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Voilent Shaking: Front Passenger..

Q

qbcsvt

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
Oct 12, 2006
Messages
3,145
Location
Up North New Jersey
​
Im getting a violent shaking and it seems like it is coming from the passenger front! Now I have changed several things for my overall suspension.

Changed:
Inner and Outer Tie Rods both sides
Sway Bar Link Driver side(I have the Passenger side will be done soon[the one currently installed is a bit loose)
Koni Struts and GCs all around
Stazi RSB Endlinks

Car currently has less than 105K miles.

Im doing my suspension slowly. I have not gotten an alignment as my car is still in construction w the suspension....

Something def feels loose. When I accelerate the front passenger wheel feels like its wiggling. Also when I make a sharp left it feels as if the strut is bottoming out... but Im pretty sure it is not as it is new(unless defective)...

Any input would be greatly appreciated!
If what I have done should be enough and I should just get an alignment let me know If I should complete out and just purchase a couple more things then do the alignment so be it! Just let me know.... Nothing feels loose when I do the O clock test!

- amyn
 
If it does it everytime you drive straight, get someone to drive in another car next to you while it's doing it, they'll clearly see wheel bouncing around. Be careful and don't run into each other, easier to do than you think...That way at least you'll definitely know where the problem is. Changing all those tie rod links could really have the alignment screwed up massively if they were not adjusted somewhere close to the originals. This is going to seem REAL redneck, but one could tie a long piece of thin cord or string somewhere behind a rear wheel to a supporting link or other. Wrap that cord around the back of the tire about in the middle of tire and run that line taut all the way up to the front tire in the middle there also. Make sure the cord lightly touches both the front and rear of the REAR tire in the middle while TAUT. You are now "shooting a line" to the front wheel to tell how far the front tire is out of line sideways with the back and you can also get a rough idea of the toe in/out of both the front and back wheels. Do both sides and compare. I know this seems really really stupid, but someone who knows what they are looking at can understand it. Race car builders used some of the same techniques before lasers came about. I have actually lined up 150+ mph race cars using this method plus a measuring tape (to close in on the toe in/out) and a cheap 6 inch level (to check caster and camber). Results will be pretty close on a frontend alignment machine, certainly good enough to drive. The mentioned race cars always tracked dead perfect at the track (1/4 mile). I quit machine aligning my cars years ago after I learned to do this, they drive perfectly and tires get as good wear as any I've seen.
 
Forget sway bar, it does not come into play until turning.
 
amc49 said:
Forget sway bar, it does not come into play until turning.
Click to expand...

Untrue. Bad swaybar bushings made my car tough to drive on the highway. It felt like my car had no grip on the road. The wind could push me around and the car would just slide around sluggishly. Amyn, how are your wheels and tires? No flat spot on the wheel or the tire by any chance are there? :shrug:
 
I get vibrations from the passanger side tire - all of the link ends look good. It may be in the power steering rack... I'm going to have the allignment checked and have them look everything over - I suggest you do the same.

Odd thing - it ONLY starts vibrating on right hand turns.. :shrug:
 
zorrex said:
Untrue. Bad swaybar bushings made my car tough to drive on the highway. It felt like my car had no grip on the road. The wind could push me around and the car would just slide around sluggishly. Amyn, how are your wheels and tires? No flat spot on the wheel or the tire by any chance are there? :shrug:
Click to expand...

My rears need tires ever since my rear strut tower was broken....But my fronts have pretty much 80% tires....

Im thinking I should change the LCA on the passenger side and then get an alignment and call it a day....

The bushings on my sway bar are holding up pretty nice. Still nice and lubed up from the last time I Lubed em. They are also still pretty hard and dont look like they are getting chewed up.

Tonight I am going to finish up my front sway bar link and take it out for a drive. If it isnt as violent im going to get an alignment in a couple days. If it is Im going to get the LCA w bushings.... Just not sure if there is anything else in the that i might need to complete my suspension....

Could there be anything else that will fall into play and might be needed..

- amyn
 
If you eliminated tires and other suspension components, my bet is on the wheel bearing. Raise the car, support it on jack stands and do 12 and 6 o-clock test. Could be worn out hub as well, it might not show on o-clock test as it needs more load. It will show if you put it in gear and drive the wheels in the air. Get a friend to help you here so you can see the wheels rotating. Also check you center nut it must be torque properly.
 
qbcsvt said:
IF it is the wheel bearing how would I go about changing that???

- amyn
Click to expand...

need to remove the hub and have a shop press the old bearing out and a new bearing in. you can do it yourself if you have the correct press. a hammer doesn't cut it here.


I do know someone recently tried a puller and I believe it worked for them but a press is a better and idea and how it is normally done.
 
as stated try a tire roation to see if the vibration goes away or moves to the back of the car.

also mkae sure the axle nut is torque correctly. now this would show more on braking but how knows maybe it is an issue here too. 210 ft/lbs for the axle nut.
 
i just impacted the axle nut in.... so i will def get on that when I get a chance.....

How can I inspect the wheel bearing to see if that is the cause.. how do I remove the hub????

I havent gone into those things.... The Wheel bearing is the last thing I want to do because I do not want to remove everything off to do so.

Will a visual inspection be possible or would I be looking @ a lost cause???

- amyn
 
Oh come on, you can hammer the bearing in if you know what you're doing, have done it many times, just don't abuse the heck out of it. Easy way is to throw bearing in freezer for an hour and heat up the knuckle with a torch, you don't have to melt it. Have had them go almost all the way in on the first hit, DO NOT HIT ON THE CENTER OF BEARING, you must find something the same or close OD as the outside of bearing and it must be flat on bottom so it doesn't impact the bearing center against the outside. Make sure the grunge is clean from bore before you start. If bore shows any seize marks where bearing tried to seize when coming out, clean those areas up so they don't lock new bearing up on install. They want $20 a pop here to press, I did my last 2 in 15 min. in/out both. That's $160/hr. rate, I'll never get paid better!
 
In response to stabilizer bar comment I made, my Contour has bar/links in good condition and car STILL goes all over in a good wind. The bar as fitted on standard Contour, especially the endlinks, is a joke. I view it as doing nothing.
 
How do I get the wheel Bearings out when the Knucle is still on the car.....

I got the hub out and with it fell out half of the bearing.... Cant get the other half out... Using a hammer so far....

- amyn
 
qbcsvt said:
How do I get the wheel Bearings out when the Knucle is still on the car.....

I got the hub out and with it fell out half of the bearing.... Cant get the other half out... Using a hammer so far....

- amyn
Click to expand...


your going to need a press and have it pressed out. make sure you carefully check the hub and knuckle for damage. you might just want to get a new one from ford with the bearing already installed...
 
qbcsvt said:
How do I get the wheel Bearings out when the Knucle is still on the car.....

I got the hub out and with it fell out half of the bearing.... Cant get the other half out... Using a hammer so far....

- amyn
Click to expand...

god, do it properly.:nonono: Take the knuckle off and take it to a garage with the new bearing and press it. It's not expensive, well where I'm it's not. Go into the "back door" and see if you can get a mechanic to press it for you for cash (max $20). Make sure the hub is not damaged and knuckle is in good shape. A good mechanic will spot it right away when pressing the new bearing in. If you hammered it out there is a good chance you damaged it.
 
I went to places around here and for 1 bearing to get taken out and a new one pressed in im getting charged $50 bucks everywhere more or less....

$40 was the minimum.... ill wait for the garage to open up so I can use the press....

The hammer was to knock out the Hub from the Knuckle and with it came out half of the bearing.... I didnt hammer the bearing it self cause its like 3 pieces, i doubt I would do anything but take out one of the middle pieces of the bearing...

Also I have a piece of the bearing stuck to the outside of the hub and most of the bearing is inside of the knuckle(the part that holds to the strut/outer tie rod/LCA, if im using the terminology correctly)....I also got everything off of the car knuckle and hub so i can further work with it properly or take it to a garage...

- amyn
 
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