Front End Vibration

[markjw]

1991 Loyale 4WD 5 speed Wagon. Bone stock.

 

I'm getting a vibration/noise out of my front end. I can only hear and feel it above 15mph. I can't even decipher if its more on the left or right.Neither can a couple other peaple who have been in the wagon with me. The vibration increases with the speed of the vehicle. It doesn't change at all when I push the clutch peddle to the floor. It also doesn't change when I shut off the engine and coast down the road.

 

It's definitely coming from forward of the stick shifter.

 

I have recently replaced the entire clutch pack.

 

I replaced the passenger side wheel bearings as there was a little play in the wheel. Driver's side is solid.No play. Everything torque'd to spec.

 

Also,I put new rotors and pads on both sides of the front.

 

Both front wheels spin freely and quitely when in the air and the brake backing plates are not rubbing on the rotors.

 

Here's the thing.I didn't hear or feel the noise until after the first 40 mile road trip I went on. About 30 miles into it is when the noise started. And,it started after I did all the front end work.

 

The car is new to me.It sat a couple yrs before I recently bought it and got it running.

 

Could this be a axle? There is no clicking around corners or any of the normal noises I associate with a bad axle. Just a consistent vibration and hum noise while driving. Almost sounds like a playing card in the spokes of a bicycle,but with much deeper sound.The axles look good.But they're condition is unknown to me.

Edited September 13, 2010 by markjw

[markjw]

Any ideas? Mostly I'm wondering if anybody knows if a bad front axle will make this kind of vibration.

[eulogious]

Well, this is exactly what my wife's Kia is doing, and we are going to replace the axle because it's the only thing a few of my friends could come up with after looking at the car really closely and driving it around. So I would say that yes, an axle could cause this vibration. Granted we haven't fixed the wife's car yet, but all signs point to the axle in my case...

 

Speaking of which...

[1982gl4]

I have seen CV joints cause vibration in a few Subarus (most of them newer) Another thing I would check would be the U-joints in the driveshaft even though that is not in the front of the car, I have seen them cause some nasty vibration.

[jboymechanic]

That was exactly the case with the '93 Legacy I just bought as a EJ22 donor. The owner thought the trans was going, but it was just the axles making all kinds of noises exactly as you describe.

[markjw]

Thanks for the replys...I'm tired of guessing what it may be. I'll replace the axles,drivers side first,see where that gets me.

[markjw]

Remember when I said I didn't replace the drivers side wheel bearings 'cause there was no play in the hub? That was bad thinking 'cause the bearings on that side were terrible. Doh.

 

Anyway,I replaced the axle and bearings and seals on that side. Rolls smooth now. Thanks for the help.

[eulogious]

Glad you got it working!