Wits end!

[Kim K Kaiser]

Well,  after the tire change, car running good......... then on a pleasure cruise for abour 35 miles to my destination.   25 miles in, back end vibration came back home to roost.  I was goung 55 to 65 on the trip.  Had to pyll over.  Now, im not the type to lose my temper, throw tools, or hv tantrums, but im gettin to my wits end on this.   After i pulked over, i felt the hubcake,  not overly hot.  So i decided to drive on at about 40,  as i got miving i pushed on up to 55, not one vibration.   So,  wtf coukd it possibly be from here.

I have had.....

Shoes changed

Changed cylinder.... twice! First new one was stuck!

Axle gasket replaced

Tires replaced

Had drums re cut,

Whats left?

[Robert Sweeney]

Kim,

I sympathize.  I jus got a 1964 sedan deville and had the same issue.  I'd get it up to 50MPH and a low frequency vibration would start.  It would grow until I could see the hood bouncing.  I had to pull over to make it stop.  I tried a bunch of things but believe it was a front brake adjustment that fixed it (so far).  I had over adjusted the front drums and after they got hot the vibration would start.  

[Kim K Kaiser]

Yes.  Very frustrating.  I woukd go out for ride w big smile.  15 min later was turning around....pissed.   i think brakes are fixed.  Other than that last episode of rear shake, last couple rides hv been ok.  Just tge uncertainity of a pitential problem sitting in wait. You kno the potential is tgere, just waiting on it to rise at most in opprtune time,  like on a hot date (well,as hot as a date can be  being over 55).    Heres hoping for best

[Tony and Ginny 429]

It is interesting that you describe the kind of shaking and vibration you explain and relate it to a front brake issue
I had the same kind of vibration but only when i was coming to a stop from 10 miles an hour and below every time i would hit the brakes --to stop
Not at 50 MPH
A very Violent shanking of the front end

My problem was brake shoe related
The brake shoe friction material was not able to handle the heat generated by our large drum brakes and where glazing and cracking the shoes
My shop gave me back my car doing this after having my front brakes and the entire car gone over from one end to another
It took me a long time to work thru this problem --as new part were just installed and NOT thought to be the problem for that reason
Sounds like a similar problem at very different speeds
New defective parts -present a new set of problems when working thru an issue
The new part are --least suspect as they are new

Kim --just went thru this with a bad new brake cylinder that was causing his rear brakes to hang up -over heat and drag on him
Took a while to work thu that for the same reasons

Enjoy

Enjoy

[Tony and Ginny 429]

Kim

I would do one thing at a time
You did the grease in the U joints - so test to see if the problem does not return rather than throwing parts at the problem
The grease should tighten up any slack in the U joint caps which might help this
When and if the problem resurfaces i would do the new rear control arm bushings and then the driveshaft inspection -or the other way around
A plan for the future if needed

Enjoy

[Tony and Ginny 429]

Kim

As the Italians say in NY -- " FORGETABOUT IT !!!!! " ( until it returns --- ) --LOL !!!!

Enjoy !

[Tony and Ginny 429]

Kim

The very up side of this is ---that when you do finally get all things corrected and repaired ---that will pop up --there will be a very long period of time just enjoying the fruits of your labor and the joy of owning and driving the car

There is a light at the end of the( greasy ) tunnel !!!

That is --UNLESS you spend so much time --Test Driving - the car that you wear it out and need a complete drivetrain rebuild ---PMSL !!

Enjoy

[Kim K Kaiser]

thanks Tony,, I'm working on getting it a dependable car,,    i like the car,, i like th ride, especially after th tire change, world of difference.. havent had time for a 60 mile ride since the greasing of the rear joints, but did order the lower arms, sounded like a good long term investment in the ride . so we shall see..

[Kim K Kaiser]

before i flew back to MS from MT,, ( i got my house sold in MS) so had to go empty it,  YEAH!!!!  

i took car for ride,, made trip to destimantion30 plus miles,, no problems,, 55 60 mphh,, on way back, pushed it up to 70 75   and the rear vibration started,, as in the last episode,, i pulled over, stopped car, felt hubs to see if any real bad heat,,,,nada.. took off again, stayed the 60 65 mph,, no more vibration,, soo,, seems its somehitn at the higher speed end...  i havent had chance to remove the shaft yet, but thought i would put in the latest episode.,, basically,,, it seems to be at higher speeds..   transmission fluid was good,, oil was good, no heat problems...havent received email regarding rear control arms coming in, so , when i get back to MT,,  i will take her out again,, get up to the 70 plus range,,and see if it comes back,, 

just an update on that situation,, hi speed = vibration..

cant wait to get out of MS,, so so so,, hot and humid.....

[Tony and Ginny 429]

Nice to get the house sold --always ( and spend some dollars on the car )
When i sold my 1913 Victoria home in NY and retired to West Central Florida i had my 64 converible completely gone over by a restoration shop in Florida
Wanted the car in very great condition for my --Fun retirement days
One of the better decision i made to bring the car with me to increase the fun in my retirement Years and it's working out just the way i planned
The type of higher speed driving we are almost always doing here ( 60-85 MPH ) is about as perfect as it gets for this cars style of driving that it was built for ( with one finger )
A true highway cruiser touring machine
The 64 is truly at its best and in heaven at highway cruising speeds
The roads are very smooth and very well maintained here

In NY our driving speeds were slower - closer to 40-50 MPH
Rode and drag race Triumph flat track racing bike for 28 years in NY But the higher speeds here would discourage riding any motorbike here for
I just out grew the bike when the family priorties took over
Same bike as the beginning of Happy Days that i built two years before the show aired on TV
One of my very best friends ( Family ) owned Nassau County Harly Davidson so i was always in the LOOP with those boys
I would sometimes run into him with 50-100 bikes behind him out on the road
riding on Thursday evenings ( bike night in Oceanside NY -at Nathans )
All the bikes left Nathans together
There were so many bikes that no one could stop for stop lights to keep the pack moving foward together ( 100 bikes )
Ben who owned Nassau County Harley did all the repair work on the Police motorcycles in the county so he was connected in that way
I was in the shop once when he was doing a bike for the guy who did a high wire act for Ringling Brothers
He always took the time to stop what he was doing and say hello to me
He had the fastest Harley on the streets of Long Island until the Kawasaki motorcycles arrived on the scene
He was the --Arthur Fonzerelli -- in real life for those who knew and loved that boy
The bad boys are my friends !! ( Billy Joel )

Enjoy

[Kim K Kaiser]

Finally got a chance to work on the rear end control arms.. and while not finished, after about 3 hours of fighting the car, I Got one arm off.. i jacked it up from the rear WITH THE  tire jack, put jacks under the frame,,( three of them) I'm paranoid about car falling on me!!  anyway,  i had a brief discussion with Russ about these new arms, as he has them and there installation.  and then I went to the book to get some more detail... after i got it up, i pulled the tire, then put the hydraulic jack under the front bolt and lifted.  got the bolt out, lowered the arm down and the spring wouldnt come out, so i had to get a set of those spring compressors, i put them on , squeezed the spring in and got the spring out and the old arm off.. i will send pictures of old arm bushings tomorrow for peer review... anticipate putting the first replacement arm on in the morning,, and R and R the other one,  hoping first ones experience will make for a faster second one.. There is quite a weight difference in the arms from the original to the ones made by Dan,, the custom ones, they are quite heavy and thick feeling.. the stock ones feel like tin compared to these....

[Russ Austin]

Look forward to the test drive results.

[Tony and Ginny 429]

Kim

I am enjoying your determination to get your car right
I do know the time and money you have put into your ride
I think with a little more effort you will be seing the light at the end of the tunnel

The up side is you have fixed so many things there cannot be that much more to repair

You will reach the point where the car will just run great--- for an extended period of time--- with no issues

Enjoy