HOW DO YOU TRACK DOWN A VIBRATION PROBLEM THAT MIGHT BE A WHEEL BALANCE, A DRIVETRAIN ISSUE, OR A BAD TIRE/
jim larson said
Aug 27, 2014
I HAVE A LITTLE VIBRATION THAT I AM TRYING TO TRACK DOWN. MOST OF YOU KNOW THAT I HAVE A 66 SS WITH THE ORIGINAL RIMS, REAR AXEL, MUNCIE 4 SP AND 396 WITH REBUILT FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION ALONG WITH THOSE BIAS PLY TIRES.
THE VIBRATION STARTS AROUND 55MPH (WHILE IN 4TH GEAR), THEN INCREASES A LITTLE AS I INCREASE THE SPEED AND GOES DOWN AROUND 70MPH AND GOES AWAY BY 75 MPH IN EITHER 3RD OR 4TH GEAR (REAR AXEL IS ORIGINAL 331:1 POSI). THIS MAKE ME THINK IT IS NOT ENGINE, TRANS, OR DRIVESHAFT RELATED. I CAN RUN THE CAR UP TO 4000 RPM IN 1ST OR 3000 RPM IN 2ND GEAR AND THERE IS NO VIBRATION.
I SEE THE VIBRATION IN REFLECTIONS OF THE HOOD ALONG WITH FEELING IT SOME. AS A RESULT I USUALLY DRIVE 55MPH OR LESS WITH OTHER DRIVERS NOT TO HAPPY WITH ME WHEN THE ROADS ARE CROWDED.
ALSO MUNCIE WAS REBUILT BY A GUY IN LAKEVILLE WHO IS SUPPOSE TO BE VERY GOOD. DRIVESHAFT WAS REBALANCE BY A SHOP IN NEWPORT WITH NEW HP GREASELESS U-JOINTS. IT HAS A NEW FLANGE JOINT ON THE PINION. I COMPLETELY REBUILT THE REAR AXEL 2 YEARS AGO. NEW BRAKES INSTALLED. AND AS I MENTIONED ABOVE. I REBUILT THE FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION ALONG WITH INSTALLING ALL NEW RUBBER BODY BUSHINGS.
I JUST TODAY WARMED THE CAR UP THOROUGHLY AND PUT THE REAR UP ON JACK STANDS AND RAN THE ENGINE UP TO 3500 RPM WITH THE TRANS IN 4TH. THERE WAS NO VIBRATION THAT SHOWED IN THE TRUNK LID, SO I AM THINKING THAT THE DRUMS (WHICH ARE THE CORRECT CASTING # OLD STYE), RIMS, AND TIRES ARE BALANCED; BUT THE TIRES MAY BE WORN OR A LITTLE OUT OF ROUND. MIGHT THIS CAUSE SOME VIBRATION?
REGARDING THE FRONT, THE BEARINGS AND SEALS ARE NEW ALONG WITH THE BRAKE SHOES. I PROBABLY HAVE REPLACEMENT GM DRUM ( CASTING # STAMPED ON DRUM IS CORRECT FOR 66 CHEVELLE).
THE WHEELS, FRONT AND REAR, WERE CHECKED FOR RUN IN, RUN OUT, AND OUT OF ROUND BY MY TIRE SHOP AND ALL PASSED.
FRONT TIRES HAVE BEEN BALANCED. I DID REPLACED THE UPPER BALL JOINTS LAST WINTER AND HAVE NOT HAD THE CAR RE-ALIGNED.
I AM THINKING THE BIAS PLY TIRES MUST BE THE PROBLEM. WHATS YOUR THOUGHTS? I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE TO DO, EXCEPT TRY A SET OF RIMS AND TIRES OFF ANOTHER CAR THAT HAS NO VIBRATION. CAN YOU THINK OF ANYTHING?
ANY COMMENTS OR THOUGHTS ARE APPRECIATED. PROBLEM HAS PERSISTED FOR A LONG TIME. THE CAR HAD DIFFERENT RIMS AND TIRES WHEN I BOUGHT IT. I CAN'T REMEMBER FOR SURE IF THE VIBRATION EXISTED AT THAT TIME (2004).
LAST RESULT MAY BE TO BUY A SET OF NEW RADIALS AND THROW THEM ON. ABOUT $950 FOR 4 REDLINES FRON DIAMOND BACK AND $150 TO INSTALL, BALANCED, AND RE-ALIGHMENT FROM MY TIRE SHOP.
Lost in the 60s said
Aug 27, 2014
I wouldn't throw a thousand dollar set of tires at it until I was sure it was the tires. Find someone with a set of tires/wheels to try first. I have a complete set here, but it's a bit of a drive.
jim larson said
Aug 28, 2014
I will probably try to tire/wheel exchange option first. But since the tires are about 9 yrs old and bias ply, I was thinking about the radial option.
SteveS said
Aug 28, 2014
Does the vibration change when you rotate the tires?
jim larson said
Aug 28, 2014
SteveS wrote:
Does the vibration change when you rotate the tires?
Yes, it seemed to get worse when I rotated the tires putting the spare into the cycle, so I went back to their original positions.
Derek69SS said
Aug 28, 2014
Does it go away or lessen after driving any longer distances?
I've had tires that flat-spotted after being parked but the shake went away after a few miles.
The Goodyear snow tires I ran on a daily-driver a couple years ago were really bad about flat-spotting, and would shake every morning after parking overnight.
jim larson said
Aug 28, 2014
Derek69SS wrote:
Does it go away or lessen after driving any longer distances?
I've had tires that flat-spotted after being parked but the shake went away after a few miles. The Goodyear snow tires I ran on a daily-driver a couple years ago were really bad about flat-spotting, and would shake every morning after parking overnight.
Doesn't seem to go away after driving long distances like 50-100 miles.
jim larson said
Aug 29, 2014
I swapped a set of rims and tires from a guy in our local club as Mitch and Kevin suggested. Absolutely no vibrations. I guess its the bias tires or the rims or a combination. I think I might try a to re-balance the tires ($100) or just go ahead with a new set of diamondback redlines.
Dave Seitz said
Sep 1, 2014
I had a bent rim and a balance would take care of the problem for a short while. After about 600 miles it would return until I got a new rim problem went away.
I HAVE A LITTLE VIBRATION THAT I AM TRYING TO TRACK DOWN. MOST OF YOU KNOW THAT I HAVE A 66 SS WITH THE ORIGINAL RIMS, REAR AXEL, MUNCIE 4 SP AND 396 WITH REBUILT FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION ALONG WITH THOSE BIAS PLY TIRES.
THE VIBRATION STARTS AROUND 55MPH (WHILE IN 4TH GEAR), THEN INCREASES A LITTLE AS I INCREASE THE SPEED AND GOES DOWN AROUND 70MPH AND GOES AWAY BY 75 MPH IN EITHER 3RD OR 4TH GEAR (REAR AXEL IS ORIGINAL 331:1 POSI). THIS MAKE ME THINK IT IS NOT ENGINE, TRANS, OR DRIVESHAFT RELATED. I CAN RUN THE CAR UP TO 4000 RPM IN 1ST OR 3000 RPM IN 2ND GEAR AND THERE IS NO VIBRATION.
I SEE THE VIBRATION IN REFLECTIONS OF THE HOOD ALONG WITH FEELING IT SOME. AS A RESULT I USUALLY DRIVE 55MPH OR LESS WITH OTHER DRIVERS NOT TO HAPPY WITH ME WHEN THE ROADS ARE CROWDED.
ALSO MUNCIE WAS REBUILT BY A GUY IN LAKEVILLE WHO IS SUPPOSE TO BE VERY GOOD. DRIVESHAFT WAS REBALANCE BY A SHOP IN NEWPORT WITH NEW HP GREASELESS U-JOINTS. IT HAS A NEW FLANGE JOINT ON THE PINION. I COMPLETELY REBUILT THE REAR AXEL 2 YEARS AGO. NEW BRAKES INSTALLED. AND AS I MENTIONED ABOVE. I REBUILT THE FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION ALONG WITH INSTALLING ALL NEW RUBBER BODY BUSHINGS.
I JUST TODAY WARMED THE CAR UP THOROUGHLY AND PUT THE REAR UP ON JACK STANDS AND RAN THE ENGINE UP TO 3500 RPM WITH THE TRANS IN 4TH. THERE WAS NO VIBRATION THAT SHOWED IN THE TRUNK LID, SO I AM THINKING THAT THE DRUMS (WHICH ARE THE CORRECT CASTING # OLD STYE), RIMS, AND TIRES ARE BALANCED; BUT THE TIRES MAY BE WORN OR A LITTLE OUT OF ROUND. MIGHT THIS CAUSE SOME VIBRATION?
REGARDING THE FRONT, THE BEARINGS AND SEALS ARE NEW ALONG WITH THE BRAKE SHOES. I PROBABLY HAVE REPLACEMENT GM DRUM ( CASTING # STAMPED ON DRUM IS CORRECT FOR 66 CHEVELLE).
THE WHEELS, FRONT AND REAR, WERE CHECKED FOR RUN IN, RUN OUT, AND OUT OF ROUND BY MY TIRE SHOP AND ALL PASSED.
FRONT TIRES HAVE BEEN BALANCED. I DID REPLACED THE UPPER BALL JOINTS LAST WINTER AND HAVE NOT HAD THE CAR RE-ALIGNED.
I AM THINKING THE BIAS PLY TIRES MUST BE THE PROBLEM. WHATS YOUR THOUGHTS? I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE TO DO, EXCEPT TRY A SET OF RIMS AND TIRES OFF ANOTHER CAR THAT HAS NO VIBRATION. CAN YOU THINK OF ANYTHING?
ANY COMMENTS OR THOUGHTS ARE APPRECIATED. PROBLEM HAS PERSISTED FOR A LONG TIME. THE CAR HAD DIFFERENT RIMS AND TIRES WHEN I BOUGHT IT. I CAN'T REMEMBER FOR SURE IF THE VIBRATION EXISTED AT THAT TIME (2004).
LAST RESULT MAY BE TO BUY A SET OF NEW RADIALS AND THROW THEM ON. ABOUT $950 FOR 4 REDLINES FRON DIAMOND BACK AND $150 TO INSTALL, BALANCED, AND RE-ALIGHMENT FROM MY TIRE SHOP.
I will probably try to tire/wheel exchange option first. But since the tires are about 9 yrs old and bias ply, I was thinking about the radial option.
Does the vibration change when you rotate the tires?
Yes, it seemed to get worse when I rotated the tires putting the spare into the cycle, so I went back to their original positions.
I've had tires that flat-spotted after being parked but the shake went away after a few miles.
The Goodyear snow tires I ran on a daily-driver a couple years ago were really bad about flat-spotting, and would shake every morning after parking overnight.
Doesn't seem to go away after driving long distances like 50-100 miles.
I swapped a set of rims and tires from a guy in our local club as Mitch and Kevin suggested. Absolutely no vibrations. I guess its the bias tires or the rims or a combination. I think I might try a to re-balance the tires ($100) or just go ahead with a new set of diamondback redlines.