strange noise and steering wheel shake.

So I have a couple problems I've just been ignoring because I've had a bunch of shit going on lately. They could be related, I just want some outside opinions.

1: strange noise. Sounds like a thin aluminum bracket slapping against something , almost as if I had something stuck to my tire. Slaps just a couple or few quick times only at slow speed like 5-20 mph, not any exact speed just slow and random. Accelerating or decelerating, in any gear (auto). Straight or turning it doesn't matter. Not the engine, in neutral and revving it won't happen, the car has to be slowly moving. From the front of the car and possibly the driver side. I've been under the car and shook stuff and couldn't find anything loose. Tie rod boots are ripped, could this be it?

2: vibration under LIGHT braking. With more brake pressure the vibration goes away. Doesn't happen at all when only applying the e-brake. I rebuilt the front calipers and new pins, new pads and rotors turned several months ago. Rears are a few months older than fronts, just not rebuilt. I checked for wheel bearings, right rear needs replaced very soon but fronts are good, I replaced one of those a year or so ago. Drivers front axle (advanced auto) was replaced around the same time as the other front wheel bearing. Could the inner tie rods (boots are torn remember) be causing this and/or the noise.

Thanks for help.

check your heat shield around your exhaust pipe in the middle of the car. and as for the vibration when braking, it might be loose bearings, wheel not on tight (tighten lug nuts)

i have a 96 legacy L wagon and mine does all the same as yours.

how many miles are on your subby?

You could try re-tightening your strut bars and then also getting your tires re-balanced. The e-brake on our car is similar to a drum brake set-up so its different then the basic brakes which are all disc brakes on our cars.

Try going around and re-tighten your wheels, if you just tightened them once and didn't re-torque them after driving, your wheels could be seated improperly.

Just got new tires not long ago, forgot to mention that. I guess I still could have thrown a weight off. I know the e brake is drum, I just figured it would still hold the wheel straight but I could be wrong. I always torque the wheels to spec which I believe is 72 ft/lbs, but they may be loose. If it is the wheel bearing I'll find out when I replaced that soon. Still, would the rear bearing on its way out make the steering wheel shake since its not connected to the steering system?

I tried messing with the heat shields before, I think I may take them off and go for a short drive to see if that helps.

Thanks for ideas. Going to be a week before I try anything out, I'm going on vacation to Colorado!