Could it be an alignment issue?

[iconman]

After I'd done the first brake pad job lately my 03 Camry feel bumpy at highway speed. Could it be an alignment problem? Are wheel alignment, balance and rotation the same thing?

[Asteroid]

No they are different.
Alignment: this checks that your wheels are pointing in the correct direction both vertically and horizontally (they're not perfectly straight ahead and up/ down, but more to the factory recommended settings). If a car has poor alignment it will "pull" in a particular direction and not track straight over the road.

Balance: this ensures each wheel and tyre unit spins smoothly. If a wheel is out of balance you'll experience vibration or shudder.

Rotation: this is the process of swapping the tyres over front to back, to evenly distribute tyre wear (as the fronts will wear faster than the rears on a FWD car like the Camry).

[JohnGD]

Brake pads should not affect alignment and wheel balance. And if you don't step on the brakes the pads shouldn't touch anything either.

Were wheel lug nuts torqued down using a torque wrench in at least 3 stages (for example, 25, 50, 78 lb/ft) and in a star pattern? Maybe lug nuts are coming loose?

If you don't have a torque wrench, go get a 1/2"-drive from Harbor Freight. < $15 on sale.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...Itemnumber=239

Originally Posted by iconman

After I'd done the first brake pad job lately my 03 Camry feel bumpy at highway speed. Could it be an alignment problem? Are wheel alignment, balance and rotation the same thing?

[iconman]

I used the craftsman 3/8 10-75 ft/lbs. I torque it first to 30 and finally to 75 ft/lbs. Camry manual listed wheel lug torque should be 77 ft/lbs but mine only goes up to 75 ft/lbs so I thought no biggie. I did torque it in a star pattern. I will ask for wheel balance next time I am at a shop. Thanks.