Hello, I am new to the forum and have just purchased a used very low mileag handicap van. I am hoping one of you that has tire front end experience can give me some advice on this as I wait over the weekend to get to a tire front end shop.

My wife and I purchased a used 2003 Dodge Sport Caravan with the handicap braun lift for my daughter with spina bifida Friday afternooon. The van was carfaxed, I checked with DVM, and dealer warrenty history to verify the mileage was 15,200 miles.

We picked it up in Little Rock at around 5pm and we had previously driven it with no problems a week earlier. Driving home on the interstate my wife calls me on the cell and states it is vibrating really bad above 40 and getting progressively worse. We are in traffic and decide it is most likely a tire issue or lost a wheel weight. We go down the highway about 30 miles and she reports it has stopped but the brakes feel like they are vibrating when pushed.

We change drivers in Hope, AR about 35 miles from Texarkana and I get in it and drive, no issues other than I feel a slight vibration on the brakes. I drive and think it is pretty much okay, I think on Monday I'll just have them spin up the tires and get them checked for broken belts and rebalanced.

Today while out with my daughter we are going down the highway and it had been driving fine then it starts vibrating at around 40 and gets worse at 60. I go back to the house pick up my wife and she gets in the back and goes with me and states this is what it was doing with me and our daugher. I do several brakes stops and know am thinking might be a rotor problem because I start smelling something burning in the front end.

If anyone is a front end mechanic and has any ideas that would relieve our anxiety over the weekend I would appreciate your thoughts. I know we were lucky to find a low mileage handicap vehicle that drives like new and the motor and all accessories all work perfectly.

It had set up for awhile as the previous owners son had passed about 6-8 months ago. Could I be correct in thinking brakes/rotors/ and/or combination of broken belt. The tires are new bridgestones and were not cheap. The seller has sold us a van previously and I don't think this was intentional. Thanks in advance. My friends call me GG.

 

Took van to Firestone this morning and had all four tires replaced with new balance and checked rims.

Replaced front rotors that were warped and put on front rebuilt calipers with new brake pads.

This appears to have cured the vibration issues.

GG