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Front End Shake

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Bob Hughes said:
Your overdrive problem may be caused by the solenoid operating erratically, as you have BJ8 it is going to be a bit awkward getting access on the BJ7 I can easily remove the gearbox tunnel. With the ignition on and the O/D switch on, can you hear clicking when you move the gear lever across the gate, that would be the solenoid coming into action. That is straight for the jugular, it could be that the gear switch has worn if it is intermittent, there are a number of checks you can carry out on the various switches that are in the circuit, have you got the workshop manual ?

:cheers:

Bob
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I filled the OD unit with Castrol 20/50 w Zinc and after the 2nd test drive the OD starting working! So much nicer cruising down the highway this morning, made my day! Now have it at a shop to balance wires/tires and alignment- I hope that takes care of my front end shake that starts around 55 MPH. Its running better since I brought the idle down under 1 grand too.
 
Did you ever actually test the wheels to see if they need straightening?

Raise front end.
Point your finger toward the edge of the rim.
Spin the tire by hand, and see if the rim moves in and out from your finger.
If yes, the wheel is out of true.

Also - straightening an out of true rim can sometimes permanently weaken the steel.

Just sayin'

Tom M.
 
It’s at the shop today so I’ll have to check this out and hopefully they can fix the problem with balancing an alignment but I understand what you’re saying thank you
 
Mickey Richaud said:
Hi, Craig -

Hendrix Wire Wheel in Greensboro NC - they're a well-respected resource. I had them true my wire wheels (MG T series), and shave and install new tires and tubes. Did a fantastic job, even labeling each assembly as to its location on the car! Check them out: > Hendrix Wire Wheel <

Mickey
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My wheels, tires and brake drums are with Allen at Hendrix for truing right now. I hope to have them back next week. He seems like a great guy and of course very knowledgeable, he also had a few sweet Healeys there when I was there.
Thanks.
 
craigshealey3000 said:
My wheels, tires and brake drums are with Allen at Hendrix for truing right now. I hope to have them back next week. He seems like a great guy and of course very knowledgeable, he also had a few sweet Healeys there when I was there.
Thanks.
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Glad you're working with him - you'll be quite pleased!
 
Soooo, the back story on my shake is detailed in my posts above.

In the process of trying to have my wheels and tires properly balanced I learned that my Dayton wire wheels, with about only 1,000 miles on them, were quite out of round. One was 100/1000ths out. So I bit the bullet. I ordered four new tires, (my old tires were more than 10 years old) sent the wheels to Hendrix and gave him the green light. He tuned the wheels, mounted the new tires, shaved them, balanced the assemblies and sent then back to me. They arrived today. My god what a diference. For the first time since I put my car back on the road, it drives smooth and shake free at all speeds up to 80 mph (in rush hour traffic I didn't get a chance to go any faster).

FWIW, I replaced my 185 70/15 Vrederstein Sports Classics with 165 80/15 Vredersteins. This also made a huge difference. The 165s are much easier to turn in the driveway and at parking lot speeds, plus, to my surprise, the car accelerates faster, responds faster in turns, the "dead spot" in the steering box is much smaller and the brakes feel like they grab faster. While I'm sure the car will let go a bit sooner at the limits, it feels the way it is supposed to feel. I had no idea that this change was going to make so much difference. If you are wondering what size/model tires to get for your BJ8, I strongly urge you to buy the 165/15 Sports Classics. The tire-fender gap isn't much different either.

This was an expensive project. About $650 for the new tires and $880 all in for the work, new inner tubes and shipping to and from Hendrix. But the benefits exceed the cost. I hope the weather gives me some opportunity to drive it before the season is over.
 
Legal Bill said:
Soooo, the back story on my shake is detailed in my posts above.

In the process of trying to have my wheels and tires properly balanced I learned that my Dayton wire wheels, with about only 1,000 miles on them, were quite out of round. One was 100/1000ths out. So I bit the bullet. I ordered four new tires, (my old tires were more than 10 years old) sent the wheels to Hendrix and gave him the green light. He tuned the wheels, mounted the new tires, shaved them, balanced the assemblies and sent then back to me. They arrived today. My god what a diference. For the first time since I put my car back on the road, it drives smooth and shake free at all speeds up to 80 mph (in rush hour traffic I didn't get a chance to go any faster).

FWIW, I replaced my 185 70/15 Vrederstein Sports Classics with 165 80/15 Vredersteins. This also made a huge difference. The 165s are much easier to turn in the driveway and at parking lot speeds, plus, to my surprise, the car accelerates faster, responds faster in turns, the "dead spot" in the steering box is much smaller and the brakes feel like they grab faster. While I'm sure the car will let go a bit sooner at the limits, it feels the way it is supposed to feel. I had no idea that this change was going to make so much difference. If you are wondering what size/model tires to get for your BJ8, I strongly urge you to buy the 165/15 Sports Classics. The tire-fender gap isn't much different either.

This was an expensive project. About $650 for the new tires and $880 all in for the work, new inner tubes and shipping to and from Hendrix. But the benefits exceed the cost. I hope the weather gives me some opportunity to drive it before the season is over.
Click to expand...
I had the exact same problem with the 55-65 mph shake that drove me crazy. I took my '67 BJ8 wheels and tires to Allen Hendrix, Hendrix Wire Wheel and he was fantastic. Allen did the exact same work for me, Trued the wheels, re-painted them the original silver, turned and painted the rear drums (must do) and a new set of Vrederstein Sport Classics 165 HR 15 86H tires. I was not going to replace my tires and Allen convinced me to do so and they were dropped shipped to him directly. He called me a week later and said they are ready for pick up, 4 hr drive for me from Myrtle Beach. I was thrilled with the look and fantastic ride and straight as an arrow, no shake! Allen is awesome and had some beautiful Healeys in all stages of restoration in his shop. I highly recommend him. Well worth the price. $868 + $500 for new tires.
 
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