Front suspension / steering question
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 3,569
Likes: 1
From: Hawaii
Front suspension / steering question
If someone could point me in the right direction I would be very grateful. I was driving and hit a bump in the road and the tires started shaking very badly. I was only going maybe 30-35 mph and had to slow to 5-10mph before it stopped. After it stopped, the problem didn't happen again. I know something is way wrong for this to happen and was wondering what needs to be replaced or looked at to be serviced. I have power steering but it isn't hooked up. Could that be or is that the problem. I am not going to drive any longer until I get it fixed.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
Re: Front suspension / steering question (Maurice)
The fact of you not having your power steering hooked up is the root cause of your problem.....
Lemme explain....on most cars the suspensions when shipped from the factory will have a certain resonate frequency, and if t's high enough because the thing is tight and new, it's not a problem...BUT as things wear in a bit, maybe loose enough to be replaced in SOME circumstances, but maybe just enough added looseness in OTHER circumstances the additive affect is the resonance frequency is changed/lowered, and when hitting the 'right' bump the thing goes into an 'oscillation' that is kept vibrating by the cars motion....
OK,....so on may other vechicles....vans and pickups mainly, but NOT unheard of on many other cars.....this is a very common occurance....on some vechicles, but not others of the exact same type/frame/chassis/age/weight/....and for some silly reason, the designers know not just exactly WHY.....it's a combination of circumstances rather than any ONE failure/wear/fatique point....
so the 'cure' is a horizontal stabilizer on the drag link...mounted to the frame on one end, and the drag link on the other....now look at the power assist cylindger....it's just that, a horizontal shock absorber as above....just that it's a power cylinder at the same time.....
that is your answer in a awfully large nutshell.....
GENE
Lemme explain....on most cars the suspensions when shipped from the factory will have a certain resonate frequency, and if t's high enough because the thing is tight and new, it's not a problem...BUT as things wear in a bit, maybe loose enough to be replaced in SOME circumstances, but maybe just enough added looseness in OTHER circumstances the additive affect is the resonance frequency is changed/lowered, and when hitting the 'right' bump the thing goes into an 'oscillation' that is kept vibrating by the cars motion....
OK,....so on may other vechicles....vans and pickups mainly, but NOT unheard of on many other cars.....this is a very common occurance....on some vechicles, but not others of the exact same type/frame/chassis/age/weight/....and for some silly reason, the designers know not just exactly WHY.....it's a combination of circumstances rather than any ONE failure/wear/fatique point....
so the 'cure' is a horizontal stabilizer on the drag link...mounted to the frame on one end, and the drag link on the other....now look at the power assist cylindger....it's just that, a horizontal shock absorber as above....just that it's a power cylinder at the same time.....
that is your answer in a awfully large nutshell.....
GENE
