Steering wheel shaking, burning smell, and hot rims.

[jokeyport7]

I have a 1998 Forester. Today, while driving down Route 1 on my way home to the Islesboro ferry, I was going down a steep hill at 60mph and my steering wheel started shaking. Prior to that I was only getting small vibrations. When I pulled into the ferry line I got out and my rim/rotor was hot on the front passenger side and there was a burning smell. The other rims were cool except for the opposite (driver rear) was warm. After I got off the boat on my drive home I stomped on the brakes a few times and there did not seem to be any definite pull on a certain side, so I don't believe it's a caliper issue (they're relatively new- 2010 front, 2011 rear). Both front CV Shafts were replaced last month. My money is on the wheel bearing. What do you guys think? All the forums I've gone on have said "I'll put $100 on a stuck caliper" but I honestly think that's not the case.

 

[Jamey]

Sounds like brakes

Sounds like brakes

 

[Nigel Prodrive]

bet $100 it's a stuck caliper. most likely guide pins seized up.

did you by chance recently replace brake pads with aftermarket ones? often times aftermarket pads have slightly oversized ears that like to stick in the calipers given the slightest amount of crud.

winter sand/salt/gravel/schmutz caked in calipers can cause pads to bind and not release the rotor when you come off the brakes, which leads to symptoms exactly like you stated.

 

[Legwagon]

^ that.

and it sounds like your rotors may be a bit warped that's where the steering wheel shake while braking would come in...? <<< can someone else verify. <<

if it were a wheel bearing wouldn't it there be a loud hum?

 

[wrangler25]

its def brake related , wheel bearing causing pulsation without physical play is highly un-likely unless ur hubs warped .

 

[Mighty Subie]

If your other brakes are cool, it could also mean that they are not working (IE:those are frozen open) which will cause that single one to be over worked and over heat, causing a warped rotor...

So check all of them, get the warped rotor turned, then you'll be back in business.

we can internet diagnose this forever, but it won't do anything until you actually do tear into it. Remember to check all of them.

 

[Pedro]

make sure your wheels are tight. If they are loose, they will shake and get hot.

 

[flat4awd]

+2 on the ears/guide pins sticking...My passenger rear brake caliper has scored my rotor pretty well on the RS (she's been sitting all winter). I've had calipers stick so bad that they wore one side of pad down to the rotor grinding, but that's partly due to negligence as an adolescent.

 

[HR radness]

I have had an issue on my wagon where the wheel bearings go from bad to toast so quickly that the wheel actually became loose and was rubbing on the brake rotors. The wheel had about an inch of play. jack up the car and give them a wiggle, my money says its that.

Replace the whole knuckle if that's the case

 

[flat4awd]

At the expense of sounding stupid, I've forgotten to tighten down lugs more then once. That makes the wheel shake pretty violently.

 

[-=Lobstah=-]

I have had an issue on my wagon where the wheel bearings go from bad to toast so quickly that the wheel actually became loose and was rubbing on the brake rotors. The wheel had about an inch of play. jack up the car and give them a wiggle, my money says its that.

Replace the whole knuckle if that's the case

I remember that

 

[HR radness]

I remember that

the lobstah was the one who figured it out...and it happened AGAIN a year later

 

[i-wagon]

Warped rotor and stock caliper combo, just did it on my forester