03 Trailblazer Front End Noise/Vibration

check tyres for balance and high spots in the side walls and tread. Have a wheel alignment to correct castor problems . check front end for serviceability. Check brake pads for grabbing and not free of disc rotors. Check the disc rotors for warp and run out . Check front wheel bearings for condition and tension.

I would start with the easiest and get your wheel balance checked.

Possible have a caliber not retracting all the way and the brake shoe is slightly scrubbing the rotor. Don't overlook the possibility of wheel bearings or CV joints.

Warped brake rotors

Front end vibration has little to do with the brake system on the car. Yes you can get some "brake shudder" when you apply the brakes when you have worn brake rotors or when the rotors are not properly aligned on the hubs. However from what you have said you do not have this problem.

Front end vibrations can be caused by a number of factors some of which are listed below:



1. Front wheels out of balance. (Common problem on many vehicles).

When were the front wheels last balanced? You will get vibrations through the car and the steering wheel at particular speeds. This will/could also occur if the wheel rims have been distorted as a result of abuse.

As a first step the wheels should be balanced and then retest the vehicle for the problem.

It can be impossible to properly balance some wheels because the tires fitted to the rims are of poor quality and contain heavy spots that are impossible to correct with wheel balance weights. If you have cheap tires fitted on the wheel rims then it may be impossible to balance the wheels properly because of the imperfections in the tyre. In that case you will have a permanent wheel vibration problem which will only be rectified by fitting good quality tires and re-balancing the front wheels.

If aftermarket wheel rims have been fitted to the vehicle this can also be a source of vibration. Some wheels on the market are poor quality and can be slightly out of round and/or have heavy spots in them which can be impossible to correct when you fit the tires and have the wheels balanced. Many people think a cheap set of "blingy" aftermarket wheels are a great buy but if they are poorly built (as is often the case) you will usually have no end of problems.

2. The front wheel alignment could be out.
If the front wheels have not been aligned in the past 12 months they probably will be out of alignment. When you have re-balanced the front wheels you should have the front wheel alignment checked and then re-aligned if it is out. However if their are worn suspension components (see 4) found on the car which need to be replaced, this repair needs to be done before the front wheels are re-aligned.

3. Worn out wheel bearings in the front hubs.
If your front wheel bearings are badly worn you can get a vibration through the steering wheel. If the vehicle has done about 100000 miles or more on the front wheel bearings they should be replaced. In any event , any competent mechanic can jack up the front of the car and check for excess play in the wheel bearings.

4. Worn out suspension components. The front end of the car should be checked for badly worn suspension and steering components.

I would recommend you take the vehicle to a competent mechanic or a suspension specialist in your area and have them check the vehicle for you.

I hope this helps.

when turning left vehicle distributes weight to right front wheel bearing causing load. since u describe a noise in right front while driving straight i would suspect failed right front wheel bearing. see if your noise changes/goes away while turning right that should tell u 4 sure

check balance of tires; if ok, have rotors refinished or replaced; most likely warped rotors if you can feel it in the brake pedal when braking

do u feel the vibration in the steering wheel or in the seat,i bet the most vibration was coming out of the front brakes and a little out of the rear brakes,u might want to change the rear brakes if the vibration is still annoying,also were the front wheels torqued to spec when installed?? if not u might end up with warped front brakes again,hope this helped

Have a mechanic look at your front end. Find out what it is then fix it. could be ball joints,tie rods,rotors or a number of other things.Did your bearings go bad before this new set? could they have ruined the spindal or the hub?

Jack up the front end and put stands under it and block rear wheels. Look at axle boots and see if they are cracked. Try turning wheel back and forth sharply and see if you can hear any clicking. Problem could be outer axle joints. If the boots are cracked or you hear a clicking noise you will have to replace the axle. The axle and boot come as a complete unit. Please let me know what you find out.