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Hi all, I have a 2004 VP 5speed with around 65k miles on it.

It vibrates at speeds above 60MPH (and has gotten worse over the past 9 months). The vibration happens regardless if I have the brakes applied or not. Below 60-ish MPH you can tell that something "isn't quite right" but its not too noticeable.

In addition (may or may not be related) there is a metal on metal sounding rotational grind that happens when braking to a stop at low speed. It isn't the moan of warped rotors that I'm used to hearing, but I suppose it could be.

The brakes pads have plenty of life left on them, and the rotors don't appear to be warped (plus the vibration happens without the brakes applied). I have replaced the wheel bearings on the front left and right to no avail (there used to be a squeak at low speeds but the wheel bearing replacement seems to have fixed that).

Something else of note, although it may just be in my head, I live in Ohio and since the winter started the low speed grind has gotten less noticeable. On warmers days it seems to get worse - along with the high speed vibration.

I have some tire fix a flat in a couple of tires so I was thinking the vibration could be from tire imbalance, but it doesn't explain the grind? Maybe the grind is just from the cheapo pads I installed?

Please help anyone!

Thanks

 
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It could be wheel imbalance. I'd clean out your wheels and wheel wells before you do anything severe though. My car was acting the same way this morning because we had a massive ice and snow storm the previous night.

 
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When was the last time you got your tires balanced? Discount tire co. says to do it every other oil change

 
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The tires are about 20k miles old, so the last balance would have been then. Would unbalanced tires account for that grinding noise at low speed? Has anyone used cheaper brake pads and had that result? Its louder than I would think would be caused by just cheap quality pads. There is still a lot of life left on them and the wear is even. With the bad noise that's been coming from the car for a while during stopping I'd think I'd be able to see what the problem was...

 
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Tire imbalance would do that for sure. Also, see if the dust shield(s) are rubbing the rotor(s). I've had cheap pads grind like that before.

 
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Thanks all, I'll try and get the tires changed/balanced and see if that fixes it!

 
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Replaced the tires with new Bridgestones, and the vibration is gone!!! Thanks all! The metal grinding sound is still there during low speed braking, but the more I think about it the more I think that its just due to the cheap pads I installed last brake job. I'll be sure to use better ones for my next go-around.