Vibration Issue - Honda Prelude Forum

squeaky0032 · 11-26-2011, 07:14 AM

Hey guys, I have had a terrible vibration and noise coming from the right front ever since I got my 1997 prelude...

Here's the issue... I took it to a technician to help diagnose, and he said rotor was warped causing the noise and vibration, yet the brake pedal DOES NOT pulsate when applying brakes, nor does the vibration or noise really change much.

Took it to another technician at a totally different shop, and he said it was half shaft. He showed me, while the wheels were jacked up off the ground, that the half shaft was "shaking" a little bit, and told me to do the half shaft.. But its going to "shake" when there is no weight, and the weight of the tire, and car is pulling down on the axle.

Got the car home, after an alignment, and replaced the half shaft, due to what this technician said. BUT it still vibrates, it still makes noise.. And as a matter of fact, it seems to be worse. Now it seems to change in pitch when going around curves.

But it ALWAYS vibrates, accelerating, decelerating, stopping, coasting, in neutral, etc...

Any further ideas on what I might be able to check? Or is it possible that it's a bad half shaft? Or is the rotor possibly what really is making the noises? I don't have money to spend on every part right this second, so trying to fix it one step at a time.

Thanks for your help.

dontbuyprelude · 11-27-2011, 07:24 PM

sounds like a bad wheel bearing

Nighthawk01 · 11-27-2011, 07:59 PM

Wheel bearing
motor mount
bad axle
-to name a few possibilities

Does the motor feel like it runs fine?

squeaky0032 · 11-29-2011, 08:54 AM

I thought it was bearing, but every shop I went to told me it wasn't. So I am replacing the bearing today.

By the way, if anyone goes about replacing the bearing, go ahead and order another snap ring for the hub, where it holds the bearing in place... Because it took 3 days for me to get mine!

my97lude · 12-07-2011, 08:13 PM

My answer would also be the bearing (going by what you have written, and not being able to physically view and touch it).

It would especially make sense with the statement that it actually got WORSE after replacing the half-shaft. Many shops have monkeys that just beat on things when they won't do what they want. It is very likely that they hammered the brake rotors off instead of pressing, and that they hammered the shaft out as well. This would cause an already bad bearing to become worse of course.

I look forward to hearing if the bearing takes care of your problem!

minilogoguy18 · 12-08-2011, 07:03 AM

Front wheel bearing.

Did they even properly check it? It's super easy to hear with a lift, someone driving it at 30mph and one of these held against the backside of the knuckle.

Slow@ssLuda · 12-08-2011, 08:03 AM

I would go with motor mount.

This sounds exactly like what my roommate went through. going to different mech's all with different answers. when i drove the car making a right turn or quickly accelerating the noise was horrible. It turned out to be a passenger motor mount.

I would go ahead and take a close look at the motor mounts and if any of them are coming apart.

Hope this helps.