Front Wheel Wobbly & Brakes Slowing Car?

[raywong28]

Hi Everyone,

I'm having issues with my car which seems to be driving slower than usual and sometimes I can feel the front driver side wheel feeling really wobbly when I slow down or at 60km/h(35mph)! Help!

When I drive slowly, I notice my RPMs go up to 2000rpm to get up to 40-60km/h when before it would build momentum faster. I thought it was my front or rear brakes rubbing as I do hear loud creaking noise when I release my foot from the brakes and it takes a second for the car to actually move.

The scary part is when I decelerate to 30km/h and slower the car wobbles alot like an engine valve is shot! Then it goes away when I stop or speed up a bit. The other scary part is when I accelerate to 60km/h or decelerate from there, the wheel wobbles alot!

Could it be warped rotor or shot front bearings? How can I tell whats wrong and how do I fix it?

I've had problems with the front brakes making clicking noise when I brake hard and haven't done anything about it. Also the dealer told me a year ago my boot had a rip in it and the caliper should be changed but I didn't get it changed.

Any tips would be great as I'm going to take the wheel off tomorrow to check out if I see anything.

Thanks!!

[landphil]

I'm gonna vote it's a caliper seizing up, and a warped rotor from the heat of a dragging brake. Jacking up and spinning the front wheels with the tranny in neutral should confirm this. Set the park brake and block the rear wheels before jacking. If both spin freely, lower it, go for a drive, and repeat the above - it may only drag noticably when warm/hot. Check your wheel bearings for play and roughness as well.

[Clayton1984]

If your wheel is wobbly you should not drive the vehicle. You are at risk for causing a serious accident when your wheel falls off and you lose control.

Take it to a mechanic ASAP.

[Bernie3]

Originally Posted by raywong28

...Also the dealer told me a year ago my boot had a rip in it and the caliper should be changed but I didn't get it changed.

I assume you mean one of the boots on the driveaxle. If so that should have been taken care of immediately. It's irresponsible of the dealer not to have told you so. There is a constant velocity bearing in the boot. The boot both holds grease for the bearing and keeps dirt out. Before you do any anything, get it repaired. It could be the bearing is now damaged. Those bearings are very expensive.

[landphil]

Originally Posted by Bernie3

I assume you mean one of the boots on the driveaxle. If so that should have been taken care of immediately. It's irresponsible of the dealer not to have told you so. There is a constant velocity bearing in the boot. The boot both holds grease for the bearing and keeps dirt out. Before you do any anything, get it repaired. It could be the bearing is now damaged. Those bearings are very expensive.

I assumed it was the dust boot on the caliper piston or the slide pin(s) if they recommended replacing the caliper. His story leads me to believe they did try to get him to repair it last year, but as the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

[Bernie3]

landphil, I thought that too at first except the wobbly wheel comment made me think otherwise.

raywon28,
1. What model and year is the car?
2. How much mileage is on it?
3. Does your car have manual or automatic transmission?
4. What is the service history for the car?
5. Which do you mean feels wobbly, the driver's side front wheel, the car, the engine, all of them?
6. Did you verify that the wheels are bolted on tight?
7. What boot had a rip?

You are going to have to narrow down your symptoms and describe them very carefully and accurately, otherwise it's going to be nearly impossible to help you. Keep in mind that we aren't there and can only visualize what is happening through your words. Send a video showing what the car is/is not doing if you can. From what you say you could have a multitude of problems including transmission, engine mounts, brake, bearings, etc.

[raywong28]

First, I want to thank everyone for their fast response!! I've got an update after taking my Drivers front wheel off but let me answer your questions.

landphil-I'm going to think you're right but I'll verify tomorrow at the dealer.
Clayton1984-Yep, I didn't want the wheel to fall off either
Bernie3-It's not the drive axle, although at first I wasn't sure. I'll get the dealer to look at it.

1. What model and year is the car?
2000 Toyota Corolla LE

2. How much mileage is on it?
126,000KM or 78,000 Miles

3. Does your car have manual or automatic transmission?
Automatic

4. What is the service history for the car?
A bit of history of the brakes are:
-Nov 2006 and 87,000km, the dealer put in new brake pads and brake fluid flush.
-2009 and 103,000km, I got a maintenance service from the dealer and they said the front brakes were 80% and rear drums were 75% wear level, had a front boot ripped, which they recommended servicing front calipers and flushing the brake fluids. I didn't do the service but did not get any noise.
-2010 and 119,000km, the front pads still look ok, but I've had the noise for a few months or since spring.

History of other things:
-A transmission fluid changes about 2 years ago.
-engine oil change in the summer
-check engine light with P0171 which I don't think is related.

5. Which do you mean feels wobbly, the driver's side front wheel, the car, the engine, all of them?
I thought its the drivers side wheel or the rear wheel, but it felt like it came from front and shook the entire car. Sometimes I can feel the car wheel feeling woobly and other times it feels like the cars jerking front to back as I slow down. Which somehow makes me also think its a seized brake, since the wobbling sometimes goes away when I slowdown to 20-30km/h or around 18mph.

6. Did you verify that the wheels are bolted on tight?
I didn't verify but I'm pretty sure they were on tight the last time I put the wheels on - although I didn't have a torque wrench. I just tightened it alot.

7. What boot had a rip?
The caliper boot had a rip from the dealers last inspection.


Actually on Sunday I only checked the Drivers front wheel. The wheel turned with the tire on but kind of slow. I did check for play by pushing wheel side on both sides (left + right) and top + bottom to see if its wheel bearings, but it was tight.

So I took off the pads and thought it was a seized caliper. I put it together and thought I'd drive it the next day to see if the wobbling repeats.

The next day I drive and its there after the cars driven for a little bit. I keep the car under 40km/h and its a bit hard to go any faster. The engine RPM stays at 2000 for a long time too.

I get home and notice the Passenger front wheel smells like burnt pads. So now I know its the other side! So I'll definately need the dealer to replace something.

Although the rear wheels haven't been checked, the dealer will look at it too.

BTW when the car is stopped and I lift my foot off the brakes, I hear a loud moan or creaking noise so its most likely something seized up (front or rear brakes).

So for sure the dealer will check out my car and get something replaced too. I want my smooth Corolla again!

[Highway_maniac]

The dealer advised a brake service in 2009, you did not get it. Previous service was in 2006. It's (end) 2011 now, meaning the brake fluid's at least 5 years in use. That's way too long!! Brake fluid has to be replaced every 2 to 3 years! Brake fluid attracts moisture. Moisture in the brake fluid lowers the boiling point (brake fading and failure), and also causes corrosion (rust). The dealer in The Netherlands (ok, it's a wet enviroment here) replaces the brake fluid every 2 years / 60 000km.

From 2006 to now, have you (or somebody else) ever replaced the brake fluids??

You had a brake caliper boot torn. The boots are on the slider pins, or on the brake piston and are used to keep out dirt / water and to keep the lubricants in there. If it's torn, dirt and moisture get in there, the lubricant (brake grease) get's washed out resulting in corrusion (rust) and thus sticking or malfunctioning brakes.

Your passenger front wheel brake - that's sticking. Was it this boot that was torn?

For the ECU P0171 error, if it's not solved yet, first try to clean the MAF sensor (does not cost anything but a few minutes of your time).

My personal opionion - you have neglected your brakes, they may have corroded badly and seized. You may need new calipers, if the dealer can rebuild them you can consider yourself lucky. The corrosion / rust causes pitting, if this is to severe, the caliper cannot (economically) be rebuild.

Anyway, I hope the dealer can fix your braking problem soon, so you can enjoy driving around with good brakes and a smooth ride.

[Bernie3]

Originally Posted by Highway_maniac

The dealer advised a brake service in 2009, you did not get it. Previous service was in 2006. It's (end) 2011 now, meaning the brake fluid's at least 5 years in use. That's way too long!! Brake fluid has to be replaced every 2 to 3 years! Brake fluid attracts moisture. Moisture in the brake fluid lowers the boiling point (brake fading and failure), and also causes corrosion (rust). The dealer in The Netherlands (ok, it's a wet enviroment here) replaces the brake fluid every 2 years / 60 000km.

Highway_maniac you're being too harsh, though he should have taken the boot issue seriously.

To routinely flush the brake fluid every 2 years is unusual at least in the US's Midwest. It is true that moisture in the system accelerates corrosion etc.. But, unless you are on a race track or in a very mountainous region towing something, I don't think you'll ever experience the fading and failure loss of performance you describe, at least not due to moisture alone. In my part of the world it's not unusual to see cars with dark brake fluid that's probably as old as the car. However, it is definitely not good practice and flushing should be done every 5 years at least. This is something any DIYer can easily do.


raywong28 I thank you for being so thorough in your response, it is such a pleasure having clear, solid information to digest.

You're not getting a pulsating brake pedal so the rotor is probably not warped. The wobbly feeling is concerning. It almost seems like a bearing. It's too bad you only checked the right front wheel, you really should have done all of them especially the left front. The caliper is probably sticking intermittently giving you the forward and back jerking motion you've observing.

Why are you going to an expensive dealer instead of a cheaper but reliable local mechanic? You seem like you are pretty handy, why are you not doing your own work? You can save yourself a bundle of money on a brake job and do yourself in an afternoon.

[Highway_maniac]

Maybe I'm to harsh, that's why I mention that I live elsewhere. While you may not experience (or notice) fading, the water in the system will contribute to corrosion. Maybe, in verry dry regions you could go a few years without flushing, though it is quite easy to flush the brake system more often.

Anyway - your car can be in excelent state, better than factory, as long as the brakes are not OK, it's dangerous.

My opinion is that the brakes are THE most important system on your car. Stopping is more important than going fast, therefore don't try to save money on the brakes.

I hope that the topic starter gets his car fixed soon, for his own safety but also for his ride quality. Verry frustrating if your ride is not smooth. I also had a "wobble problem", caused by out of round tyres. Had them trimmed and balanced solved my problem.

[Bernie3]

Originally Posted by Highway_maniac

Maybe I'm to harsh, that's why I mention that I live elsewhere. While you may not experience (or notice) fading, the water in the system will contribute to corrosion. Maybe, in verry dry regions you could go a few years without flushing, though it is quite easy to flush the brake system more often.

Anyway - your car can be in excelent state, better than factory, as long as the brakes are not OK, it's dangerous.

My opinion is that the brakes are THE most important system on your car. Stopping is more important than going fast, therefore don't try to save money on the brakes.

I hope that the topic starter gets his car fixed soon, for his own safety but also for his ride quality. Verry frustrating if your ride is not smooth. I also had a "wobble problem", caused by out of round tyres. Had them trimmed and balanced solved my problem.

I totally agree. And, it is unfortunate that so many owners worry more about their engines than their brakes. Fortunately, brakes are really quite reliable considering the type of punishment they go through in daily driving.

[raywong28]

So everyone, I brought my car to the dealer today and compared to yesterday the funny thing was, I didn't notice too much wobbling wheel when driving from 20-40km or even 60km, although I drove slowly thinking it would reappear. It still creaked when accelerating and takes a while to get up to speed, although less than yesterday. The engine still lingers around 2000rpm but not as long. So I was a bit afraid the mechanic couldn't feel the wobbling. But fortunately or not, when I got to the dealer the Passenger front wheel was smelling burnt again and had 'steam' coming from the inside of the rims ... really bad sign.

So I thought its gonna need new caliper for sure, maybe pads, brake fluid and wasn't sure of the rotors since it wasn't wobbling?

They suggested I get a brake inspection ($20 or free if I get service). The advisor later calls me to say I would need new rotors, pads, remanfactured calipers with trade in(entire thing, not just new boots), brake fluid and also cleaning for the rear brakes. They did notice the brake lines were a bit swollen but won't brake too soon, so they'll check it again next time. With parts, labour & taxes its gonna cost $800+. Not including a request for them to look at the transmission fluid or diagnosing the CEL. Just in case it was the tranny that causes the car to accelerate slowly and the fluid was changed 2 yrs ago.

It sucks to have to replace everything that isn't really worn out (brakes + rotors) but oh well since the car can't run smoothly. A big lesson learned about brake maintenance: get people or yourself to inspect the brakes regularly and if I don't know how to do it, get someone to do it for me instead of cheaping out! I mean even replacing everything myself would be cheaper although take a while, but well worth the experience.

Thanks for everyones help!!

Highway_maniac : Yep after going through this experience with wobbly wheel or jerking motion, it really is not a good idea to avoid the suggestion to prevent a disaster that could happen with brakes that don't work well.

You're right. The dealer did mention that once calipers seizes up due to rust it could be dangerous, but at the time I didn't think it would happen. Bad thinking!

I believe the Passener side caliper boot was sticking. Now I realize why people lubricate the sliding pins in the Youtube videos or the Haynes manual. I figure grease would last forever.

For the CEL, I'll try cleaning the MAF as I have the canisters of cleaners. Thanks.

Back in 2006, the brake fluid was replaced with the brake pads. Funny thing was, I didn't know my handbrake was up(engaged) since I had my snow tires in the back seat and drove all the way to the dealer with the handbrakes on. So that prompted a fluid change and new pads


Bernie3: Thanks for your request for info to help with troubleshooting. Everyone's suggestions are valuable.

I'll ask the dealer tomorrow to see if its a wheel bearing too.

You're right that its a sticking caliper.

I visited the dealer since I was hoping they can fix the problem quickly since they have all the parts (well worst case they would replace rotors, calipers, brake pads, brake fluid and if it was the rear brake shoes, drums and proper kits for the drums too). So I hoped they could do it while I was away at work and pick it up in the evening on the same day. But they still needed a day to get the calipers. So I'll pickup my car tomorrow.

Thanks, it was my first time taking apart the caliper and it was getting late. But I'll try the drums in the future and I'll practice in the future since my dads training when I was a kid on my first car and Youtube videos really help. Losing my Haynes manual doesn't help.

Good to know to change the brake fluid every few years. I was light on my brakes (to save brake pads) and thought it didn't need to be changed. Thanks the reminders.

[Bernie3]

Good, at least you are getting it taken care of. Let us know what the final outcome is so we can all benefit from your experience.

[Schubeedoobee]

hmmm $800 bucks.

[Bernie3]

Originally Posted by Schubeedoobee

hmmm $800 bucks.

That's the price for those that cannot or are not willing to learn, get their fingers dirty, shop for price. It's not all bad, it keeps the economy going and creates jobs.