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Re: Front End Shimmey

To: johnsong@is2.dal.ca
Subject: Re: Front End Shimmey
From: larryhoy@juno.com (Larry A Hoy)
Date: Tue, 06 May 1997 09:38:27 EDT
Yes, an out of round wheel can be balanced.  

When you have a vibration that does not show up as a vibration in the
steering wheel then it generally comes from the rear of the car and may
be "transmitted" forward appearing to be from the front of the car. You
may be able to detect a vibration in your seat (the car's, not yours!).  

If the source is from the front of the car it generally will be felt in
the steering wheel.

I would look for out of round wheels.  They can be checked on the car. 
Jack up one rear wheel, release the emergency brake, start the car and
put it in gear.  Watch the wheel, if it wobbles it's bent.  Look closely
it doesn't take much to cause vibration.  When you do this block the
front wheels, make sure the car is supported properly (jack stands),
point it in a direction that is open (free of obstructions) and have a
person in the car ready to put the brakes on.  Check each wheel.

If the vibration can be felt in the steering wheel put the straightest
wheels on the front of the car.

Your idea of checking with someone else's wheels is an excellent one.

Cheers,
Larry Hoy
1969 MGB Roadster
1987 Jaguar XJ6 Vanden Plas
1976 MGB Parting out, almost gone
    =================================
On Mon, 5 May 1997 22:49:13 -0300 (ADT) "G.J." <johnsong@is2.dal.ca>
writes:
>On Mon, 5 May 1997, Ken Katsirebas wrote:
>
>> Had the same problem.  Traced it to my driver's (left side) rear 
>wire 
>>wheel being out of round.
>> ----------
>
>Can a wheel be balanced, but "out of round"?  My next course of action 
>is
>to try someone else's mgb wheels on my car, as my wheels may be "egg
>shaped" (they are Minilite repros).
>
>> 
>> > Folks:
>> > Any ideas as to cause of shimmey in front end (not wheels, they 
>are perfectly 
>> > balanced)?  At about 55 and up, the front end, not the steering 
>wheel, starts 
>> > to shake.  At times it is hardly noticeable, at times you can't 
>miss it.
>> 
>> I've had this problem for quite a while now, exactly as you 
>describe.
>> Unfortunately, I have yet to remedy the problem! 
>> 
>>     ________      ___
>>    / ______/     |   |  Greg Johnson      * See the 
>British Automobile
>>  /   \   ___     |   |  Biology Dept.            Touring 
>Assoc. of NS
>>  \     \_\  \  /\ __|   |  Dal. University                     Home 
>Page!*
>>    \______   / \________|  Halifax, N.S., Canada
>>           \/ 
>>                  www.chebucto.ns.ca/Recreation/BATANS/
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>
>
>    ________        ___
>   / ______/       |   |  Greg Johnson      * See the 
>British Automobile
> /   \   ___       |   |  Biology Dept.            Touring 
>Assoc. of NS
> \     \_\  \  /\ __|   |  Dal. University                     Home 
>Page!*
>   \______   / \________|  Halifax, N.S., Canada
>          \/ 
>                 www.chebucto.ns.ca/Recreation/BATANS/
>
>
>

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