If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
High speed shimmy
My 99 Civic has been showing it's age recently. For the past 9 months
it has slowly developed a high speed shimmy (60-75mph) that miraculously disappears occasionally. I first started noticing it last October, when I changed my summer wheelset over to my studded winterset. Being a beater winter tireset, I thought they probably just needed to be balanced. I balanced them and it seemed to lessen the shudder, but not eliminate it. Next, I'd never had the car aligned, so I did last November. The mechanic said that he made some minor adjustments but the car would still feel the vibrations until the tire tread wore back into it's normal pattern. Well, they were'nt on long enough for that to happen...so... I put my summer wheelset back on in the spring and it still rattled like hell. I checked out my tie-rods, cv-joints, wheel bearings, did the old strut test (bouncing on corners and visually inspect for signs of leakage) and couldn't find anything wrong. Everything seemed pretty tight. So, I balanced my summer wheelset. No fix. I recently started noticing my left rear tire cupping in the inside. The right rear was starting to cup also, just not as severe. The insides of my fronts were also wearing more than the outsides, just not cupping. I brought the care to the mechanic and he said that they couldn't really do anything (alignment or balancing) without new tires because of the severity of the rear cupping. I didn't want to throw new tires on, get it aligned, then find out it was something else after my new set of tires started cupping again; so I found this group, searched your archives and here I am. I investigated further. I measured ride height in several places. My left rear was the lowest by 1/2" to 1". All others were fairly even. I took a closer look at the shock and strut. They look fine although worn strut would lower this side as well as cup my tire. It would make sense. I also, from time to time, throw a lot of weight in the trunk which doesn't help. I don't have a lot of cash to throw out and want to get this right, the first time. Do you all think it's the strut even though it acts allright (other than height)? Would you recommend an alternative strut manufacturer as opposed to OEM? Could worn rear struts make my steering wheel shimmy? Could they make the front's wear uneven, or is this a seperate problem? Course of action you would take? Whaddya think? |
Ads |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
High speed shimmy
|
#4
|
|||
|
|||
High speed shimmy
Thanks Jim,
I checked out the rear suspension as you said and the lower control arm seems to be installed correctly. I inspected the spring fairly close and saw some rusting near top and bottom of coil yet hadn't noticed any failures. Then, today, when leaving my dipped driveway I heard a "doinngg" sound from the affected area (Left Rear). It sounded just like a spring slipping out of place a bit. Now I'm assuming it's a broken spring causing that rear cupping. Right? |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
High speed shimmy
I've had that boing noise from the factory. Dealership never really
satisfied me on that one, but I am at 260000kms, and the car is still driving, and I don't get cupped tires. Not to say that in your case its not a problem, but in my case it never has been. t wrote: >Thanks Jim, > >I checked out the rear suspension as you said and the lower control arm >seems to be installed correctly. > >I inspected the spring fairly close and saw some rusting near top and >bottom of coil yet hadn't noticed any failures. > >Then, today, when leaving my dipped driveway I heard a "doinngg" sound >from the affected area (Left Rear). It sounded just like a spring >slipping out of place a bit. > >Now I'm assuming it's a broken spring causing that rear cupping. >Right? -- Message posted via CarKB.com http://www.carkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx...-cars/200607/1 |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
High speed shimmy
|
#7
|
|||
|
|||
High speed shimmy
> >
> if it is a broken spring, yes. you'll have to inspect again with a view > to replacement. oem springs are cheap. they're cheaper still from a > junk yard. What do you mean "with a view to replacement"? I took the wheel off, shined a flashlight on the spring and poked around the cracking plastic coating on both ends with an awl. The coating seemed to be peeling (again, only on the ends) because of rust underneath. I couldn't find any cracks and definately didn't see a dropped coil. I guess if these aren't what to look for, then I don't know how else to inspect springs. Do I have to take the spring out to inspect? If so, I might as well replace it. (Side question...I should probably replace the springs in pairs, right?) > check all the bushings while you're under there. the main > trailing arm bushing on that model doesn't last too well. google this > group for replacement part #'s [honda only list the full trailing arm on > parts diagrams] and a recent post by elle on a tool that allows the > bushing to be replaced without dropping the whole suspension. Thanks. I'll check these out again. I initially gave these a quick inspection and didn't see anything of concern. The rubber all seems OK and there isn't any play when josseled. Any other method of inspection I should be using? > from this point on, if the spring is ok and the rest of the suspension > is ok [both the rear shocks the same - in case someone fitted the wrong > one at some point], you're going to have to look for body alignment issues. > > cupping alone can be a defective tire. i know that doesn't answer your > question about ride height, but tire quality can be an issue. what > brand is it? The tires were inexpensive. Ventus HRII 17". Thing is, after inspecting my winter tire set (nokian hakkapellittas) these were very slightly unevenly worn. I might, very slightly, be able to detect a bit of cupping on these also. Man. I really hope it's not a body alignment issue. |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
High speed shimmy
OK It's most likely not a broken spring. I measured the distance from
both spring seats and compared. The distance is almost exact (within 1mm). The summer tires have approximately 33K miles on them. They are inexpensive tires and I hope that they are to blame for all of this. My winter tires have about 35K miles on them. Now that I'm seeing the cupping on the summer tires, I inspected the winter tires more thorough and think I see very slight cupping. It might just be the power of suggestion though. They are loud regardless because they are large-lugged and studded. Maybe I'll take some pictures and provide a link so you can all see what I'm talking about. |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
High speed shimmy
OK, newest update:
I recently noticed a pretty serious negative camber on my rear wheels. The most affected tire has the most negative camber. I took a 2ft level out for some quick and dirty estimates and used it to determine the severity of the camber. I inspected, once again, the bushings, bearings, ball joints, tie rods, steering, etc. and all I can find is some minor dry cracking in the lower trailing arm bushing. The rear wheels on this Civic don't have any camber adjustments? Right? Nothing seems bent. I just don't know. All I can imagine, and other have said it isn't possible, is that the 17" aluminum wheels, with lo-profile tires are to blame. They seem the same overall height... Anybody else have this issue without having lowered the car? |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
High speed shimmy
John wrote:
> OK, newest update: > > I recently noticed a pretty serious negative camber on my rear wheels. > The most affected tire has the most negative camber. I took a 2ft > level out for some quick and dirty estimates and used it to determine > the severity of the camber. > > I inspected, once again, the bushings, bearings, ball joints, tie rods, > steering, etc. and all I can find is some minor dry cracking in the > lower trailing arm bushing. > > The rear wheels on this Civic don't have any camber adjustments? > Right? Nothing seems bent. I just don't know. no, no adjustments. if it's out of camber, either something's bent, a bushing has gone, or as you've said before, the ride height is somehow defective so the wheel is seated too high up in the wheel well. that's your #1 priority. > > All I can imagine, and other have said it isn't possible, is that the > 17" aluminum wheels, with lo-profile tires are to blame. They seem the > same overall height... if the wheels are all the same size... > > Anybody else have this issue without having lowered the car? > yes, but only when a rear control arm was in upside down. all other instances i've seen were crash damage or failed springs. before, you mentioned posting some pics - at this stage, that would be really helpful. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
high way speed severe hesitation .... occasionally ! | bvannatter | Saturn | 9 | June 8th 06 07:45 PM |
LIDAR Trial this Week | [email protected] | Driving | 17 | April 9th 06 02:44 AM |
Consequences to kid who wants to get caught at extreme high speed in GA | [email protected] | Technology | 0 | October 18th 05 11:05 PM |
More proof that incresed speed does not equal incresed death | Bernard Farquart | Driving | 51 | July 7th 05 02:10 PM |
a/c not cooling on high speed 87 300E MERCEDES BENZ | CLAUDY | Technology | 2 | June 6th 05 02:23 AM |