Do any of you guys have ideas on what would cause a front end up-and-down wobble on the right front corner at low speeds (about 15-30 mph) and a rubbing/low squeaking sound when braking? I want to say warped rotor but I'm not sure. What would be the easiest way to check for rotor warpage anyway?

 

A dial indicator would measure warpage. Usually a warped rotor will cause severe vibration when braking. The rubbing/squeaking sound sounds more like a brake issue.

Up and down vibration could be the front strut assembly or loose suspension components. Look for signs of an oil leak on the struts.

 

I tried using a dial indicator but it wanted to dance around a lot due to the uneven surface of the rotor. The wobble is more of a bouncing through the frame of the car. The rubbing sound, I think, would be due to the brakes because of whatever is causing the possible runout.

I'll check the suspension components on the suspected side, but all four struts are only a few months old, as are the ball joints.

 

Checked both rotors with a dial indicator and the driver's side had excessive runout. Got them turned, put back on, road tested, and I can't hear the noise anymore so I think that's taken care of. Not sure about the "hopping" yet. I think it's still there but I'm not certain. There's no bearing endplay on either side and the hub flanges tested good for runout. Driver's side CV shaft isn't bent. Didn't bother checking the passenger side shaft due to how short it is.

I also checked the tie rods, ball joints, sway bar, and struts and they're all tight and in good visible shape. I forgot to mention that the tires are new (less than 6 months old) and were rotated just the other day and there was no change. Any other ideas?

 

You want to check for play in the joints of the CV joint. Grab the CV joint on the bar and push/pull in the direction of the ground/sky to see if one of the joints has more play on both sides.

 

Outboard joints are tight, inboard joints have some play. I'd say about 1/16"-1/8" of vertical play on each inboard joint. Bad?

 

I'd say that is normal. If one had way more play, then I'd be concerned.

 

Got the front of the car up on stands and put it in drive while I observed the rotating assemblies. Passenger inboard CV joint seems to be moving around more than I think it should. There shouldn't really be any radial movement of either outboard or inboard joints, should there? What do you guys think?

I have also been noticing a bit of a clunk when shifting into reverse immediately after starting up a cool engine. That I'm certain is an indication of a CV joint problem, but I've also read that it could be lash in the diff. assembly.

 

Sounds are tough to diagnose over the web. You may want to take a look at your motor and transmission mounts.