Inliners International Forums General Discussion Drive Train vibration

hey gang, been a while since my last post. once again, need some help to look for a pesty vibrating issue. it starts to vibrate when i get to about 45-65 mph. its getting worse, and i really dont like it. other than a driveshaft, or motor mounts,what can cause this to happen? this is a 68 nova 230. thanks for any help available.

check the ujoints and tires

Is it a standard transmission? Could be a worn input shaft / clutch pilot bushing causing misalignment if the transmission has been removed and reinstalled recently. I spent a couple months chasing a vibration caused by this.

Have someone drive the car & you sit in the back.

Good luck.

Also, I recall reading in these forums of loosened flywheel and/or pressure plate bolts
causing this type of vibration.

Drew;

That's a possibility & why you need to see if It's in the rear first.

Happy trails.

Before you get too involved check the transmission mount. The rubber cushion deteriorates with age and oil contamination and will create a vibration in the speed range you have yours. Just remove the 1 or 2 bolts that hold it to the crossmember pad and raise the tailshaft up with a floor jack. If the mount falls apart in 2 pieces or can be easily twisted and moved by hand while still attached to the tranny it is gone. No more than a $20 item and 15 minutes to replace it.

ok, u joints and tires are new. also new transmission mount. i did turn the driveshaft 180* out. still the same vibration. its driving me crazy. cuzz the whole front end has been done. minus the motor mounts and coils. the rear end has never been done, except for the rear shocks. any ohter ideas? thanks for the help so far, ty.

Have the driveshaft checked for balance.
Check for straightness/runout also.
Any local shops that can spin it up for you?

Did a weight fall off or come loose? The driveshaft that is.

MBHD

How's your timing?

no weights came off, all still there. but i dont think it has ever been balanced. and the timing is set at 10* btdc. im gonna go and try to turn the driveshaft around and recheck timing and see what it does.. thanks again for the help. let you know what happens.

What RPM is the engine at 45-65 MPH ?
Does it change with RPM ?
Does it stop with the engine off ?
Does it happen in all gears ?

Harry

what rpm, i dont know, dont have a tach. it happens in second gear. i only have a 2 speed torque drive transmission. but i did remove the driveshaft and added grease to the joints, and turned it back around. also my timing was off by a bit. i did get it to 6* and tweeked the carb. also, i did check all the the nuts and bolts on the front end, i mean everything. and last i did switch the front tires. now i will see what she does when i take it to work. it is my daily driver, i just need her running safely. o yeah, i also checked the rear end tires and all, it seems good and tight, except the bushings. starting to crack. but the vibration is in the front, so i will look into that later. im just hope its a tire, and thats it. thanks again. let you know whats the deal.

well well, drove to work and the vibration switched sides. but i call feel it more thru the steering wheel. also when i brake, it shakes it. hmmmmmmmmmmm? has to be a tire or rim right? thanks.

Warped brake drums/rotors? Out of balance?
Bad rims/tires etc.

MBHD

here it is! turns out i had a broken tire belt, and 2 out of balanced tires. funny how u think is one thing,and is another. atleast it gave me a chance to inspect the whole car. still got some work to do to her. and i would like to thank all of you guys for the help... thank
you...

Good to hear you didn't have to tear into anything expensive only to find nothing wrong.

Broken radial belts are more common than is realised. A sidewall bounce off a curb or a crash through a deep pot hole is sometimes all it takes. It can even start simply from underinflation which builds heat in the tire from excessive flexing.

Often they start out as a very slight "waddle" when creeping along in heavy traffic under 10 or 15 mph. As they get worse it develops into a thump and vibration similar to an unbalanced tire.

Mike G is right about how commonm this oocurs. My local Goodyear distributor sees them every week. In my case a bubble appeared on the sidewall.