My 86 civic Si tire shakes on the drivers side.

my car was doing great until I had taken it in to get the front brakes done.. I only got the back breaks done at that time, due to costly repairs.

anyhow when they took off my front tires, and then put them on again I noticed that the car shakes when I hit 70mph, another thing is my tires are brand new and when the guy put my tires back on he had rotated them. and that is why I figured i needed to have them rotated and balanced. this only happends on the drivers side.. and only that front tire. anyhow i had the tires balanced and rotated twice! by two diffrent Co. and it still shakes...

what is the problem with this thing? i know i really need front brakes bad... and the struts arent that bad (they dont make a scratching metal sound. they actually sound great.. i havent had it aligned.

you guys have any suggestions? my front bumper on my car is bent in about 2 inches from the tire... it has always been like this and i have never had a problem with that tire shaking until that day at the repair shop.

do you think my axle is going out? the axle dosent click, nor shows any of the other signs of needing a new axle. please leave me an email or a suggestion. anything will be of great help!!!!

stephanie1303@juno.com

It could be a warped rotor, or a bubble in the tire... something like that.

does it kind of surge when you apply the brakes, if so then its the rotors. Your wheel and tires could be out of balance...or bent(the wheel). Or it the front end could be out of allignment.

hope this helps

thank soo much guys! when i get the money ill have it checked out.. if anything I hope to hell it isnt bent. as for the rotors being warped that is a damn good possibility since they are bad!!! there rusted and YES they do give a pulsation when appying the brake to it when comming to a stop.

ill have the alignment done .. i might as well... it really needs it


and surge? im not sure what you mean by the rotors surging?

hey guys if the wheel is bent, maybe they can bend it back, but will this screw it up, to where im tire always wears down on one side?

or should i just replace the whole axle?

thanks so much fellas ;)

when you use the brakes you feel a vibration in the brake pedal. that indicates warping.(usually. it could mean other thing as well) my car does this bc im too lazy to get it fixed. when braking just before a red light/ stop sign, i can feel the uneveness in the brake pedal. the car actually slows faster at certain points on the rotor, making for an annoying, pulsating stop. this is most likely your problem. if you have the cash, at least have the rotors ground flat if they are thick enough, or get new ones. get new pads as well if yours are old. also, never ever spray your brakes with water while they are warm. (such as a car wash) this is one cause of warping. let them cool aby themselves. and dont overtighten the lug bolts on your wheels either. :smile: and as a general rule, since your car is quite old, just take it easy when you drive it.. treat it well

Just a tip on driving with warped rotors. Make one good hard stop to put some heat on those puppies. The rest of your stops will be smoother until they cool down again.

yeah i should have mentioned that. thanks

thanks so much you suggested something that never occured to me before and that was not to apply water to hot brakes! man ! why didnt i think of that. but let me ask you this, do you think my warped rotors are a cause of my left front tire shaking when i drive it at 70mph on the freeway?

your rims are probbly bent...you need to take them to a shop and have them put those little weights on them.....if you driveat 70...it should be that...you could also buy some rims at a junk yard...(since you are a preety face the guy should give you a good price...,...):icesangel

thanks guys!!! your suggestions are wonderful! now I have options on what to tell the mechanic

Posted by 87civicfranky - 06-14-2004 at 07:15 AM
your rims are probbly bent...you need to take them to a shop and have them put those little weights on them


If the WHEEL is bent you cant fix it with wheel weights, because even though the balancer says its balanced, if you try to balance it again, youll have to keep adding weight.

Also what year is your car? If its a newer one and the brake PEDAL pulsates a little its usually the ABS. if the whole car pulsates when you put on the brakes then its your rotors. Does the wheel shake only when your going 70 or is it just more noticeable? If the wheel is not bent, and its not the rotors, then its the allignment.

Im trying to help not burn anyone.

Rs laser, thanks so much for your reply. It is only the front left tire that shakes and the shaking starts at 70mph. my rotors are shot, yes...but i have never had this shaking before :(
it drives me mad.. and my car is an 86 civic SI. great little economy car. *sighs* just needs alot of work, since the previous owners never did the basic car repairs.. i dont recall hitting anything that would have bent my wheel, but what do i know?

i really appreciate you guys and your suggestions! it really helps when i talk to the mechanic!