Wedge TR8 vibration

[PATR8]

OK, here we go again. I had a vibration on the front end of my 8. It used to be at highway speed while making a sweeping left turn. I replaced the wheel bearings but nothing. I pulled the steering rack and had it checked, nothing.

Next was to check to see the tires were balanced, checked it , they were out but that did not fix it.

Some one suggested rotors so I swapped in Woody's Willwood brakes and rotors. Very nice brakes and a definate braking improvement and looks very good

I still have the vibration but now it is at 35 to 38 MPH (weather on the straights or turns)and it goes away. The wheel begins to vibrate then just goes away.

Any other ideas?

 

[NutmegCT]

Just my 2¢ ...

I had one of those speed-related vibration issues. After re-balancing tires, replacing u-joints, checking suspension, etc etc., turned out that three of the wheels were "out of true".

Raise car, kneel by each wheel. Slowly turn each wheel, see if you see the wheel moving "in and out" from side to side. I braced my arm on the floor, held a pencil toward the side of the wheel itself, and watched the wheel move toward and away from the pencil tip as it rotated.

As I had steel wheels, they couldn't be straightened. Got new wheels - vibration completely disappeared.

Tom

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Have the same issue with mine, though the vibration starts at a bit higher speed. Lots of remedies posted, but so far none of them have worked for me.

 

[swift6]

No ideas yet but I also have a vibration that I have been chasing around on my TR8.

It comes and goes between 40-45mph on my car. Sometimes its there, sometimes its not. Same stretch of road too so I figure thats no longer a variable.

My wheel doesn't visibly shake but I do feel the vibration through the steering wheel.

 

[tr8todd]

Ball joints, tie rod ends, sway bar bushings, and/or lower control arm mounting holes on the subframe. Once you get the vibration, you are better off doing everything to rebuild the front end. Once one thing starts to wear, and you get the vibration, every part starts to wear faster.

 

[PATR8]

I am really down to the mounting holes and sway bar bushings, I have all new ball joints and tie rod ends with in the past 500 miles. Why would it vibrate initially only in left sweeping turns and now as I pass through 35 to 40 MPH now?

 

[tdskip]

New shocks as well Pat? I had it as well and it went away when I finished rebuilding the suspension.

 

[PATR8]

The vibration is in the front and the struts are about 3 years old. The steering wheel vibrates like I have a lose left front wheel

 

[tr8todd]

If you look at the front suspension, you will notice that it is essentially a lower A arm. The lower control arm and the sway bar form the A. Problem is that it isn't a solid A arm. The pieces are free to move about if there is any play. Any one point in the system will cause the same effect. It will be most noticeably on long high speed sweepers and at what ever constant speed sets up the best harmonics. Typically that speed is 45 to 55 mph. Take for instance loose front sway bar bushings and/or missing front sway bar travel restrictor clamps.(those clamps on the sway bar that go just outside of the front mounting brackets. If there isn't a tight fit at that one point, then the sway bar is free to move side to side. The net result will be the wheel wobbling, because the whole lower A arm is in essence changing it's geometry. It is real common to see the subframe lower control arm mounting holes go oblong, and have the bolt wear at the point where bolt passes through subframe. Fix is to weld big washes over the holes and replace the bolt with a new one.

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Now, that, Todd, makes sense, and even I can understand that issue and the fix. Next time I'm under mine, I'm going to take a close look and see if that's what's going on. When I restored mine, I replaced all bushings, new tie rod ends, shocks, etc. Probably the culprit.

Thanks!
Micky

 

[swift6]

I have new shocks, springs, wheel bearings, ball joints, tie rod ends, new poly bushes, clamps are on the swaybar (had to buy a very expensive drill bit to oversize them to fit the new, bigger, swaybar), have checked the holes for the lower control arms and there is no slop with the bolt.

My vibration has been intermittent and it is slight. Much less than what the Major is describing. I have noticed that the car is now extremely sensitive to tire pressure changes.

 

[philman]

I used split locking collars from Graingers for sway bar clamps, the kind that are used to position bearings and rollers on conveyor shafts. less than $10 for both.

 

[Got_All_4]

I can agree hole hardly with Todd. This is a high ware area in TR7/8s. What causes this long term is the harmonics in such a small wheel. That wheel gets up to speed and is constantly sending vibrations in the suspension and the first thing that gets a beating is the sway bar links that double up as a control arm stabilizer.

Permanent remedy is to replace with good urethane bushings and change your wheel size to a 14" or preferably a 15".

 

[tr8todd]

Here is my solution. I know it's overkill. Shortened Rover SD1 strut tubes wheel bearings, and hubs redrilled to a wheel friendly 5X4.5. 16X7 front and 16X8 rear wheels(wish I had gone bigger), Koni adjustable shocks, coil over spring perches, enormous sway bar, new ball joints, new tie rod ends fitted to a manual rack, poly bushings. Welded the subframe and installed larger grade 8 bolts. Added Willwood calipers and modified Jeep Cherokee rotors.

 

[DNK]

I used split locking collars from Graingers for sway bar clamps, the kind that are used to position bearings and rollers on conveyor shafts. less than $10 for both.

Called Woody 2 winters ago and asked if that part was needed with the anti dive kit and he said "no"

I'm really thinking of selling my 15's this winter .
Could be really low mileage.

 

[PATR8]

I am at 14 inch rims already so the tires are not it, I had them trued. I dropped the subframe and checked the holes and they were all good.