steering vibration over 80

[johntl]

anybody any ideas

there seems like a bearing noise which is quite low at normal speeds, but when you get to 80, vibration starts in the steering wheel and the noise gets a suddenly louder and stays the same at higher speeds ?????? the guy that services the car recons it could be driveshafts ???

[steve_earwig]

Wheel bearing? Sounds dangerous anyway. Does the noise change as you sling the car from side to side? What about low speed manoeuvring on full lock?

[OllieNZ]

Have you checked you wheel studs? I'd be inclined to say wheel bearing too. Ime a knackered cv clicks at full lock so a couple of tight u turns will rule that out

[jasper5]

I wouldn't be surprised if you had a faulty tyre.

A wheel bearing noise will be loudest if you take the car out of gear and freewheel at moderate speeds.

[johntl]

just had fitted 2 part worn tyres 2 the front , the noise is the same as with the old tyres. so I recon it not the tyres
I've had the CV joints replaced about 3 yrs ago, and the CV joints do not click at full lock ,low speed ?????

[jasper5]

You are going to have to investigate.

Get the car securely mounted on axle stands and spin the wheels to see if they are running true.As you spin the wheels you should feel or hear a wheel bearing noise.
Look at the driveshafts as you slowly turn the wheels you would see a problem as the shaft will not run true, it will be bent.
You should check the wheels are not damaged.

Personally, I would mount the car on axle stands and run the car through the gears and look/listen for a problem...but that's just my way as a professional mechanic.

[GingerMagic]

Maybe as an option, you could pop to a local up-market tyre place and see if they do the ' on the car ' wheel balancing.

Could this highlight which side is wobbling/vibrating? Would it eliminate the tyre?

[Rolebama]

Wheel imbalance would show well below 80. I would tend to agree with your mechanic about driveshaft imbalance. Not necessarily a worn cv. it has been noted that some low profile tyre and wheel arrangements could be responsible for some 'out-of-the-norm' behaviour on some cars, so if you have changed wheels and tyres, it may be worth trying a set of standards. Some road surfaces can also affect some set-ups, so it may be worth a quick run down a stretch of the new silent-type road surface as this is generally very smooth. (Hence the slippery road surface signs that appear quite soon after its laying.)

[johntl]

I've got standard steel wheels and tyre size (195/65/15), will have to get it in to get him to check it out

[jasper5]

A driveshaft problem would show at all speeds, but needs to be eliminated.

You really need to be checking the wheels and tyres plus the items I mentioned earlier!

[johntl]

Thanks for your input guys, going to get checked asap

[johntl]

took the mechanic out in the car , whole car shook above 80 , he reconed it is the drive shafts, but not sure.
got the car up on the lift and he could not feel much movement in the driveshafts?
when the car was on the lift I noticed an oil leak from the short shaft which comes out of transmission, could there be wear in this shaft?
I did notice when I rotated my tyres front to back the vibration changed (pos different balance of the wheels) vibration at 70 and when I back off the throttle from 80 the vibration bets worse, accelerate it goes away ?????

[markw]

Could well be the driveshafts. Someone on the Coupe forum was experiencing a vibration under acceleration and a little left lock. It didn't make itself known at all speeds though.
I had a look and could see nothing wrong. Both his driveshafts were replaced only 6 months earlier and struts and drop links are all new. Wheel bearings nice and tight too.

In desperation I offered to temporarily fit the driveshafts from my car just to eliminate them from the equation, which I did and the vibration disappeared. His removed shafts showed no signs of wear at all, other than slight lateral play in one outer cv joint. My shafts had the same amount of play there too though.

Two better quality shafts have now been bought and fitted and all is well with the world again.....

[steve_earwig]

I was thinking about the oil seal leak, maybe that's showing you where the problem is? If the shaft is vibrating maybe it's moving around enough to let some oil out...

[jasper5]

took the mechanic out in the car , whole car shook above 80 , he reconed it is the drive shafts, but not sure.
got the car up on the lift and he could not feel much movement in the driveshafts?
when the car was on the lift I noticed an oil leak from the short shaft which comes out of transmission, could there be wear in this shaft?
I did notice when I rotated my tyres front to back the vibration changed (pos different balance of the wheels) vibration at 70 and when I back off the throttle from 80 the vibration bets worse, accelerate it goes away ?????

The vibration changed when you fitted the rear tyres to the front and the front tyres to the rear?
Isn't that telling you something?