my 96 Legacy LSi (4 wheel discs) has a warped rotor, but i don't think it's very bad - it doesn't vibrate nearly as much as other warped rotors i've had. but i'm not sure which rotor - largely in part because it's not prominent.

 

can a failed wheel bearing cause a warped rotor? the rear wheel bearing got REALLY bad before i fixed it and the vibration seemed to start after that. extra heat = warped rotor?

 

it's not as obvious as most that i've had - which maybe that points to the rear (since all my previous ones have been in the front)?

 

are rear rotors harder to distinguish than fronts?

If your brake hoses are in good shape, they make little clamps to put on small hoses to squeeze them shut. Great for keeping the brake system from draining in an uncontrolled fashion when replacing calipers, etc.

 

You could put one of these on each wheels brake hose in succession, then when the shaking stops, you've clamped off the culprit.

 

I have used these before (as well as needle-nose vice-grips with fuel line over the teeth) and never had a problem, but you could theoretically permanently crimp the hose or knock a chunk loose in the hose.

 

 

Dave

We used to put these on a lift, lift both axles, pull the tires, put lugs back on.

 

Start car, have someone hit the gas to 10mph or so.

 

Take a screwdriver, brace it against the fender, make contact with the rotor.

 

You should be able to identify it this way.

 

Should work fine on jack stands as well.

 

Common sense, a runoff area, etc. Atleast there is no need to be under the car.

Could the hub have been damaged or the old rotor be not properly seated on the hub during the wheel bearing replacement? If things are a bit rusty back there on the mating surface of the hub, you're going to have disc run out.

 

Generally, if you feel the warped rotor causing vibration in the steering wheel, it's the front rotors at fault, but if you don't feel vibration it doesn't necessarily mean the problem isn't in the front.

 

I like the idea of using brake hose clamps to disable one caliper at a time and see if the problem goes away. Better have a safe place to try this test, though!