the shakes....

[vegas810]

I have been driving my wagon around for about 3 weeks now, and the other day i finally got on the 95 fwy, i noticed that as soon as i got to 45 or 50 mph she started to shake, not knowing what causes the shake I chickened out and exited the fwy, i have checked my tires and besides the fact that the rear ones looked like they had some inside wear ( i think they were in the front at some point) I didnt find any bumps or air bubbles or deformities. My question is this: what can be causing the shake? I dont get it at normal street speeds, but i got to 45 or 50 the other day and the shake was there again, do you guys think it can be bearings? or shocks? or should i just take the whole thing apart and replace stuff? the suspension looks worn but nothing is lose, i tugged and pulled on everything, and nothing was lose. I need help (according to my wife i need help of the professional kind). thanks guys.

[izzo]

most wheels need to be balanced, shitty ball joints or worn out tie rods etc could cause this also. bulges in the tires if they are old as dirt... Im sure theres more

[CorAce]

was the shake in the steering wheel or in your seat?

[Logical1]

was the shake in the steering wheel or in your seat?

 

^VERY good question! I always ask that first :thumbup:

[vegas810]

was the shake in the steering wheel or in your seat?

 

 

 

It feels all over, but the steering wheel does have movement from side to side, I figured I might have to replace the ball joints and tie rod ends, is that very complicated? I think i have all the tools i need... maybe time to buy some more hehehe

 

 

 

 

 

 

[datzenmike]

Lift each tire off the ground and spin by hand watching the tread for any deformities in the tread pattern, lumps or bumps. Spin and hold you hand lightly against the tread to feel for them.

Have the tires balanced (unless you plan to replace then soon) or look to see if there is a wheel weight that has fallen off recently. Inspect for missing metal on the drum brake.

 

Carefully raise the front end and pull and tug on all steering linkages. There should be no clunking or looseness. Wiggle the tires side to side looking for any looseness or play. The idler arm should swivel side to side only, no up or down movement.

[CorAce]

It feels all over, but the steering wheel does have movement from side to side, I figured I might have to replace the ball joints and tie rod ends, is that very complicated? I think i have all the tools i need... maybe time to buy some more hehehe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This a quot from my GF " if the wheels & tires are working together it should be all good... right?" and at the root of it shes right. start with your lug nuts, make sure they are all on and tight, if so go to your local tire store and have them check your wheel balance on a spin balancer. if no problems their move into mechanical things like ball joints, tie rod ends, bearings and stuff like that. jack up your car and give the wheel a good hard shake and see if you have any play anywhere. work from the outside inward. Its like finding the ginger bread house, just go from one gumdrop to the next till you get to the problem. I hope some of this helps, good luck.

[vegas810]

Thanks for all the help u guys, I did what u suggested and found out i need to replace my wheel bearings to start with, and then im just gonna go ahead and change out the ball joints, and the tie rod ends, it turns out they are all really lose. I think is just safer that way too, new suspension parts will give me a bit more peace of mind. So new bushings and all kinds of goodies are already making my wish list at partstrain, where else do u guys go for inexpensive parts? any help in the "budget" area will be appreciated, Im sourcing the rubber strut mount from the wagon at the junkyard and new bearings for both of them, I only need one of the rubber mounts. Next week is gonna be busy for me, I have a b-day coming up and then a Mexico vacation next month, so work on my goon is gonna go slow for a couple of months, tho I dont mind I wanna do her right, I read somewhere that "if you dont build it is not really yours..." and I want her to be mine lol.

[CorAce]

I'm glad its working out for you. As far as low cost parts go its all about the shopping. I will shop on this site, eBay, rockauto.com, summit, jegs and don't forget to price out your local auto parts stores. I have at least five of the big chain parts stores phone numbers in my speed dial. remember these cars are 40 years old, they have enough old parts to break down, so cheaper new parts are not always better.