Intermittent driveline shake
10-19-15, 01:43 PM
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Intermittent driveline shake
Hey guys I have been over every post and thread on every forum and I can't figure out this damn driveline shake that my 88 tii has once every two weeks or so.
So here is what I have: Stock tii with himni poly trans and motor mounts. Body has 203k on it (this is probably the main issue). Aftermarket 16 inch advanti wheels (same exact offset but weigh much less) with new tires. Stock suspension. New ball joints up front.
This is my problem. Once every couple weeks or so, when I take off from a stop and hit like 30-40mph I get a progressively worse shake from the rear of my car, which feels almost exactly like a flat tire, or a tire full of water. Also when this happens, the speedo will bob up and down more and more the faster I go. I have tried driving through it, up to like 70mph, which was almost enough to lose control from the ungodly shaking up and down.
Now when I pull over and stop, get out, shake every wheel and check under the car, nothing is out of place. I get back in, and it drives fine for another week or two. I have had this on my lift probably five times now, and nothing obvious is out of place. I checked the diff mount, all the bushings (which look dry, but all are tight), the u-joints, the DTSS bushings, you name it. The stock springs and struts look worn out, but the car handles tight and doesn't pull or bounce excessively.
Am I missing something here guys? Could the toe bushings be bad and causing something to shake every so often? The only other bushing that looked iffy was the front links for the lower control arms in the rear. I know it has a ton of miles too, could it simply be in need of a master bushing kit? Car isn't rotted or even rusty, it was well taken care of.
So like I said, intermittent shake, proportional to vehicle speed not engine rpm, causes the speedo to shake, feels like a flat tire. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks guys.
So here is what I have: Stock tii with himni poly trans and motor mounts. Body has 203k on it (this is probably the main issue). Aftermarket 16 inch advanti wheels (same exact offset but weigh much less) with new tires. Stock suspension. New ball joints up front.
This is my problem. Once every couple weeks or so, when I take off from a stop and hit like 30-40mph I get a progressively worse shake from the rear of my car, which feels almost exactly like a flat tire, or a tire full of water. Also when this happens, the speedo will bob up and down more and more the faster I go. I have tried driving through it, up to like 70mph, which was almost enough to lose control from the ungodly shaking up and down.
Now when I pull over and stop, get out, shake every wheel and check under the car, nothing is out of place. I get back in, and it drives fine for another week or two. I have had this on my lift probably five times now, and nothing obvious is out of place. I checked the diff mount, all the bushings (which look dry, but all are tight), the u-joints, the DTSS bushings, you name it. The stock springs and struts look worn out, but the car handles tight and doesn't pull or bounce excessively.
Am I missing something here guys? Could the toe bushings be bad and causing something to shake every so often? The only other bushing that looked iffy was the front links for the lower control arms in the rear. I know it has a ton of miles too, could it simply be in need of a master bushing kit? Car isn't rotted or even rusty, it was well taken care of.
So like I said, intermittent shake, proportional to vehicle speed not engine rpm, causes the speedo to shake, feels like a flat tire. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks guys.
10-19-15, 03:51 PM
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Does it happen only in certain gears? Does it stop when you disengage the clutch?
Your speedometer is run by the transmission, are you still on the original? Have the transmission fluids been changed regularly?
Your speedometer is run by the transmission, are you still on the original? Have the transmission fluids been changed regularly?
Last edited by blackball7; 10-19-15 at 03:53 PM.
10-19-15, 03:59 PM
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Literally feels like a wheel is going to fall off, but I checked all the wheel bearings and hubs and I even have brand new lug nuts front and rear.
10-20-15, 07:13 AM
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More in a straight line I think. And I was suspicious of the diff, as I found some play in the axle flanges (you can wiggle them front and back or up and down but not in and out from the diff).
That being said, I need to rebuild the rear calipers. I have the kits already. I think they are seized because when I pull the e-brake it gets tight in like two clicks, but does absolutely nothing to stop the car from rolling. I figured since they are seized it would rule them out of being an issue because I can spin the back wheels with it in the air, so they are seized open not clamped down. I suppose if they randomly catch and unseize on the highway it could cause a nasty shake. I will try rebuilding and replacing the rear pads, rotors and calipers and see if that helps. Thanks guys and still open to ideas if someone has had this issue before.
That being said, I need to rebuild the rear calipers. I have the kits already. I think they are seized because when I pull the e-brake it gets tight in like two clicks, but does absolutely nothing to stop the car from rolling. I figured since they are seized it would rule them out of being an issue because I can spin the back wheels with it in the air, so they are seized open not clamped down. I suppose if they randomly catch and unseize on the highway it could cause a nasty shake. I will try rebuilding and replacing the rear pads, rotors and calipers and see if that helps. Thanks guys and still open to ideas if someone has had this issue before.
10-20-15, 12:58 PM
#7
For quite some time I had a similar vibration that would come and go, drove me nuts,
checked d.s., axles, trans mount, tire/wheels, rear suspension, everything fine, but found it to be a
cracked motor mount and at times the engine wouldn't settle straight longitudinally and
therefore the vibration.
Realize you have new mounts so if they are in good condition/tight, this certainly isn't the problem.
checked d.s., axles, trans mount, tire/wheels, rear suspension, everything fine, but found it to be a
cracked motor mount and at times the engine wouldn't settle straight longitudinally and
therefore the vibration.
Realize you have new mounts so if they are in good condition/tight, this certainly isn't the problem.
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10-22-15, 08:38 AM
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I checked the mounts and everything is tight, but like I said 203k on what appears to be stock strut top mounts and springs and struts is probably the issue. Im guessing that every so often the car's vibrations harmonize and simulates a situation similar to wheel hop during a burnout. I will try some coilovers and a bushing kit and see if that fixes the issue. Thanks guys
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