Should I get FWI? Other ways to spend the money??

[Ludichris]

So I'm slowly but surely getting the maintenance done on my '05 with 149K miles. I am still REALLY missing my old gear ratio of 3.05, this one has the 2.86, and I can tell. FWI, to me, seems like on the one hand it's a "luxury" item, not a necessity, but on the other hand, this new gear ratio is really bothering me and I know that a FWI would liven things up (hopefully enough to notice anyway). I fell into a good paycheck (I'm straight commission folks, and sometimes that's a really GOOD thing!), so I'll be able to do my back rotors and pads, swap out the fuel pressure regulator "just because", so I don't have to worry about it, and I'll have a little left over I think, so was thinking of FWI. For the usual suspects that have been of great help to me and have chimed in recently, this will be old news, but for others, here is what I've done so far:

New plugs/wires (Belden/NGK)
New fuel filter (I think Wix is what I put in there)
New air filter (K&N)
New rear shocks (Delco I believe)
Fixed the leaky coolant elbow(s)

About to replace FPR
About to replace rear rotors/pads
Sometime SOON - about to replace front wheel bearings

What else should I check for? I should tell you that I get the infamous shake at various speeds usually over 50 (and quite a bit of shake in the steering wheel when I brake), but I know my rear brakes need done, with uneven/scored rear rotors, and I also know that my front wheel bearings have a little play in them, so I'll be getting to those soon too.

Other than that, she's running pretty well with the occasional hard start (FPR?), but I haven't had a hard start in a few days. Anything else to look for if I'm not feeling/seeing any other issues with her, at 149K? I'm sure I'll get a laundry list of things to check, but I'd REALLY like to put a FWI in to wake up the engine.

[FIND]

Have you ever replaced the LIM gasket?

[nos4blood70]

The FWI will not make your car much faster if at all, but you will love the increased throttle response which will make it SEEM faster. Especially punching it in first gear. At least that's my experience.

Plus you will enjoy the sound.

[00Beast]

FWI is nice, I'd do it. Plus the looks you get when it's cold and you start your car are priceless, LOL. Sounds like a super loud vacuum on cocaine.

[Ludichris]

Have you ever replaced the LIM gasket?

Ha! No, and that's a great point that you make. However, they've either already been done, or I'm very fortunate, because we took a telescoping mirror and a flashlight, and there isn't so much as a drop of ANY fluid (coolant, obviously, for LIM, but also trans fluid, and oil) visible leaking from anywhere around the engine.

[Ludichris]

The FWI will not make your car much faster if at all, but you will love the increased throttle response which will make it SEEM faster. Especially punching it in first gear. At least that's my experience.

Plus you will enjoy the sound.

Yes - throttle response - that is what's driving me crazy, the throttle response is just not what I'm used to. Granted, I need to clean out the throttle body, forgot to add that to the "things I'm going to do soon" list. That's on there, but yeah, when I gutted the airbox and popped a bunch of 1 1/2" extra holes in the front of it on my '97, I noticed that increased throttle response RIGHT away!

[00Beast]

Where the LIM's normally leak is into the intake ports, so while no external leaks are good, they don't tell the whole story.

Do the FWI if you can, but also do the UIM and LIM Gaskets.

[vogie01]

You get shakes when you brake? That sounds like your car had or have a bad alignment and you rotors in the front are warped as a result. If you are going to do your front rotors, you should change out your brakes and rotors on the front as well to get rid of that shake as it will be overlap anyway if you are going to do your front wheel bearings.

I would also check out your suspension since you have that many miles on it. Many people let the suspension slide, but it has been recommend to change them out every 50-60k, but it you don't know where they are at I would check into the status of them. I think a bad ride is one of the worst things to have in a car.

[01bonneSC]

You get shakes when you brake? That sounds like your car had or have a bad alignment and you rotors in the front are warped as a result. If you are going to do your front rotors, you should change out your brakes and rotors on the front as well to get rid of that shake as it will be overlap anyway if you are going to do your front wheel bearings.

I would also check out your suspension since you have that many miles on it. Many people let the suspension slide, but it has been recommend to change them out every 50-60k, but it you don't know where they are at I would check into the status of them. I think a bad ride is one of the worst things to have in a car.

I have NEVER heard of a bad alignment causing warped rotors.

[00Beast]

[vogie01]

Yes, I do believe there is correlation between having a car that is out of alignment (a car that is not rolling straight down the rode) and rotors becoming warped. I base this off of my personal experience owning 20+ vehicles in the last 15 years, and my issues with regular maintenance on them, specifically alignments.

Maybe it is something else, but prematurely worn tires and warped rotors and pads has always been an end result of letting an alignment go to long without correction for me.

[redzmonte]

Wheel shake when braking is tipically warped front rotors. Never heard of an alignment causing warped rotors... the caliper is still in the same spot on the rotor if the tire is straight or off alignment but im no mechanic. Tipically you will feel the seat shake if the rears are warped. I like CAI's, if everything else is on the up and up i would say go for it or a DP.

S

[Ludichris]

Yes on the UIM/LIM, that's a definite. How do you know if you have warped rotors or not? I don't believe I've ever had that issue so I have no idea how to check for it. Will there be uneven wear patterns on the rotor? Will it be something hard to detect visually or will you be able to see it? I don't like the "shake while you brake" and would love to get that taken care of, 'cause it sucks!

[00Beast]

The shaking is the only way to diagnose warped rotors. Unless they're TERRIBLY warped, you cannot see the warp in them.

[yonkerse]

The shaking is the only way to diagnose warped rotors. Unless they're TERRIBLY warped, you cannot see the warp in them.

My car currently has warped rotors and you will get a vibration when braking. If the brakes are applied and the car is coming to a stop, you will also feel the brakes grip differently. Meaning the car will stop with a pulsing effect instead of a nice, smooth stop.

[repinS]

The shaking is the only way to diagnose warped rotors. Unless they're TERRIBLY warped, you cannot see the warp in them.

I take it you've never used runout gauges!

[00Beast]

I meant that he, as a person without sophisticated tools, cannot look at his rotors and see that they are warped or not, unless they are extremely bad, and that's likely unsafe to drive on the road if they are THAT bad.

[Ludichris]

Will warped rotors also contribute to mild shaking at highway speeds (say...over 60)? It's random, and it's mild....it doesn't bother me too much other than the fact that I know it's there. I can let go of the wheel and it drives straight for about "the usual" distance I'd say, but yet I can feel wobble/shaking in the steering wheel - could warped rotors cause that?

[00Beast]

While I cannot say for sure they can't, as some people have said they have, it's unlikely. That's more likely a tire issue.

[SSEiMan01]

My friends 07 GP was shaking a bit on the highway until we replaced his warped rotors, and worn pads.