I've posted before about my 69 Dodge Charger with a wavering vibration.
..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
..... Is the vibration the spaces is when it doesn't happen. It only happens about 62mph. I have a speedometer app on my iPhone 4S that provides speed by gps. As soon as I high 62 mph it starts and when I decell it stops at 62!
I just had tires balanced, and rotated, I had this happen before but I changed transmission mount and it went away. That's when I realized my rear wheel beatings were bad. Replaced them and it's back. I took my cousin for a ride and he made me realize it was more in the front end than rear end. I kinda feel it in the steering wheel, my butt and gas pedal. The drive shaft rear yoke was replaced with new u-joint and balanced. It had a 383 in it and it felt like it was under me. Now I have a 440, new harmonic balancer, new flex plate. Is there anything in the front end like a bushing that could cause this? Most of the bushings in the front end, tie Rod ends and ball joints have been replaced. Can a wheel bearing cause this? I don't hear grinding...but there is slight movement in the passenger wheel so I'm thinking the wheel bearing may need tightened or its bad because when I repacked them there was no movement. I'm pulling them out probably tomorrow.
If anyone can think of something else let me know! Could the wrong bolt in a motor mount cause this? I was looking the other day and one bolt is thicker than the other and I kinda remember someone saying it wouldn't tighten up....
Suggestions please? It's driving me crazy! I don't like taking her out on the highway!
Could be an unbalanced converter, unbalanced engine, unbalanced driveshaft, bent axle or even a sloppy rear transmission bearing. :shruggy:
Get to the speed where you are having troubles and slap it into neutral. Whether the vibration stays or goes will be an indicator if it's in the engine or drive shaft/axle.
Driveshaft
Quote from: BrianShaughnessy on January 04, 2015, 09:18:01 AM
Driveshaft
:yesnod: that would be my first guess too. I've been a big fan of Dennys driveshaft since they cured a similar vibration.
Can you drive through it? I have similar issue that comes through my steering wheel pretty bad some times. I have been chasing it for a while but it comes and goes which is weird. I think I am going to get a new driveshaft or get mine rebalanced. Had my tires balanced every way out there..old way & road force :shruggy:
Quote from: RIDELIKEHELL on January 04, 2015, 11:22:34 AM
Can you drive through it? I have similar issue that comes through my steering wheel pretty bad some times. I have been chasing it for a while but it comes and goes which is weird. I think I am going to get a new driveshaft or get mine rebalanced. Had my tires balanced every way out there..old way & road force :shruggy:
In you case it could be simple. A lot of times when people put these care back together they push the column down tight to the bottom of the steering coupler. It needs to be bottomed out and then brought back up a little before tightening things down.
Quote from: Charger-Bodie on January 04, 2015, 12:27:03 PM
Quote from: RIDELIKEHELL on January 04, 2015, 11:22:34 AM
Can you drive through it? I have similar issue that comes through my steering wheel pretty bad some times. I have been chasing it for a while but it comes and goes which is weird. I think I am going to get a new driveshaft or get mine rebalanced. Had my tires balanced every way out there..old way & road force :shruggy:
In you case it could be simple. A lot of times when people put these care back together they push the column down tight to the bottom of the steering coupler. It needs to be bottomed out and then brought back up a little before tightening things down.
If this is the problem I will buy you a case of beer or better yet a 68 Charger..jk Thx man!!!!!
I have a manual rack in mine remeber and a different front end so I was thinking it was the geometry?? Flaming river steering box
Does the steering shaft have any slide in it anywhere to deflect?
Yes....it will move in and out a bit
Had a 440/727 car and the trans to engine bolts were loose. You could slide a feeler gauge between them. Made sounds like you described. Only cost a little time.
Thank you sir, I will definitely try the neutral thing on the highway! That's a really good idea...it's got me stumped!
In reading your original post, I didn't see you mention if you changed your driveshaft tranny ujoint. I know my 73 charger just did the same thing at about 58-65 mph, and it turned out to be a bad front ujoint on my car. Viabration Gone! Just saying. Good luck.
Come to think of it the only universal joint I did not change was the front one. But when I had the driveshaft down and I took it to the driveshaft shop the owner didn't think there was anything wrong with the U joint he thought it was okay but I guess I could always change it to Ely V-8 that part as well that way I've covered everything.
I have not had the chance to go on the highway I have to readjust the shifter linkage as I'm having a hard time getting into first with my D and M rachet shifter once I get that shifter figured out and adjusted then I can go under the highway and Slifer in neutral what up screwing up I would hate to slam it in reverse at 70 miles an hour LOL. That could make for a really bad day!!!
thank you all!!
So I took your device and I drove down the highway at about 75 miles an hour, I felt the vibration so I slipped it into neutral and let go of the gas Atlantic coast and the vibration when away. So I was moving at 70 miles an hour in neutral no vibration whatsoever as soon as I slip it back in the drive and put my foot on the gas the vibration came back so any ideas what it could be?
Thank you for that idea sir much appreciated got me one step closer to finding out the problem.
Anyone know where i can get mix matched universal joints? i checked them just like i was told and there is slight play in the rear u-joint in the differencial yoke. I measured it with a micrometer and i think i need a larger cup bearing than the 1.075" that it calls for. I pulled the front one off and as it still looks good inside like suggested i was going to change it BUT the u-joint autozone sells is the right size but the bearing cup is not. I measures 1.060" and the new one is 1.075"...any ideas guys?
Thank you in advance!
The drive shaft has 1969 Dodge Charger 500 written on it.
neutral and it goes away. yep, drivetrain. no change at slower speed and same rpm? just happens at speed?
Yes Sir,
The vibration starts at 62 mph if I would drive any faster and I shifted into neutral when I felt the transmission disengage the vibration would go away as wild coast down to 62 miles an hour or below I would shift back in the drive the vibration was gone when I got the 62 miles an hour the vibration came back. And it wasn't a study vibration it was like a wavering one. Well I think I may have found the culprit the rear you joint was a little bit loose was like the bearing cups were too small for the rear differential yoke. it called for a 1.075" bearing cup. I couldn't find the right size u oint but I found one that had a 1.125" bearing cap! So I went to AutoZone they didn't have the right size but it had the right bearing cup size so I bought it I took the one Off I put the new cap on and even though it was a little tight going into the yoke it fit. So once I tightened it down there was actually no movement whatsoever so I took it for a test drive I got up to 80 mile an hour that is on a short road. But there is no vibration it was actually very smooth. So I'm hoping this will fix the problem!
My vibration or shake through steering wheel does NOT go away in neutral. I can drive throught it as after 80mph there is now shake :shruggy:
I think I may have found the problem!!!!
I took my driveshaft to a different driveshaft shop to have a different yolk put on the rear and to get the correct you joints put in.
What I found out was the rear differential yoke is shot, that is why the U joints would not tighten up...there was too much slack.
Also the driveshaft was not for my car it was for a car two years older than mine, which meant a different driveshaft all together. The slip yoke that went into the tail shaft of the transmission stuck out an inch and a half further than it was supposed to be.
Last and worst of all there was a slight dent in the forward part of the driveshaft so when I had this driveshaft worked at the other shop if the gentleman really did balance that he would have not only found that dent but
So for a brand new custom-made drive shaft with all the correct parts and a new rear differential yoke is going to cost me $300 out the door!!
So I guess that's not too bad and it will be ready in hopefully two days because they had to special order the yoke.
When I told the mechanic about the wavering vibration I was getting around 62 miles an hour she just smiled and planned at the dent and said that's your problem right there!!!
So hopefully I will get it back Thursday and my charger will no longer have a vibration so crusher fingers guys and ladies!!!
Fingers crossed!
paying attention... same deal on mine, but being noticeable between 100-110 MPH on my car :coolgleamA: ( imposible to go higher than 120 MPH because that )
Can feel it down the floor tranny tunnel, around tranny tail housing
get spicer universals fitted , then get balance checked
have seen some terrible work done , chinese uni's , chep quality , felt sloppy,
Quote from: RIDELIKEHELL on January 12, 2015, 09:17:51 AM
My vibration or shake through steering wheel does NOT go away in neutral. I can drive throught it as after 80mph there is now shake :shruggy:
Looks like OP has it solved but in your case, if you can accelerate and drive through the vibration where it dissappears then there is a good possibility it is your tires. Balancing will not help since balance equipment only balances to about 40 mph. On my 06 srt8 I spent over $300 balancing and rotating because that is what experts would tell me to do.
I came accross a guy in the UK who was chasing this problem on an old English car with reproduction tires. He built a tire spinning apparatus driven to the rpm that the vibe occured (over twice the rpm of balance machines) and eventually found that the tire would distort somewhat at 60+ mph.
I replaced my goodyears that had 15000 miles on them with new rubber and the vibe was gone.
Did not intend to hijack but thought it may help those where placing in neutral does reduce vibration.
A simple test would be to swap tires from a friends car and see if it goes away.
When balancing, take it where they balance truck drive shafts,
Up to three times the speed, has worked for me
I have be a brand new drive shaft and rear yoke, vibration is 90% gone but still there. Will the wrong size drives side engine mount bolt do it? I feel it mainly in the gas pedal and under my butt.
Hello Everyone, for those that have ben following me here is an update!
I had a new drive shaft mad at Phoenix Rack and Axle Inc, and it fixed a lot of it. I tore the rear diff apart and replaced the ring and pinion and all the bearings. testdrove it and its definately better but i could feel it coming from the front. I replaced the drivers side engine mount bolt for the correct one and the vibe has subsided quite a bit. Still a slight vibration but i am geting closer to the remidy! I am going to check the centering of the fan. it looked a litle off, the harmonic balancer is brand new but is it posible to have the wrong one? I changed the flex plate but not the torque converter as i know they are balanced differently.
so this is where I am at now!
Thank you for the positive input!