1990 vert, L98, mostly stock, 63000miles and running smooth until----So I was coming home the other day about 75MPH, my tax dollars were at work resurfacing the highway- I hit the "bump" where they stopped resurfacing- must have been a 4-6" bump- the vibration came immediately from the right side front.

I replaced the tie rod ends because there was significant movement when I grabbed the wheel at 9 and 3.

Now there is less vibration, but it is still there.

I just searched the forum, coould not find anything, searched youtube, found some thoughts- control arm, ball joints, etc.

Car is now jacked up on stands in the garage- 12-6 shows NO movement when pulled pushed- 9-3 shows significant movement and whne I look, it is the inner tie rod end at the rack- both sides, although drivers much less than passenger. Bll joints seem tight, no play, control arms and bushings seem tight no play, shock absorber seems tight, no play.

Any thoughts on further troubleshooting before I get the wallet out and start throwing dollars at it?

Would this movement indicate the inner tie rod ends are bad?
The rack has too muich play and I ned a rebuild?
Simply needs and alignment?
Is Jupiter not alignerd with Mars?

Any help is appreciated.

 

Might need a new alignment. You also could have thrown a wheel weight.

 

You probably bent a wheel. Spin the wheel and see if there is lateral or vertical runout on the wheel edge. If there is, put a dial indicator on it. Ideally, you shouldn't see more than .020". You also could have broken a belt in the tire. Check for bulges in the sidewalls. At this point, you should file a claim and if possible, take a picture of the road hazard. They should reimburse you.

 

Forgot to say- had the tires balanced by my high speed tire guy- with original weights, pulled them off, rebanaced- no out of round, showed good on the machine

 

File a claim anyway. Your car was fine before hitting the edge and started vibrating afterward. They should pay for diagnosis and repair.

 

A busted belt in the tire may not show up on a spin balance machine.

 

Hi, did you do a road force balance, static, or dynamic? Road force balance is the best. And also, alignment will not cause a vibration or wheel shimmy, only a pull and tire wear.

I would just do a visual inspection with the wheel off if I were you, also inspect the brake rotor because occasionally it can cause a vibration as well.

 

Thanks for everyone's advice- before taking to the shop, I swapped front and rear tires to see if the problem "changed". Well, the back tire had a noticeable bulge on the inside, with severe wearing of the inside tread.

And the problem changed- even somoothed out a bit with bad rear tire on front.....

Now I need some cash for tires and alignment- thanks for the thoughts on the busted belt- looks like my problem.

 

I believe these are two different tire sizes front to back, you'll also notice they have a one way rotational pattern.

 

The 90 models had the same size tire on all four corners.

 

Thanks again- Now to find at least 1 Firestone Firehawk SZ50EP's in 275/40/17 non RFT

 

The tires are all 275/40-17's unless the owner has changed sizes. Whether or not the tire tread is directional depends on the tire brand and model.

The OP didn't say what amount of tread is left on the tires, but I would not buy just a single tire. Either replace a pair (for front or rear) or replace all 4. It certainly sounds like the one tire has a separated or broken belt. But it's entirely possible that any of the other tires may have damage too. Damage that may not show up now, but you could be driving down the freeway at that 75MPH and another belt could separate.....

I would definitely file a claim for damages against the contractor and/or the county or state. You may not get a lot of money or get it right away, but it would certainly help with the cost of replacing tires.

 

Probably hard to collect on a claim for damage done at 75 MPH in a construction zone.

If the inner tierods are sloppy, they should be changed. Loose tierods exagerate the effects of bent or unbalanced wheels. You have tierods on the back too. Have you checked them? I'd check/repair those two areas before diving down some of the far fetched rabbit holes suggested above.

 

I just replaced the Firestone Firehawks on my '96 with Nittos...one of the rears had a busted belt, would start thumping around 65mph or so. I liked those tires, rode well and got good mileage out of them...until then.