[Shotimes] Shaking at 70

[George Fourchy]

On Thu, 08 Jul 2004 09:33:46 -0600, jared gardner wrote:

> Since then I have had my 
>wheels balanced several times and then last night had an alignment done.  
>Unfortunately the shaking is still there.  What are the parts of the 
>suspension that I should check that could be causing the shaking.

Alignment won't affect balance.  Let's get that out of the way.....!

OK....if you are SURE the wheels are balanced correctly (how do you know...were they
done ON the car?), then there is only one other thing that can cause high speed
vibrations when slow speed is smooth.  The wheels (or tires) are out of round.  This
happens over a long period of time when incorrect (too short) lug nuts dig their
shoulders into the tapers of the wheel lug holes.  SHOs use large lug nuts with
shoulders...new, they are about $2.50 apiece.  El cheapo small ones are less than a
buck.  But they make a BIG difference.

You can check for out of round wheels by jackiing up the corner of the car you
suspect has the problem, and spinning the wheel, either by hand in the rears, or in
first gear or reverse for the fronts.  You want to go slow with the driven wheel, so
you can identify the high spot and adjust it.  Eyeball along the tread to the ground
in front of or behind the wheel, and look for fluctuation in the diameter.

I have a technique for centering out of round wheels.  It is not nice or pretty to
the center of the wheel, where it goes over the center of the hub.  It requires
using sheetrock screws, driven in by a standard phillips screwdriver, into the space
between the wheel center and the hub at the spot where the wheel is 'low', with the
lugs finger tight, and the screw is tightened to force the wheel out the tiny
fraction of an inch needed to center it.  It buggers up the metal where it is, but
my wheels have covers that hide this.  It works.  It works good.

George