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?

[Kevin Campbell]

Wheel nuts tight after the tyres were done?

Cost nothing to check 'em.

[Michael Long]

Emergency brake properly adjusted?  Slim chance this is it but maybe?

Are all the bolts around the universal joints tight?  Shocks, springs and exhaust are all tight and free of vibration? 

Brake hardware in good shape and in correct place, no worn springs or retainers?

I know I have overlooked the obvious sometimes in order to find a particularly nasty vibration. The fact that it is intermittent generally means all is o.k. although once I had a failing rear wheel bearing (1960 Chevrolet) that got quiet and the ride was rock steady JUST BEFORE it cut loose and the entire axle pulled away from the differential. Happened at 50 mph and luckily I was able to drift it into a state police barracks parking lot. 

Embarrasing story to tell the desk sergeant when you ask him to call for a tow truck though. 

[Kim K Kaiser]

will give them another look

[Russ Austin]

Drive shaft vibrations possibly.

[Kim K Kaiser]

how is the drive shaft tested,, ?? especially since it is so intermittent.

How would you know ??

[Kevin Campbell]

Thinking about what Russ has suggested.

You may have a slightly dry set of universal cups. I know mine are greasable units and I would expect yours are too. They often get missed, as the nipples point in the wrong direction to see them properly. (Reminds me of a girl I once knew)

Up on car stands and rotate the shaft and see if you can squirt a bit of grease in them. Worth a try, nothing too lose. I have a grease gun here if you want to borrow it. 

[Kim K Kaiser]

I will just drop on by for the grease gun

[Tony and Ginny 429]

Kim

Go to Video in the websites header
Go to Jason's video of the drive shaft and view it
The U joint problem is the-- most common -vibration issue in the rear drive train

You would need to remove the drive shaft from the ham ( rear end )drop it and then see if the two U joints function like those in the video ( or remove the shaft for inspection ) j
The U joints seems to have a kind of spring action between them - that needs to be there

Many have had the vibration issue here and many have been corrected by repairing or replacing ( with good used ) the back part of the driveshaft
Many have the driveshaft balanced or rebalanced in an attemp to correct this problem ( after a repair ) by a drivetrain shop
Some have spent a lot of money ( $1,000 ) and still have the vibration issue

I would say the driveshaft is often the problem but there are 5-10 other things from the back of the trans (that bearing ) - the center driveshaft bearing - the two U joints - the rear control arm bushings -- the rear end ball joint -shocks
Everything from the trans back --could be the issue
Do take Anders good advice and be sure all is tighten down first ( ever bolt )

Is this the first time-- this --vibration has shown itself ?
Your last post you said it went away after you pulled over
Has the vibration returned since then ?

Some how it like sometimes the U joint align correctly and run smooth and then they don't and vibrate
Let me know what develops

Enjoy

[Kim K Kaiser]

ok, to try and answer all,, 

i will try the grease. and test all the bolts The old time mechanic showed me those back in March.  I will go the help session and watch  that video as well,,

as for the problem

i noticed it back in jan or so,, again, it was intermittent, i thought it was rear brakes sticking as i did find that the cylinder WAS sticking, so i changed it, it was a new cylinder and had to replace.

As I noted from yesterdays drive and the drive when i got it back from tire shop,  I got no vibration on the ride from the scope, total, about 20 miles,

yesterday, i got about 20 miles into the drive,, i was chdinging speeds from 50 to 70, just seeing how everything felt. no music on, just listening to car,,

it sort of creeped up, the vibration that is,  slowly, then it was going to where i needed to slow to 45 to settle it down,, then decided to pull over to see if my rear wheel was hot again, as i thought it may be the brake again, it got REALLY hot back in jan and feb, but it was not that un reasonably warm yesterday,, SO after sitting for a few minutes, i took off, and had about 10 miles to go, i left it at about 50, no vibration,

on way back i traveled at 55 pretty much whole way, same miles back, no vibration ever occurred,,   so, for me, its the intermittent happen stance that is so frustrating..

thats for the ideas,, i will get to them soon

[Tony and Ginny 429]

Kim

The driveshaft video is in - VIDEO'S --not Help Pages

As long as the vibration is intermittent you will have to do the best you can to focus on the part of the car that is effected --When the problem shows itself
Lets say -- the middle of the car -the right or left rear side of thee car
Then focus on that area looking for issues
It will get worse and possibly happen more often as it get worse
As the prblem gets worse the odds of finding the problem will increase which will be helpful in resolving the problem

I thought the last shop you were in was going to inspect -your entire suspension -due to the problem you were having
What was the result of that inspection
Did they find the suspension needed nothing so you got new tires that were needed to correct a bad tire problem
If the suspension is in fact very sound we can eliminate that as a problem
The driveshaft U joints and the other two bearings ( trans and center ) on the driveshaft wood look more like the issue causing the vibration

My Dad use to say --turn up the radio and when it breaks --you will know what it was ----LOL !

Kind of a waiting game until it gets solved

Enjoy

[Russ Austin]

Worn rear lower control arm bushings are a culprit to driveline vibration, as it allows the differential to articulate out of the drive line preset angle.

Dive right in, pull the drive shaft and once that is done, pull the lower rear control arms.

[Russ Austin]

This guy makes NEW rear lower control arms. 2 huge improvements; 1.  A boxed design, eliminating flex and twist. 2. Polyurethane bushings eliminating flex and distortion of the bushing.   They work, I run them.

[e-mail]  

Just do a search in here, new rear control arms.