Rear end wobble
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 84
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From: Mobile Alabama
Rear end wobble
Hello all, I have a 1980 and have a rear end wobble at slow speeds, imagine a very slow hula girl doing her thing. At very low coasting speeds smooth as glass little more throttle she starts doing a slight hula.When it shifts into 2nd gear smooth as glass. Tires seem ok , no flats spots or out of shape and rear end bearings seem tight and no wiggle. Any help will be be greatly appreciated.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,632
Likes: 112
From: Great Plains Iowa
Hello all, I have a 1980 and have a rear end wobble at slow speeds, imagine a very slow hula girl doing her thing. At very low coasting speeds smooth as glass little more throttle she starts doing a slight hula.When it shifts into 2nd gear smooth as glass. Tires seem ok , no flats spots or out of shape and rear end bearings seem tight and no wiggle. Any help will be be greatly appreciated.
A "wobble"? What makes you think something is wobbling?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 829
Likes: 131
From: Spartanburg SC
Can't even imagine what would do this. How old are your tires? I would find the oldest allignment shop in Mobile. One that is run by some old codger in a rundown off the beaten path shop. He'll get you right in no time. These old guys cut their teeth on these old cars.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
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From: Charlotte NC
Trailing arm bushing are either shot or badly worn. Strut rod bushing can also have the same fate...if they are worn out...then the wheel/trailing arm can move.
Usually the front differential mount bushing does not case this problem...but it well worth verifying that it is on good shape and not worn on on the top portion of the bushing.
The rear end cover (bat-wing)..has bushings in the ends of them...but they usually hold up and are not worn badly enough..but they can be worn out also.
IF you know for a FACT that your rear wheel bearings are to specs...ok. I have actually encountered a Corvette where the four nuts that hold the trailing arm to the bearing housing and parts were loose and allowing the trailing arm/bearing housing to have a mind of their own.
Lastly is the amount of 'in and out' play the side yokes coming out of each side of your differential. If excessive..it can add to problems even though usually when driving in a straight line it will not show up. But a potential problem if not corrected...just the same.
DUB
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 84
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From: Mobile Alabama
Will a corvette speciality shop be able to diagnose bad trailing arm bushings with a test drive or have to get a visual on the bushing it self. The tires are questional, I have a receipt that says 2001 but they look newer. I can't find a dot date code on them unless its on the back non raised white letter side.
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Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
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From: Charlotte NC
Yes...verify the date codes on your tires as you know.
YES...a visual inspection of eh trailing arm bushing can be performed....if the shop knows what to look for. Sometimes disconnecting parts may be required to actually see how bad they actually are.
At the same time the shop can look and inspect the other possibilities.
DUB
YES...a visual inspection of eh trailing arm bushing can be performed....if the shop knows what to look for. Sometimes disconnecting parts may be required to actually see how bad they actually are.
At the same time the shop can look and inspect the other possibilities.
DUB
Thread Starter
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 84
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From: Mobile Alabama
WOBBLE WOBBLE UPDATE !
Sooo I went the get new tires route first to cure my hula dancing rear end. I went with Cooper Cobra GTs and wala ! this cured the problem. The car only has 110,000 miles but the tires were put on in 2001 ! Oh she ride like a dream, thanks for all of the help !
Sooo I went the get new tires route first to cure my hula dancing rear end. I went with Cooper Cobra GTs and wala ! this cured the problem. The car only has 110,000 miles but the tires were put on in 2001 ! Oh she ride like a dream, thanks for all of the help !
Pro
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 615
Likes: 187
From: Orlando, Dundee, Val-des-Monts PQ
Perfect, Glad you found it before it found you the hard and expensive way. My truck had a wobble once and the tire exploded in the driveway,sitting still. It was 100 degrees out at the time.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,652
Likes: 49
From: Bridgewater nj
I was just gonna say rotate your tires to see if the wobble changes. I'm glad you found it. With 110,000 you know those trailing arm bushings have seen better days. The tell tale sign is erratic wondering in the rain or with on and off the gas. It tends to wear out the inside tread on new tires quick .
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,697
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From: Syracuse NY
Last summer Im sitting at the ammunition turn in area at Ft Drum, waiting my turn to unload our ammo. Very stern place, concrete bunker, blast doors, you get the idea. There was about 10 tactical cargo vehicles lined up with ordnance ranging from .50 cal up to 2.75 inch rockets. We are all standing around shooting the shizzle when....
!!!!!BOOM!!!!!
Most of us dove for the ground, a few ran for cover. We were sure something exploded and we were all about to be engulfed in a blaze of gunpowder and shrapnel.
Slowly we got off the ground and made sure nobody was dead.....then we saw it....one lone SUV at the corner of the parking lot had blown a tire.. Just sitting there, it just blew apart...
Exploding tires are really phucking loud.