Rotor grinding against caliper

[DiamondStarAwd]

well last week i noticed my rotor was hitting my caliper. Last time this happened my wheel bearing had taken a crap on me. So I jacked the car up, grabbed the wheel at 6 and 12 and shook it, I had an enourmous amount of play, so I knew the wheel bearing was shot.

I just replaced that this morning. Went to put the wheel back on and tighten the lug nuts down. Mind you, the car is in the air so the rotor spins when you tighten the lug nuts. When I do this and you turn the rotor about 5 inches it rubs hard against the caliper on the top . Turn it back 5 inches its back to normal, turn it back another 5 inches and it rubs on the bottom of the caliper.

Does this sound more like a installation error or is there something else that would casue play in the rotor like that? Warped rotor?

 

[DiamondStarAwd]

No the grinding was happening before, but there was an ENOURMOUS amount of play in the hub/bearing itself. So I bleive that was the problem, but, it wasnt.

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

Check your lower control arm and ball joint.

 

[DiamondStarAwd]

Yea I think thats what I might be looking at.

I did run into a large pile of snow, but I dont think snow could give enough force to bend a control arm. Do I need to check both the lower control arms or does just one effect the movement? Also, how do I go about " checking " them.

When I changed the hub/wheel bearing I disconnected both the lower control arms from the body and then reconnected could that of somehow ruined my balljoint/bent my arm?

Could even a bad ball joint cause this?

I think I might just order both new lower control arms but I think one of them alone is 270 bucks hah.

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

When you took the balljoint's loose was the shaft very easy to move around. Ball joints should be very stiff and almost impossible to move by hand. If it was loose it is bad and can cause the shaking you speak of but doesn't explain the rotor on the caliper. That would have to be related to the steering knuckle.

 

[DiamondStarAwd]

Do you mean were the lower control arms easy to move around when I had them unbolted from the chassis side of the car? I left them attached at the knuckle and just lowered them enough to where I could swing the axle out of the hub. If thats teh case, I didnt pay attention.

Im more worried about this grinding.

I guess I will re-check everything again,for about the 10th time and see if I notice the control arms to be bent or anything.

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

Take a bunch of pictures because the rotor is solid on the hub and the caliper on the knuckle so I from what I understand your steering knuckle or spindle is bent.

 

[DiamondStarAwd]

Sure thing, will have some up tommorow.

 

[DiamondStarAwd]

Well I just found out some more info.


With the wheel off it spins perfectly fine, doesnt hit at all. With the wheel on it spins fine. With it tightened down half way it spins fine, but the second I try and tighten the wheel all the way is when it rubs. Any ideas. Since I have nothing to do today, im swapping drivers side and passenger hub. Both are basically brand new.

 

[steve]

In the past we have seen problems where the rotor inside surface isn't chamfered correctly to seat on the hub face. Look closely at the rotor where the center part of the hub passes through the rotor.
It looks good until you go tighten the lug nuts and then it goes cockeyed.

Steve

 

[DiamondStarAwd]

Well swapped hubs. Still does it. So that rules out alot. Looking at bent suspension parts now.

On the caliepr bracket the two 17 mm bolts that hold it on. I noticed that if I put teh washer between the spindle and caliper bracket it will rub on the inside. If i put the washers on the head of the bolt it rubs on the outside. Bent spindle?

Pictures will be up, taking them right now.

 

[DiamondStarAwd]

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After swapping the hubs I made sure to get it really tight, it doesnt rub as bad, but still there.

 

[DiamondStarAwd]

Well Im just going to go swap my entire passenger side suspension with another car. Both lower control arms, spindle, rotor, bracket, wheel bearing, everything. If that doesnt fix it, then I could possibly set this thing on fire.

 

[steve]

With everything stripped like in the pictures put the rotor on the hub and bolt it down.
If it doesn't run true then it's either the rotor is warped, it's not sitting flat on the hub or the hub is bent. I don't think ther are any other parts of the suspension that could cause the problem. You do have the axle bolt on when your testing, right?

Steve

 

[DiamondStarAwd]

Yes, axle nut is on when testing, that was just moments after putting the hub in.

 

[91 Turbo Mitsu]

Just as a thought,where is your dust shield. Most of them are behind the hub assembly which in essence shims the hub out a small amount. You wouldnt think it makes a difference but it does. Keep us posted. Travis

 

[RamenPride]

Just as a thought,where is your dust shield. Most of them are behind the hub assembly which in essence shims the hub out a small amount. You wouldnt think it makes a difference but it does. Keep us posted. Travis

It's a good idea, and maybe it's true for a 1G. On 2G's the dust shield does need to go on before the hub, but that's only because the opening isn't big enough to go over the part with the lugs where the brake rotor goes. The hub assembly bolts directly to the knuckle.

 

[DiamondStarAwd]

With everything stripped like in the pictures put the rotor on the hub and bolt it down.
If it doesn't run true then it's either the rotor is warped, it's not sitting flat on the hub or the hub is bent. I don't think ther are any other parts of the suspension that could cause the problem. You do have the axle bolt on when your testing, right?

Steve

I tried new rotors, same thing
I swapped hubs from driver to passenger side, same thing



91 turbo mitsu- Dust shield has been off forever and did perfectly fine without it. I already tried putting a washer in place of it and it still rubs. Thanks for the idea tho.

 

[DiamondStarAwd]

Ok tommorow Im swapping both lower control arms and spindle with another car.

Im just going to unbolt the lower control arms from the chassis and then the spindle from the firewall or do I have to seperate it at the top of the spindle where that ball joint is. and I will need a ball joint seperator then, hmm.

Will it hurt the ball joints if I leave the two lower control arms attached to the spindle as Im swapping them over?

So after tommorow it will have diff lower control arms, spindle, hub, wheel bearing and going to put on the new rotors now.

 

[DiamondStarAwd]

Ok my car has abs. Do I need a abs spindle? I think hte other guy has abs, but how do I get the tie rod out? Do I need a ball joint seperater and pop it out. Also on the top of the spindle that 17 mm nut I cant get off, use the ball joint seperator as well?


ok tie rod end popped out. Just cant get that 17 mm nut off on the top of the spindle. Im putting a ball joint seprator in there and applying pressure but it still spins. I also took a jack and put pressure on the bottom of the knuckle/spindle and it still spins. Is there any special way to doing this, Im applying as much pressure as possible with the ball joint seperator and it still just spins.

 

[DiamondStarAwd]

Ok wow.

So it wasnt exactly a direct swap.

I have to put 2 washers between the spindle and caliper bracket to get it to bolt up so I can get the rotor on. The other setup it was no washers. Weird.

Will find out in about 10 mins if it worked.


edit : so far so good, put the wheel on and tightened it down and its not hitting like it used to. WOOOHHOOOOOO

ok now onto abs.

this spindle doesnt have a spot for it like my last one did, but my abs is broken anyways, can I just cut the line and cap it off or do I tie it up out of the way? Thats the only thing left to do before I can drive this pos