bad vibration in entire frame
 

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?

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

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.

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

how do i check the balance shafts are rotating?

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

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.

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

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

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

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

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

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

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

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

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

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.

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

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.

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

check the lug nuts, make sure they are tight!!!

-Colin

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

tuneup was 5k ago. I'll have the wheels checked at a shop - could be a wheel wt fell of. I'll have the shop check the idler shaft too.

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

lug nuts are tight. What torque do I torque them to?

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

I do mine from 90-95 ft. lbs.

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

Well I do not know where it is coming from. The car has always had a vibration from 3400-4000RPM but that stopped after the tranny and transfer case was replaced. I posted it on here a while ago and some thought it might be the balance shaft was out of phase or not working at all. That is most of the reason I bought and gave you all the components for T-belt and balance belt replacement.

My suggestion would be to have one of the guys (JET maybe) drive it to feel it also and maybe track down the source.

You say it is in the frame...then windshield? Is it just an engine vibration maybe from a bad motor or tranny mount? I did not replace them at anytime nor did the previous owner as far as I know.

I did not feel a vibration the entire drive out nor when you were beating it...I mean test driving it before you paid me for it. Maybe you tore something up in the tranny with that missed shift/slam when you were test driving? ;)

Hope you get it sorted out...Kenny

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

LOL!!! Funny man!!!
The motor and tranny seem fine. Looks like it happens more significantly when I am slowing down without brakes - just kinda coasting down from 60 mph. Happens at hard boost as well. I'm relatively sure its some small shit, thats all. Just driving me nuts with the vibrations. LOL!

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

Is the vibration speed sensitive? If you're doing 60mph and feel the vibration, can you push the clutch in and get the vibration to change or go away? Engine RPM sensitive? Does it feel like a missfire? Does the vibration start at 5mph, or any certain mph? Details please.

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

yes, seems to get higher as I go faster. vibration at 70 is significantly more than at 50. Also, vibration seems to be more in the dash, center console and A-pillar - kind of the situation when you're in a high gear and coast down to a low speed - then forget and try to accelerate in that same high gear.
Also, seems to be rpm sensitive - 90% sure of that.
Starts more at about 50 maybe, but its also there at at lower speeds - I think thats when I'm accelerating hard - corresponds to higher rpms too.

Haven't checked pushing in the clutch at higher speeds - will try that tomorrow.

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

Does it do it more under accelleration? If it does it could be a bad inner C/V joint.

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

I agree. Possibly driveshaft or CV dying. Did it start vibrating right after beating on the car? Hard launch maybe?

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

Both front halfshafts are nearly new (NAPA refurb units). The short shaft carrier bearing had ZERO play or lash in it last week when replaceing tranny/transfer. CV and shafts were still straight and articulating properly without slop.

Like I said before...all the way out (990 miles) I had no issue with vibration other than normal motor vibration of any 4 cylinder car I have ever driven.

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

Kenny,
This is more like a buzzing noise cum vibration. Not sure if this helps pinpoint the problem.

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

Does the car just have a loud exaust system on it?

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

Super4X4duty / 1quick4,
I tried pressing in the clutch at high speed - at 80, at 70 and at 60 on different occasions. When I depress the clutch, the vibration goes away - BUT, I am not accelerating in this instance. In another instance, when I depress the clutch and accelerate at the same time to maintain engine rpms, the vibration/buzzing comes back.

Gotta specify - its a buzzing type of vibration.

Its more significant at higher speed. I've been doing 80 often since I bought the car, so its more nociceable than everyday driving, unless I'm accelerating hard in the city - the buzz/vibration comes back. Its all Kenny's fault because he had a damn nice car!

I have to specify too - the car does not shake as a whole as a rewsult of the vibration - it buzzes annoyingly in teh dash, center console and A-pillar and vibrates those areas.
Seems to be both rpm as well as speed sensitive.

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

Yeah - too damn loud. LOL! I guess I'm too much of a wussy to take the noise too long. I'll have to go to Jet soon anyway when I have more money - I want a 3" exhaust with less bends in it than this one has. Kenny mentioned it had a 2.5".

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

I am actually having the exact same problem and its annoying as hell, It occured a long time ago, then I had an act 2600 and a tranny fix up and it decreased it, and now it rattles the entire dash at about 3200, not devestating, but im still new to the cars it tough to find out what it is,

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

Way to make your own thread...only to bring back a similar thread thats over a year old.

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

This problem could be anything. If something sounds like it is vibrating in your dash then you should take off the dash and see if you can find it. That would seem to be the common sense thing to do.

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

Flamidation Valve? I heard RK has numorous problems with that! :rolleyes:

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

id check your ball joints, tie - rods and the carrier bushing for the rear drive shaft. its probably something small like wheel balance... then again it could be anything. GL

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

We have a lot of mph info but no engine rpm info, what engine rpm does this happen at, and does this noise happen when you rev the car while someone looks under the hood for the noise. I would think its ither the front balance shaft belt or a problem with the clutch. Also when you miss shifted on the test drive what happened? 3rd to 2nd at redline in 3rd or what? Just take the car to someone who knows what they are doing, because it sounds like thats what you are going to do to get it fixed anyways.

~John

Re: bad vibration in entire frame
 

My talon used to have a shake to it when I it was going 60-70mph, and had the foot on the accelerator. Didn't matter what RPM, just as long as I was in that speed range. Chromepuff on here knows what it felt like, he rode in the car once when it did it. If I let off the gas, it would mostly go away, but still be there slightly, but when I accelerated, it was the worst. Felt like the whole car shook.

I ended up injecting a bunch of urethane into my carrier bearing, and that took care of it.