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Vibration while driving

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Old Sep 26, 2018 | 12:16 PM
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Default Vibration while driving

Hello everyone. I have been experiencing a vibration in the rear of the car while driving. Its not a scraping or grinding sound but a low frequency vibration that increases and decreases when it speed up or slow down. The best way i can describe it is a 'warble' sound when the wheels are moving. I dont think its a wheel bearing issue because its not a grinding sound. I have no been able to get the rear end on jack stands yet but is there anything i should look for in particular? the car is an 02 with 112k miles.

Last edited by JetTech22; Sep 26, 2018 at 12:42 PM.
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Old Sep 26, 2018 | 12:37 PM
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And how old are the rear tires ?
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Old Sep 26, 2018 | 12:42 PM
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Originally Posted by ZigZag
And how old are the rear tires ?
The tires are 2 years old but only have 1k miles on them. The sound is best described as a warble that is proportional to speed
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Old Sep 26, 2018 | 01:00 PM
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Wheel bearings do NOT always outright fail. They don't have to be SCREAMING GRINDING METAL to be bad.

IMHO, I recommend jacking the rear wheels off the ground and doing the PUSH/PULL test on both wheel at the 3-9 O clock & 12-6 O clock position to :

1. See if there is any bearing slop (should be little to none)
2. Rotate both wheels and see if you feel any roughness.

While it up in the air, give all four CV Boots a good look t see if there leaking or damaged. Grab the CV shaft and see if it has any slop between the inner and outer joints.

If the Differential Belleview Springs are bad, it will cause slop in the output shaft and can cause the bearing in the case to wear. Look for a lot of slop where the inner CV Joint enters the Diff when you rip on the CV shaft

Let us know what you find GOOD or BAD..

Bill
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Old Sep 26, 2018 | 01:15 PM
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Wheel/hub bearing gets my vote.
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Old Sep 26, 2018 | 01:17 PM
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Originally Posted by Bill Curlee
Wheel bearings do NOT always outright fail. They don't have to be SCREAMING GRINDING METAL to be bad.

IMHO, I recommend jacking the rear wheels off the ground and doing the PUSH/PULL test on both wheel at the 3-9 O clock & 12-6 O clock position to :

1. See if there is any bearing slop (should be little to none)
2. Rotate both wheels and see if you feel any roughness.

While it up in the air, give all four CV Boots a good look t see if there leaking or damaged. Grab the CV shaft and see if it has any slop between the inner and outer joints.

If the Differential Belleview Springs are bad, it will cause slop in the output shaft and can cause the bearing in the case to wear. Look for a lot of slop where the inner CV Joint enters the Diff when you rip on the CV shaft

Let us know what you find GOOD or BAD..

Bill
Thank you for the advise! I will def let everyone know. Could it possibly me needing the drain and flush the differential fluid also?
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Old Sep 26, 2018 | 01:27 PM
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If you do NOT have accurate service info on the differential and or Transmission, Its a good idea to start fresh and refill with a known quality Diff lubricant and Trans ATF. The MN6/MN12 trans also uses ATF as a lubricant.

IMHO, The Diff fluid will not produce any vibration issues UNLESS it so bad and or so low that it has already caused internal damage.

Bill
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Old Sep 26, 2018 | 01:40 PM
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Moved to C5 Tech.
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Old Sep 26, 2018 | 07:21 PM
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Any chance you've thrown a wheel balance weight? This could affect vibration without the grinding sound.
A broken belt in the tire could give the "wobble" effect you mention and a slipped belt could give vibration. Not too frequent with modern tires, but it is still known to happen.
Hopefully it's an easy and inexpensive fix.
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Old Sep 26, 2018 | 07:23 PM
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Does the car sit unused for long periods of time? Just wondering if you've got flat-spotting on the tires.
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Old Sep 26, 2018 | 07:49 PM
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Originally Posted by corvette.cw
Does the car sit unused for long periods of time? Just wondering if you've got flat-spotting on the tires.
to be honest it does sit long time periods of time. Ive managed 1k miles in 2 years and my left rear tire does have a flat spot
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Old Sep 26, 2018 | 08:05 PM
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That could be the source of the vibration. If so, the solution is to drive the car more. There are also some low-cost and no-cost solutions for minimizing flat-spotting that I've seen in various threads here on the forum.
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Old Sep 27, 2018 | 11:19 AM
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If you have access to a Factory Service manual - there is an incredible section in there about diagnosing vibrations - I was floored when I stumbled on this - its pretty much applicable to any car...
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