Repair Topics / Shakes-1 / Shakes-2

Question: 1999 Ford Escort mileage: 136,000. My car was running pretty good until my girlfriend's dad replaced the sparkplugs and wires. It drove fine for 30 minutes then the engine started to shake and vibrate then it died. I tried starting it later. In still shakes and vibrates. It will not idle. You have to constantly push the gas pedal to keep it running and it vibrates like crazy.

Answer:   Double check the sparkplug wires to make sure they are on securely. Also check the sparkplugs for a cracked or broken one and check to see that no vacuum lines were knocked off during the tune-up.
 

Answer:   Check the drive shaft from the transfer case to the front differential.

Question:   2002 Ford Windstar mileage: 104,000. Our van started shaking and pulling to the right. We had the tires balanced, new tires put on the front, all tires rotated, and we finally took it to get a check-up. We were told that the axle under the passenger side was bent and needed to be replaced at $280.00. One question is: How would an axle bend if the van has never been in an accident or run off the road? Second Question: Is this a reasonable cost for replacement? Third Question: Can it be left alone in this condition without any major damage?

Answer:   You should take your car to a different repair facility for a second opinion. Have them try rotating the tires front to back. Sometimes the tires can make a slight pull even if the car is in alignment.

Question: 1999 Chevrolet Lumina mileage: 74,000. The other day I took my car riding in the country on some dirt roads and now when ever I get it above 45 MPH my wheel starts to shake. Could you help tell me what it might be?

Answer:   Check for a tires that might have separated in the tread. Also check tires balance.

Question: 1999 Plymouth Grand Voyager mileage: 64,000.  Guys, I need some help.  I have a noticeable shake in the front end that occurs at about 60 MPH - but only if accelerating.   The faster the acceleration, the more noticeable the shake!  Speeds above and below 60 MPH, no problems.  I have replaced the front tires, struts and mounts, had new tires examined and rebalanced, and a front-end alignment.  What should I try next?  HELP!  Thanks Vic

Answer: From what you have described, it appears the CV joints are starting to fail. You will need to replace both axle shafts.

Question: 1995 BMW 525I 2.5L mileage: 97,000.  I recently purchased what appeared to be an exceptionally well maintained 525I, which at the time of purchase had identified what appeared to be a wheel balancing problem.  As it turns out this did not rectify either a mild shudder, which is evident throughout the vehicle, or a speed dependant vibration, which is both, transmitted through the steering and the seat of your pants.  Subsequently, the entire suspension system and drive train has been checked on several occasions, and the BMW mechanics have replaced the drive shaft, which had no impact, followed by the left rear axle, which appears to have removed the general vibration, which was evident at all, speeds.  What remains is a persistent vibration which comes in at 55 mph, becomes more violent as you approach 60 mph, and then tapers off, but remains at a lesser degree of severity.   The BMW mechanics appear to have no solution, and are unwilling to replace either the tires or the wheels.  For my money, the problem is either one or two slightly buckled rims (two rims are well scuffed), or out of round tires, or a combination of both.  I have no way of confirming this by way of a conventional balancing machine, most of which do not exceed 30 mph.  Basically, my question is, where do I go from here?  Any assistance would be most appreciated.

Answer:    Try having the wheels rebalanced, check the front end alignment, and double check the lower ball joints.

Question: 2002 Ford Explorer mileage: 69,124.  I am having a problem with a shimmy/shake in the front end at speeds from 40 mph & up.  I have recently replaced the steering rack, lower ball joints on both sides.  The inner Tie rods are new and the Outer have no play in them.  There is no movement in each tire, so the bearings are tight.   The tires have 30% wear, and have been balanced.  The alignment is fine.  The symptom feels like a side to side shake in the steering wheel, but calms down when turning the steering wheel further than 20 degrees in a turn. There are currently no TSB's or recalls for this symptom.  Any Ideas you might have would be greatly appreciated by me and Ford Motor Company.

Answer:  The shaking you describe is unusually due to tire cord separation. Rotate tires front to back.  If this fixes your problem, have your front tires replaced.

Question: 1999 Pontiac Grand Am Quad 4 mileage: 99,000.  My car steering wheel is shaking at 55-60 mph and sometimes when I put on the brakes at 50 mph. Could my car need the wheels aligned?  Never have had done yet.  Just got 4 new tires on car and was inspected but shaking has been going on 2-3 months prior to changing the tires.  Thank you.

Answer:  Check the front end alignment and check the lower ball joints and the rod ends for wear.  Also, recheck the tire balance.

Question: 1999 Ford Crown Vic mileage: 80,000.  I have recently bought this car with 80,000 miles.  The problem is that while climbing uphill between the speeds of 40-50 mph I feel vibrations just like you feel when you pass over a road with groves in it before a traffic light.  Duration of vibrations is 5-7 sec and it keeps repeating every 10 sec till the speed goes above 50 mph. Is this a transmission problem like slipping gears?

Answer:   It sound like you need a major tune up including spark plugs, spark plug wires, fuel filter and air filter. Replace as needed to repair problem.

Question: 2002 Toyota Camry mileage: 38,000.  When I hit 65 mph while driving my steering wheel shakes and shakes, as soon as I go slower, the shaking stops.

Answer:  Check the front end alignment and check the lower ball joints and the rod ends for wear.  Also, recheck the tire balance.

Question: 1999 Dodge Caravan mileage: 120,000. When accelerating between speeds of 38 to 41 mph I notice a shake and rattle in the front end as if a loose metal part is hitting the frame. I have tried to shake all moveable parts in the front end nothing seems loose. The rattle only occurs when the van is passing thru this speed range. I have noted the rpm during this and the rattle is independent of the rpm. This has been going on for some time and is only noticeable when the car is eased thru this regime. A quick acceleration and the rattle does not occur when passing thru this speed range. I have had the wheels balanced and the front end checked nothing seems to work!

Answer: The C.V. joints on the front drive axles may be worn out. Replacing the C.V. joints or drive axles should cure the problem.

Question: 1999 Chevrolet 3500 mileage: 23,000. My truck shakes violently when going over railroad tracks, but not all of them. It also does this when going over dips that aren't particularly deep and this seems to happen only when it is uneven on one side of the road. Usually this happens with the left side of the truck. The speed at which this occurs is 30 mph. I know you mentioned tire rods, CV joints etc. Could that be the culprit? What’s the average cost for some of these repairs (I know it depends on what part of the country you live in, just a ball park figure) and how long does it take (hours) for some of these repairs?

Answer: Tie rod ends can cause your problem. Your truck is not equipped with CV Joints. Other possibilities are ball joint or/and worn steering box. If you have oversized tires on your truck, they will magnify the problem. A wheel alignment service center should be able to check out your truck. The cost of the necessary repair varies with the amount of work done. If in doubt, get 2 or 3 estimates.

Question: 1999 Nissan Maxima SE 3.0, mileage: 67,000. I have a tire/wheel balance problem w/ stock 215/55 16 wheels. Several facilities have tried to balance them successfully however they still are not perfect. Nothing bent or out of round. Tried a replacement wheel tire package, stock size, and $1800 later new wheels and tires sitting in garage. The shimmy occurs at 65 mph+. In addition, my brakes continue to warp. Replace front pads twice (all Nissan stock) and recently replaced rear. I do all highway miles and generally do high-speed stops (I’m a cop). Thought about replacing w/ performance friction carbon metallic. Any suggestions? (I like the brake feel and performance on 98 police Crown Victoria I drive, what kind of brakes). If replace with performance friction carbon metallic brake pads, do I need new rotors or can new pads be installed with resurface rotors. The shimmy is annoying and the brakes are just expensive. Suggestions please.

Answer: The problems with wheel shimmy and the brakes maybe related. In doing several high-speed stops, all the energy is transferred to the brakes causing them to heat up. Excess heat will warp the rotors causing the shimmy you are experiencing. New brake rotors would help because they are full size with more mass to dissipate the heat. The metallic brake pads you mentioned may help but they will wear out the brake rotors quicker. The brake systems on police cars are usually equipped with larger brake rotors and pads. They also try to get more air circulation to the brakes with vented style rims.

Question: 1996 Eagle Vision TSi, miles: 57,200 . It started shaking while being driven, with the worst shaking at about 35 mph. I had the tires rotated and balanced, hoping that would solve the problem. It did not. The steering wheel shakes back and forth (not a great deal, nor violently) as well, and the car shakes, almost a pulsating feel. I asked the shop to rebalance the tires, and they did, which didn't help. I took it to another place, where they checked for various things, one of which was a bent rim(s), what they checked turned out fine. They also rebalanced the tires. I decided to take it back to the store where I bought the tires. They rebalanced the tires as well; I'm not sure what else they checked for. I took it back to them again, and they could not figure it out either (but they did rebalance again!). My car has the best-balanced tires in Alaska. However, I'm wondering if maybe I just have bad tires? I don't know what else it could be. Any suggestions?

Answer: After reading your question, it is safe to assume your tire balance is not the problem. Here are some possible causes: 1. Worn tie rod ends, 2. Steering rack rubber mounts, 3. Front axle "C-V" joints for wear, 4. Have suspension checked for wear. A wheel alignment service center should be able to do the checks for you.

Repair Topics / Shakes-1 / Shakes-2

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