue or you are losing air pressure in your tire. Obviously if you were low on air you could probably tell but it wouldn't cause the tire to be extremely hot unless you lost A LOT of pressure.

SW2UZ

iTrader: (3)

can you take a photo of the wheel on,off and top/backside of the rotor just to give us a visual?

good2go

iTrader: (6)

I've got to say this sounds pretty conclusive as a caliper problem. There's not much else that could heat the wheel up like that than constant friction from a dragging pad. It's most likely the inner pad and you're just not seeing it from the outside of the wheel. As was mentioned, its likely either a sticky piston or else sticky slide pin. My guess is on the slide pins because that would allow only one pad (inner) to rub hard and not retract, but still not show any problems on the outside pad that you can see. I have had this exact same problem happen on a pickup truck; where the wheel got super hot to touch and smelled of pads and bearing grease. I popped the wheel off and sure enough the caliper slides were all stuck. Cleaned them up and relubed them and it's been fine since.

nine3es

iTrader: (3)

caliper OR.... wheel hub bearing...

StiCk3

iTrader: (5)

10 bucks that it's a locked caliper. If the caliper is stuck, it will cause the rotor to overheat and warp causing you vibration and heat issues with that wheel.

Take off the front wheels and compare the pad thickness between the driver's and passenger's side. If one side seems thinner than the other, that's your first clue of the problem

Take the caliper off and see if you can compress the caliper pistons. Use a block of wood and a c-clamp or some channel lock pliers to do it, it should compress very easily with either method. If it doesn't move, there's your problem. If not, check the slide pins and see if they move back and forth freely in the caliper bracket. If not you'll need a bracket and slides, usually can be bought with the caliper attached already.

ecstaticSC

iTrader: (3)

Caliper...

MSBlade

iTrader: (1)

+1 on caliper locking up

GIOGS300

+2 Caliper lock up.....I had the same problem

BLK13X

+100000000000 sticky caliper

When you do check them, also check that the rotor dust shield isn't hitting the rotor as well.

HEWJsc4

Ok, jack your front end up and try to rotate your wheel, if it does not spin freely, you have a seized caliper.99% positive this is the issue, it has happened to me-exact same symptoms.