wobble/vibration - help!

[Matt_H]

On Saturday I decided to take the disco out.  Got up to about 30 mph and there was a mega wobble/shake/vibration.  The dash shook, the steering wheel wobbled etc.

Got home and swapped wheels and tyres front to back - I noticed that one of the weights was missing off one of the front ones (steel 16" wheels with bronco 235/85/16 grizzly claws on).

I got the wheel rebalanced, although the only place I could find to do it (kwik fit) had to use a special 5 pin adapter but they'd lost one of the nuts - so I'm guessing that put the whole thing off balance anyway.

The wobble/vibration got less with either the tyres swapped or the originals, now with one rebalanced, back on the front.  However it still wobbles more than I remember it doing.

Oddly enough if you accelerate 'hard' it wobbles/vibrates, if you leave it to overrun then it seems to go away.  The wobble/vibration starts at around 35mph and goes on until 60 ish, when I'm starting to run out of accelertion.  Just cruising along at 60 (or any other speed) seems to be fine.

I've tried 15 tyre places and not one of them is able to balance them cus they dont have an adapater big enough for the holes in the middle of my tyres (Basingstoke and Reading).

Before I start getting the serious tools out (read taking her to a land rover specialist), has anyone had this, or do you happen to live near basingstoke/reading/bracknell/berkshire and could lend me a set of tyres for about 30 minutes?

TIA

[hobbit]

Have you checked the wheel bearings/swivel bearings area to see if they are ok, going further in to the middle is the diff and prop ok?

[Matt_H]

the swivels etc were all rebuilt quite recently - one last year, one this year, so I'm not sure it could be that.  

The diff itself, maybe, although I dont dare take that apart on my own!

Just off to try someone elses wheels on.. If it's not that I'll book her into safari I think!

[Budgie]

As Hobbit says, it coud be:
Swivle pre-load needs tweeking
Wheel bearings need tighened
Steering damper shot
Duff propshaft U/J or balance weights come off the prop
Track rod end gone
Suspension bushes.

I replaced the CV joint on Disco and found that there is a bearing in the stub axle, that the drive shaft runs on, this had gone on mine and was causing a vibration but I'm not sure if the 200 series had these or a bronze bush.

To check the wheel bearing/swivle preload, jack one wheel off the ground and grab the wheel at the 12 & 6 o'clock positions and try to move the wheel in & out, if you feel movement then check the swivles. Now grab the wheel at the 3 & 9 o'clock positions and do the same again. If you get movement here than it could be the wheel bearing.  

[jjsaul]

Check your UJ's

I had very similar symptoms and discovered about 1/4 inch of play in a front UJ  :shock:

[Matt_H]

well it's defo not the tyres as duncans tyres on mine caused the same symptoms, when they are fine on his.

Will get safari to check all the above listed stuff - I'm a bit rubbish at spotting play in stuff as I never know how much it is meant to have!

Watch this space (if anyone is at all interested!)

Thanks guys
Matthew

[beast5680]

got a similar thing just started on mine but its a mega vibration/clunking noise from under the front i,ve got some investigating to do in the week me thinks

[TUFFTEE]

I had a similer tYpe of Wobble/Shake and it turned out to be the Steering Damper!

[ChrisW]

Get underneath, grab hold of the propshaft (one at a time!) and shake!
If there is any play there it's more than likely a UJ gone U/S  

[Jake]

mines shaking and wobbling at the mo
Just fitted a new steering damper too  :?
The steering wobbles a lot.
Bushes?
Track rod ends?
Drop arm bush?
Have i missed any thing?

[ChrisW]

Jake - is it wobbling more if you hit a bump in the road or generally all the time?
I put a new track rod and steering damper on mine a while ago and didn't have the damper tightened up enough (it was tight but just not enough) - everytime I hit a catseye or bump in the road the steering would go all over the place.

One other place to try could be the UJ on the steering linkage between the steering wheel and the pump.

[Jake]

Jake - is it wobbling more if you hit a bump in the road or generally all the time?
I put a new track rod and steering damper on mine a while ago and didn't have the damper tightened up enough (it was tight but just not enough) - everytime I hit a catseye or bump in the road the steering would go all over the place.

One other place to try could be the UJ on the steering linkage between the steering wheel and the pump.

All the time between 25mph and 45mph.
No different when it hits things

UJ on the steering linkage.....how do i check that/is it hard to change?

[TUFFTEE]

We know what Jakes problem is! :shock:  Don't we Jake! :oops:

[Jake]

I know about the drop arm ball joint being b*loxd
it cant be just that though, can it?
 :shock:

[ChrisW]

All the time between 25mph and 45mph.

I went through something like that back in March - drove fine up to 30mph, wobbled between 30 and 55 then fine again 55+

Turned out to be the UJ on the front prop at the diff end.

[TUFFTEE]

It's Trial and error as usual! you know it makes sense!  :?

[Jake]

I'll look into that
Thanks
 :D

[TUFFTEE]

Jake! if you need a hand! you only have to say so!! :D

[Jake]

will do Nev
I've never changed a ball joint before
i'll let you know when.

[TUFFTEE]

We will need to Beg/borrow or steal a Splitter! after that Neigh problems!!

[Range Rover Blues]

I've got a horrible vibration that comes through the front end but seems to be steering related.  I've checked the swivels, replaced the perfectly ggod dampers on the front, replaced a good steering damper etc etc.  I can get rid of it if I refit the original steering damper AS WELL as the Defender one that's ahead of the axle.  Funny thing is the more I spend at the moment the worse it handles :?

[Mace]

Andrew, I've got a similar wobble on mine. I've replaced, shocks, springs, steering damper, track rod ends, replaced the drag link for the defender set up and still it wobbles at 55mph or so. Last week I changed the radius arm bushes and the panhard rod bushes. The wobbles GONE at 55 mph :-) yippie, but it comes back at 65mph, now less severe :-(

Someone suggested tyres to me, someone else suggested it's the bushes on the steering damper...they have to be as tight as tight can be. Thats the next thing for me to try, fingers crossed.

[Range Rover Blues]

Well I've done the poly bushes, tried 2 sets of tyres so the next thing is to bin the Defender steering damper and go back to standard.  Good point about the damper bushes though, thanks.

[Matt_H]

found it!

thought I'd check out the steering damper as I'd had that off ercently after what people said - gave it a good shake, nothing, put my body weight on it and rocked from side to side - nothing.. grabbed prop as I leavered myself out - CLUNK!

Checked UJs and one of the arms bearing thingies of the X seems to have disintegrated.  Oddly there is no more transmission take up clunk than normal - hence why I'd not even though it could be those..

At least that is a cheap thing to replace :-)

Chuffed,
Matthew