High frequency vibration after replacing rotors and sway bar bushings
 

Hi,

after replacing the front rotors including brake pads and the sway bar bushings I feel a subtle high frequency vibration in the foot well. It is a very light vibration, the kind that tickles you feet very subtly but annoyingly for long distance drive. However the vibration is not felt on the gear shifter. What can be the cause?

Thanks,
texholdem

Do you feel it in the brake pedal?

The vibration on the right foot (gas/brake pedal) is less than on the left foot, which has full contact to the floor.

He means do you feel the vibration when hitting the brake or while driving (no brakes)?

I think that wheel bearings need adjustment after replacing rotors, but i am not sure of that..

when hitting the brake pedal I actually don't feel the vibration because the muscle force applied overtoned the feeling of tickling. On the gas pedal the tickling of the right foot is less than on the left foot.

The vibration seems to spread thru the base plate of the foot well and partly over to the pedals.

Does it do it out of gear? Does it do it in gear while stopped? What speed ranges does it occur in and does the intensity/frequency of the vibration increase with engine and/or road speed?

the vibration is there both when in and out of gear. it is very light, almost unperceivable and seems not to increase much with speed. Maybe the new rotors need some time to adjust.

I would suspect wheel bearing.

Texholdem, were the replacement rotors genuine MB rotors or aftermarket? It's possible one (or both) of the new front rotors is out of balance, or slightly warped. A runout check with a dial indicator will show if the rotors are warped.

Replacing front rotors should not affect the wheel bearings. If the wheel bearings were OK before the recent work they should be the same now.

talked to my "indy". He also thinks that the rotors, which are aftermarket parts, are not well-balanced.

Lesson learnt about non-MB parts. Thanks for all inputs!

Some of the veterans can confirm or deny this ......

But when you change rotors, front wheel bearings will need to be adjusted/ tightened..if not it will vibrate.....I am sure I read this a number of times on this forum the others...

Edit: if Fredman says no, then forget about it, he is one of the experts !!!:)

So it only happens while moving, then?

yes, my guess is now narrowed down to the new rotors. Thanks!

New rotors being warped is nothing new; they should have been checked for run-out...

You can also rotate yout tires and if there is a change in the feel of the vibration, then it would point to tires being out of balance.