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Gen2 Brat, shudder at highway speeds

Featured Replies

At highway speeds, there is a vibration, feels like it's from the front, steering wheel cycles left-right about 5 times a second.   I just had new tires put on.  What besides tire imbalance can cause symptoms similar to tire imbalance?

 

mkoch

Possible a tire is bad. Tread separation or defect.  

Also, make sure the toe in is in spec.

 

A dead driveshaft can have some bad steering wheel wobble to it. I had one that would lock at one point in the rotation cycle, it was enough to vibrate the steering wheel, even at a crawl! 

New driveshaft sorted it for me. 

Cheers 

Bennie

9 hours ago, mkoch said:

 I just had new tires put on

You may have just lost a balance weight.  I'd go back and have them double check.

Did the vibration start before or after you installed new tires? If after then it’s the tires. If before then possibly something in the front suspension, tie rod ends, ball joints, etc.

On 2/28/2021 at 5:07 PM, el_freddo said:

A dead driveshaft can have some bad steering wheel wobble to it. I had one that would lock at one point in the rotation cycle, it was enough to vibrate the steering wheel, even at a crawl! 

New driveshaft sorted it for me. 

Cheers 

Bennie

Interesting, after new wheels, tyres, front suspension bushes and joints I'm still chasing a shake in my wagon. One of the outer CVs was rebooted. Wonder if the joint is actually bad. I have a spare brand new aftermarket axle so might try swapping it in?

Would be worth a crack. 

I once had two dead driveshafts on the front of my L series. On the freeway they would cancel each other out, then have a small vibration then they’d join forces anencephaly create a large vibration until a curve in the road put them out of phase again. Very annoying! 

New shafts sorted that one as well. But the brumby driveshaft the would lock actually moved the steering wheel, no matter how hard you tried holding it (even with power steering!). 

That is why I put drive shaft on the cards with this issue. But as 88SubGL said - if it happened after new tyres, it’s probably the tyres! 

Cheers 

Bennie

  • Author
On 2/28/2021 at 1:43 PM, 88SubGL said:

Did the vibration start before or after you installed new tires? If after then it’s the tires. If before then possibly something in the front suspension, tie rod ends, ball joints, etc.

I don't know!   I installed the tires 1st thing upon buying the car.

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