[Shotimes] vibration: what is wrong?

[cmichaelo@optonline.net]

When you say that vibration is felt while "moving", how fast are you driving at this point and are they any speeds at which it is felt less or goes away?

Why did the CV joint fail?

When, and under which circumstances, did this vibration problem start?

Tell us more about your caster and alignment problems. Cause IMO that is a strange alignment solution that should never be needed.  Which means that something is really really wrong in your alignment.

I assume that they needed the reduce the caster, right? Normally, the SHO should have as much caster as possible (+4deg or something like that, IIRC.)

Were they trying to get it back into the spec range and were not able to do so by moving the strut forward at the tower?

What else did this shop do for you?

Did the vibration start before or after this alignment procedure?

Inserting shims onto the tension strut rod is a really bad idea since when tightening the nut to spec you'll be putting excess strain on the bushings as they are compressed beyond their design point.

Michael
94MTX,green,BOS+,Koni/Intrax,Baer,Corbeau
SHO items for sale: http://hometown.aol.com/cmichaelo/for_sale.html

----- Original Message -----
From: Ian Fisher <dataflash@yahoo.com>
Date: Wednesday, December 22, 2004 0:11 am
Subject: [Shotimes] vibration: what is wrong?

> I have a vibration that I can't pin down.
> 
> Symptom:
> Vibraton/rubbing felt in steering wheel and front end
> of car while moving. Moving the wheel left or right
> changes the pitch and sound (increases, decreases).
> Letting go of the wheel and letting the car drift
> usually alleviates most of the problem. Steering wheel
> is no longer centered when driving car straight.
> Letting go of the wheel causes car to drift slightly
> to the right.
> 
> History:
> Problem was really bad until last week or so when I
> realized that the driver's rear SF bolt was not
> torqued tightly and the subframe was lifting up and
> down. I torqued the bolt (100 ft/lbs -Al bushings) and
> things were better but not perfect. A few days later,
> I tore into the car again and found that the driver's
> side CV joint had failed and sprayed grease all over
> the trans case. I replaced the halfshaft and torqued
> the (new) end nut to 190 ft/lbs (spec is 180-200)
> 
> Wheel bearings look fine.
> Tie rod ends look fine.
> Steering rack (reman Ford) + inner tie rods are only
> about 2 years old. 
> 
> I didn't find significant play in either front wheel
> with the car jacked up that would indicate a wheel
> bearing or tie rod issue.
> 
> One thought did occur to me tonight that I need to
> check; the tension strut rods. The last shop that
> aligned the car shimmed the tension strut rod to
> adjust caster. They used metal shims behind the rear
> subframe to strut rod bushing. I should check the
> front nut on the strut rod to ensure that it is still
> torqued tightly but somehow I doubt this is my
> problem.
> 
> Other notables: I have wilwood brakes. I had a similar
> issue once when the TCE braided line was rubbing on
> the inside of the rim. I updated the line with TCE's
> newer shorter lines and haven't had a problem since.
> Wilwood calipers seem to be operating find (sometimes
> a piston can seize causing problems). 
> 
> Any ideas?
> 
> All I want for Christmas is a vibrationless SHO and my
> 3.2 installed by Santa Claus (he's used to the cold)
> 
> Thanks
> Ian
> 
> 
>        	
> __________________________________ 
> Do you Yahoo!? 
> Yahoo! Mail - now with 250MB free storage. Learn more.
> http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250
> _______________________________________________
> Shotimes mailing list
> Shotimes@autox.team.net
> http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo/shotimes