Useful Solutions To Diagnose A Classic Car Vibration

ation transmission system can be difficult to diagnoseitself works fine with the car of another idea, but when
because you can not get in the car and see what iscombined can destroy a car where the transmission
happening while driving down the road at 60 MPH. Iftouches the body and shaft angles are unacceptable.
you've read my first article on the three types ofOf course, this is not always the case, but if you run
vibration of propulsion, has a pretty good way tointo a problem of vibration in a heavily modified car,
shorten the list of possibilities depending on whetheryou need to consider this possibility.
the vibration is engine speed related, related to vehicleIf this is a recent restoration that was free of
speed, or in connection with engine load. Here arevibrations, then the first glimpse of all that has changed
some other considerations to take into account in theand the relationship of all components have with other
diagnosis of a classic car vibration.systems in the car. If you only changed a Ford 9 "on
The first thing to consider is the current situation inthe back of his Chevy, the rear can be fine, but might
general. If it is a new construction that has never beenhave altered the driveshaft angles. An acceptable
run before, then everything is suspect. You can haveangle just before might be a bit beyond the current limit
total faith in the engine builder, but could one of his toolssetting vibration.
out of calibration? The engine is supposed to beSometimes you have to "think outside the box." Once
balanced on the outside, and he ordered the wheelcorrected a "vibration" in two years, 25,000 miles Buick
well, but actually received one for an internallyLeSabre that had a complaint of vibration from the
balanced engine? Are your motor shaft angles out offirst day. Has been to three different dealerships,
spec? Could you have faulty pinion bearings and axle,where they had rebalanced and replaced the wheels
an inclined axis, deformed wheel or a tire out ofand tires on several occasions, had several alignments
balance? Is your exhaust to touch the body or someof wheels, and even had the shocks and struts
other component at any time? Are all the screws onreplaced. I realized in a unit of the vibration test was
the suspension, body to frame bolts, nuts, and addressonly on the wheel. I could sit in the seats, armrests or
linkages / bolts tight?dashboard, or view mirrors. I took it to the store and
If this is a modified car, there are many more things toran over some speed bumps at 10 MPH to see what
think about. If you have a 1968 Camaro (My Favoritehappened, and the steering wheel moved about three
Year! ) With a total cost involved frontal, a late modelinches up and down! I was a service writer at the time,
engine homemade LS3 engine mount towers,and all technicians refused to believe that the steering
transmission Keisler, a Currie 9 "rear and Detroit speedcolumn may detach from the factory, so none of them
rear spring and download package, there a number ofwork on it. I searched the board and found that two of
different opportunities for inconsistency, not to mentionthe four screws holding the steering column to the
the fact that the car is nearly 40 years of age and thescreenplay were about three laps shy of being even
tolerances of production at that time were muchstronger finger! He had come that way from the
"looser" than they are now. Aftermarket companiesfactory, and none of the technicians had earlier taken
often design their pieces to fit a car completely stock,the time to pay attention to what was actually
and parts usually fit a car unmodified otherwise veryhappening with the car. Tighten the screws loose and I
good. When you start to combine spare parts fromhad a customer for life! Sometimes you have to open
different manufacturers sometimes have problems.your mind a bit, all assumptions and throw out the
The front of the aftermarket may be designed towindow.
enhance the capacity of the curves changes a bit ofThe conclusion is to take your time and consider all
geometry that the transmission system aftermarketpossibilities. To assess the overall situation, driving the
also changes due to interference with the transmissioncar, and think about what is happening. Do not make
tunnel, and then the back of The company also has aany assumptions, and realize that aftermarket parts
few liberties with his design for the rear endfrom different reputable companies are not always
adjustment of several different vehicles, and thedesigned to work with each other. Have an open mind,
company modified the rear suspension geometry forand with patience any vibration problem can be
maximum traction in endurance racing. Each part bydiagnosed and corrected.