Front End Vibration
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 35
Likes: 7
From: Boynton Beach FL
Front End Vibration
1986 Convertible, 19,000 miles. Purchased last year. Have owned a '65, two '86 collector edition, and two 2001. Had to update a few things on this one; however, I can't seem to get rid of a front end vibration. New tires, balanced twice and aligned. Slight vibration up to just over 70MPH. At 72MPH my teeth chatter. Seems to go away about 80. Now the common sense side of me says I shouldn't be driving over 70MPH anyway, so why care. The hell with the common sense side of me! On the interstate, although the posted speed limit may be 70, actual speed is closer to 75 and 80. Driving 70 creates a hazard. Any suggestions on what to try next? I really like the car
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 1,312
Likes: 383
From: Northern California
Are the shocks original? Was the balance performed using a Road Force machine? A tire can be in balance using a conventional machine but irregularities in the plies or carcass can cause an issue under load. If the shocks are weak or gone, there you go.... My two cents...
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 3,150
Likes: 1,366
From: Mid-Atlantic
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There are lots of threads about front end vibration on here. A lot of people have had the problem for one reason or another.
For me it was bent rims. I had them straightened and my issue was resolved.
For me it was bent rims. I had them straightened and my issue was resolved.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 35
Likes: 7
From: Boynton Beach FL
Thanks. Don't think it is the rims. The road force balance. Many years ago, about the only sure way to balance the wheel assembly was using Hunter road force equipment. Don't see much of that anymore.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2021
Posts: 1,312
Likes: 383
From: Northern California
It's a good step. I just had 4 new Continentals done on new A-mold wheels that I'm going to mount up.
https://danthetireman.com/blog/artic...-force-balance
For my set, after the dynamic balancing the road force identified 3 tires/wheels at 16-18 pounds of road force variance, which is within tolerance, but the fourth tire/wheel was at 30+ pounds. The tech dismounted the tire and rotated it on the wheel, re-balanced it dynamically, and the combo then came in at 18 pounds of variance. Basically, a better match of the imbalances in the wheel and the tire to help neutralize everything.
https://danthetireman.com/blog/artic...-force-balance
For my set, after the dynamic balancing the road force identified 3 tires/wheels at 16-18 pounds of road force variance, which is within tolerance, but the fourth tire/wheel was at 30+ pounds. The tech dismounted the tire and rotated it on the wheel, re-balanced it dynamically, and the combo then came in at 18 pounds of variance. Basically, a better match of the imbalances in the wheel and the tire to help neutralize everything.
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Racer
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 289
Likes: 48
From: Dover N.H.
For me it was mystery too. I put a GoPro camera up there, that 3M double stick tape is solid. I could clearly see the wobble when I played back the video at 20 percent speed. I already had new rotors on the to do list. I was about to finish swapping out the Z23 rotors when I realized they shipped Z26, so back in the box and back to Amazon. Reason for the story is that I took the rotor off, laid it down without much care. Put it back on and then the wobble went away. I figured it was something lodged in between the hub and rotor. Try doing that, wire brush the mating surfaces in there, hub, rotors, wheels.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 35
Likes: 7
From: Boynton Beach FL
Thanks for the tip. Pretty sure it was a balance problem that the road force balance cured. Unfortunately, these older models tend to develop problems because of age. Sort of like us!