L series vibration at speed

Morcs · Post by **Morcs** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 12:56 am

I would also have a look over wheel bearings, movement in ball joints rack ends tie rod ends etc.
Even check the brakes.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 9:24 pm

Ball joints and tie rod ends will be done this weekend. All bearings were replaced last xmas and haven't seen any water crossings in that time. All wheels spun freely when I swapped the rims over tonight.

I'm going to have a closer look at the bearings - check tensions etc on sunday. Hopefully this will find some results. The front drive shafts will also be replaced.

Cheers

Bennie

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sat Apr 23, 2011 10:21 am

Bennie, if you still not done ball joints, have you calipers to get measures of the ball joint where it fits into the socket of the stub axle?

I find 35.00mm must be the diameter of the joint that fits last into stub, with the top part just 34.50mm to ease fitment I'd say - on one ball joint a mate had sitting around.He fitted its brother Oh So Easy into a Brumby the other day. Mine however I got off ebay are 35.00 on the lower as fitted section and 35.2mm at to end suposed to go in first. Even with flat blade screwdriver shoved in the expansion slot the joint did not go until I file it to OEM spec!!

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Sat Apr 23, 2011 4:44 pm

I'll have a go at it Jonno. I don't have a set of callipers to measure the diametres but I'll have a go with a ruler...

The vibration is still there at speed, even with the big tyres on which means everything is rotating at a slower pace for the same vehicular speed. Hopefully it is just a ball joint or tie rod end. The old ones copped a flogging today in the bush. Fully stoked with Ruby Scoo's current setup - its only going to get better with some time

Cheers

Bennie

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 6:50 pm

Driveshafts!

The tie rod ends and ball joints were still tight so it couldn't have been them. The drive shafts had quite a bit of play on the diff output shaft and were rather loose in general. The replacement shafts aren't much better but the vibration has only come back once - when flogging up a hill at 110km/h on the freeway. Back off, then on again and its gone.

So not a gearbox issue

I'm thinking of new shafts and installing them between work at hotham - should be fun, at least while the snow stays away...

Cheers

Bennie

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 7:41 pm

Bennie.. I recall an issue we had with the MY and L Series models and vibrations and it turned out to be these aftermarket front driveshafts that use that tripod bearing setup in the inner CV joint. I remember that these cars got a weird vibration when both inners were fitted with this kind of joint. I wasn't thinking of it earlier because you said that it felt like the rear was causing it but I'd suggest you try some standard type shafts in there (if your car has this other type)??

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 9:20 pm

DITTO!! I had RxPxO joints in mine while under warranty period (c'mon 5 year 100,0000km wty), had to swap in a spare for diagnostics TWICE for this serious feeling thing in my Brumby. Front inner DOJs I think were the cause, urs more a small oscillation than big lumpy vibes? Can't recall if they came in worse on backing off the torque, think it was. Was intermittent in a weird way

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:31 pm

Thanks Paul - I think all of the shafts I have are the ball and cage design.

steptoe wrote: Front inner DOJs I think were the cause, urs more a small oscillation than big lumpy vibes? Can't recall if they came in worse on backing off the torque, think it was. Was intermittent in a weird way

Yeah it was small oscillations but enough to make everything shake in the end - including the roo bar out front, it wouldn't have looked good from another car on the freeway!

The vibrations hit their peak on sunday morning while driving back home from bendigo with the 27's on. I had been enjoying driving around without the niggling vibration being there the day before. I worked out that it took a slight corner or some change in angle of driving that would allow one side of the drive train to line up with the other to set off the vibration. On sunday it was so bad I couldn't keep it moving at speed, I would have to slow down as the subi seemed to be trying to shake itself to pieces

So now I've got some interesting footage while trying to work it out. When I got the shafts change and went for a drive it would only start to vibrate a bit at about 140 or so

A good feeling! Then we hit the freeway and it did it again, but as I said, so far the back off the throttle and on again does the trick to clear it up.

I'm now looking for a good set of drive shafts to see me through the winter as I'm not sure the set I'm running now will hold up - they click pretty much all the time below about 60 or 70km/h. I'm also wanting to replace my rear ones too as they're very sloppy!

Time will tell as to where this goes.

Cheers

Bennie

Post by **TOONGA** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 10:11 am

El_Freddo wrote: they click pretty much all the time below about 60 or 70km/h.

Bennie time to change them, I've had a similar problem on my old wagon and when I got two complete new shafts for the front the vibration disappeared.

TOONGA

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 7:15 pm

El_Freddo wrote:Thanks Paul - I think all of the shafts I have are the ball and cage design.

Have you seen inside them? as some of the Tripod type look exactly like the normal cage (6 ball) type from the outside. We've spent numerous amount of hours trying to find this vibration before we worked out that it only happened after these (shitty IMO) CV joints were fitted.

El_Freddo wrote:Yeah it was small oscillations but enough to make everything shake in the end - including the roo bar out front, it wouldn't have looked good from another car on the freeway!

The vibrations hit their peak on sunday morning while driving back home from bendigo with the 27's on. I had been enjoying driving around without the niggling vibration being there the day before. I worked out that it took a slight corner or some change in angle of driving that would allow one side of the drive train to line up with the other to set off the vibration. On sunday it was so bad I couldn't keep it moving at speed, I would have to slow down as the subi seemed to be trying to shake itself to pieces

So now I've got some interesting footage while trying to work it out. When I got the shafts change and went for a drive it would only start to vibrate a bit at about 140 or so A good feeling! Then we hit the freeway and it did it again, but as I said, so far the back off the throttle and on again does the trick to clear it up.

I'm now looking for a good set of drive shafts to see me through the winter as I'm not sure the set I'm running now will hold up - they click pretty much all the time below about 60 or 70km/h. I'm also wanting to replace my rear ones too as they're very sloppy!

Time will tell as to where this goes.

Cheers

Bennie

Yeah Bennie.. I'm going to agree with Jules on this one and say that best off bitting the bullet and buy new ones or get fully recond ones. Otherwise you could be chasing your tail using secondhand stuff.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 10:57 pm

at least he has replaced half the car in trying to find the cause, guaranteeing he won't be able to justify a trade up just yet

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 12:47 am

Well the clicky shafts got me up to hotham with a fully loaded subi including 3 adults, some roof gear and a trailer loaded as well. They seemed to click less once they were warmed up

And a truck on the hume fwy gave me a good wind break as well as something to follow in the dark...

steptoe wrote:at least he has replaced half the car in trying to find the cause, guaranteeing he won't be able to justify a trade up just yet

Not looking to trade up, I'm very much in love with the L's shape - I still find it appealing and even more so when the scorpions go on! I've also got another one waiting for Ruby Scoo's body to fatigue. I'm hoping that one might make it through engineering but I'm not holding my breath. Ruby Scoo will be the template for what happens/is swapped into this other on later on down the track.

I'm now weighing up options on drive shafts considering I'm hoping to be using 25 spline output shafts later this year with the AWD gearbox is dropped in

Cheers

Bennie