bad vibration in entire frame

[rk4g63]

Car:
94 Talon awd, 7 bolt/4 bolt. 16g. stock inj. Balance shafts not eliminated.

Problem:
At any speed, there is a bad vibration that goes through the dash all the time, sometimes the windows, the center console all the time, and sometimes the windshield. This does not happen at idle and happens rarely when in cruise (when I say cruise, I mean the cruise control is actually set, not just holding doen the accelerator constant). At all other times the vibration exists.

History of this car:
The previous owner experienced a different vibration - he thought it was a timing belt problem but ended up changing the tranny and tcase. That fixed his problem.
Also, the car has 132k - timing belt was changed at 90k.

Prior experience (not sure if it applies to this case):
97 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT - had a vibration coming from the engine bay and the car was shaking at idle. Turned out to be a timing belt jump. Got lucky since thats a horiz opposed design so just had to change out the timing belt at the dealership.
97 acura legend - same vibration in windshield, windows, etc - turned out to be wheel bearings going bad. Buddy's car with 150k.


Suggestions, anybody?

[EclipseGST]

Check the carrier bearing that supports the drive shaft. Other than that I would check the balance shafts and make sure they are both lined up and rotating correctly.

[rk4g63]

how do i check the balance shafts are rotating?

[EclipseGST]

Pull off the timing belt and oil pan and inspect them. I had a bad vibration throughout my car when the bearing on the rear balance shaft got chewed up. The bearing was in the oil pan and the balance shaft was just flopping around in the block. Just make sure it rotates ok and nothing is causing any harm.

[rk4g63]

Damn. That's big work and I dont know how to do that.

[Matt D.]

Wheels out of balance? Bulge in a tire? If anything like that is too bad your car will seem like it's falling apart.

[Jakey]

Did this vibration suddenly appear or slowly appear or ......?

[rk4g63]

Its not the wheels/tires. I checked that already.

[rk4g63]

I wouldn't know Jakey - I bought the car yesterday. Kenny mentioned he didn't have issues coming from Colorado. Seems to be the vibrations were there today - I wasn't paying attention when I test drove yesterday.

[MATCHBX]

Could be a wheel weight that fell off. When you said you checked the wheels, do you mean just visually? Or did you take it to a shop and have them check the balance of the wheels and whether or not the rims were straight?

How long ago was the last tune-up (plugs, wires, filters)? Could be a slight miss or it could be that one of the plug wires has come loose on the coils.

Also, this is a long shot, but check the idler shaft from the left side of the transmission to the left halfshaft. The bolts ended up falling out on mine and it vibrated like hell when I got on the accelerator. If the bolts have loosened up, it could make some vibrations.

Usually the carrier bearing will thump the floorboards under hard acceleration rather than just be a constant vibration.