Ok so last week I replaced my driver side axel (the longer one) and I seem to keep running into problems. I was driving home from a friends house about 5 minutes away, and I started to hear a strange sound coming from the front end. It kind of sounded like I had something in my tire, so I pulled over and inspected the front tires, and nothing. The closer I got to my house I started to hear more sounds (or the original, just amplified). I made a left turn at normal braking/turning speed and it felt like my front left tire was slipping, as in grinding sideways, not sliding. I made the final turn (a left one) onto my street and when I started to brake right in front of my house to turn into the driveway, and the brake pedal was pumping itself under my foot (in and out, or up and down which ever is the proper usuage.) It felt like someone was pumping the brakes, but I wasnt. So its parked in the driveway and Im not driving until I find out what the heck it is and its fixed! b/c I feel it is unsafe to drive as is. Help!

 

take the wheel off and have someone press the brake and look at it you can have a bad caliper or stickin piston

 

take the wheel off and have someone press the brake and look at it you can have a bad caliper or stickin piston

 

take the wheel off and have someone press the brake and look at it you can have a bad caliper or stickin piston and see if the axle is in the hub properly and see if you wheel is on too

 

So that night when I jacked up the front end to check out the front end, I didnt see anything out of the ordinary. But when I rotated the passenger side wheel (which simultaneously spun both wheels) I heard this weird clank in the tranny where the axels meet. Could replacing one axel and not the other have any effect on either one of the axels? Or other similar parts? Im probably going to end up replacing the lower ball joints, tie rod ends, and maybe some other stuff which is not much more, then get an alignment.

Also, when I was up under the front end I noticed I am missing a sway bar link...I think thats what it is. So I might get that kit too. I think this was caused by an accident I was involved in back in May of 2004, which the pass side fender and front door absorbed. May have cause a the bolt to crack or break eventually resulting in the break and missing bolt. Whewwww...I feel smart, learnin all these new things! Awesomeness. ANyway, HELP!

 

bump

 

It sounds like you have brake pulse. Which usually indicates warped brake rotors/drums. I would remove the calipers and inspect them to make sure they aren't siezed. Then change the rotors or have them turned but it's usually about as cheap to buy new ones. If you want I'm sure alot of autoparts stores like napa would be able to check the rotors for warpage if you take them in. That way you could be sure your not wasting money.
http://www.g2ic.com/tegtips/brakesus/5.html


While your under there replace the sway bar links, they're usually cheap <$10. And check to make sure you put the axle all the way in. I don't think the that's got anything to do with it but it wouldn't hurt to check. If your ablsolutly certain your hearing a noise from the tranny please fill us in on the following...

Auto or Manual?
Do you hear it when your stopped or moving?
Does it increase with vehicle speed or engine RPM?

That can help us guide you to finding the proper diagnosis. But please remember it can be really hard to tell what your problem is without actually seeing it in person.

 

Ok Ill look into the warpage of the rotors but I really dont think thats what it is. I say that because I ended up tightening my lugs just make sure they were nice and snug bc I had the front tires off a couple days ago, and they ended up being a little loose on the front pass. side. :doh: And because I dont have the screws that hold the drum to the disc(they are broken off not missing, havnt drilled them out yet) the lugs and the wheel were the only thing securely holding the rotor still, but it wasnt secure resulting in the pulsating. After tightening the lugs, I didnt experience any more pulsating. My brake fluid was a little low though.

Yea and about the sway bar links...Im pretty sure that my car doesnt (never did) have them. (1992 Civic DX Sedan) Maybe the Si does...??? I dont know. I looked in the "1992 thru 1995 Civic/Del Sol Hayne Manual" and there is no anything about sway bar links/bushings on page 10-3 in the front suspension and steering components section-if you have the manual. More confusion arises.
The axel is in all the way, I checked that.

Manual Tranny
I heard the sound moving, but I really think it was because of the loose lugs.
The sound seemed to increase/decrease with speed, not rpm.

Today I replaced the innner and outer tie rod ends for both sides, and also the boots along with them.

Someone told me that replacing the lower ball joints would help my situation...? Even if there is no play in them, and they seem to be fine is this something I shoould look into? What esle should I consider replacing/upgrading to get rid of the freaking play in the steering when hitting bumps?

Help on this is and will be SO greatly appreciated.

 

I don't think the DX came with a front sway bar. But it's possible some one added it. If there is a sway bar then just replace the links. The EX and I think the LX came with them. If the car doesn't have a sway bar then you don't need links. The loose lugs were most likely just about the whole problem. That could cause the noises, pulsing brakes, and would make the cars steering feel funny. Have you taken it for a short, slow test drive after you tightened the lugs? If your still getting play in the steering it could be the inner tie rod ends or possibly the rack. But I would say if you only had these problems after you replaced the axle and forgot to tighten the lugs all the way then all of your problems could have just been the loose lugs.