Again, need some help with my problem(s) ;)

Topic: Again, need some help with my problem(s) ;) (Read 800 times) previous topic - next topic

Again, need some help with my problem(s) ;)

April 15, 2006, 08:13:18 PM

Ok folks, thank you all for the replies to my earlier posting, it did get me some progress so that's all good.

The short of it: annoying vibrations and a slapping noise (like someone thumping a door) that occasionally starts rearing it's ugly head. At first I thought tires & front end but due to the posts y'all made and some diagnosis by the tire guys, that got ruled out. Instead, it seems like drivetrain problems.

I noticed something funny today though, and I'd like your input on it;

I took a 200km drive today, along with my roommate and his girlfriend to go see some relatives of his (the yearly "lets be social" round) and here's where the fun starts.

They're both rather .. umm... "big" (so am I) so the car was uh.. loaded. Guess what? No vibrations. A little bit at 80kmh but other than that the ride was smooth as silk. The minute they traded places (she rode shotgun, he went in the back.. she's heavier

) it started doing it's rattle-vibe-vibe game again.

So it seems that if the back is loaded down a bunch, the whole vibration seems to just go out the door. I also took the car up to 180kmh on an empty piece of highway and still nothing, no vibrations, no crazy slapping sounds, just the sound of a roaring V8, some wheel noise, and my crazed giggling due to everthing suddenly "working".

Now the question is, seeing as how, when the back is loaded down, the vibrations go away (mostly), would that still be drivetrain related?

Again, need some help with my problem(s) ;)

Reply #1 – April 15, 2006, 09:30:36 PM

how old are the wheel bearings by chance?

Again, need some help with my problem(s) ;)

Reply #2 – April 15, 2006, 09:34:30 PM

Quote from: 87thunderbirdBlackJack

how old are the wheel bearings by chance?

Hm, good question... I had my fronts replaced 2 weeks ago because they were worn out, guess the rear ones could be gone too then? :)

Again, need some help with my problem(s) ;)

Reply #3 – April 15, 2006, 09:37:00 PM

maybelee?

Again, need some help with my problem(s) ;)

Reply #4 – April 15, 2006, 09:55:40 PM

what all have you replaced in the back?

Again, need some help with my problem(s) ;)

Reply #5 – April 15, 2006, 10:28:25 PM

In the back? Brake drums, shoes 'n cylinders. That's why I was maybe wrongly assuming my rear bearings were good, or I would've heard something from the guys in the shop.

Oh yeah and new tires in the back too. Perhaps the jackass that put those on didn't torque the wheels down to spec, but that I can check :D

Again, need some help with my problem(s) ;)

Reply #6 – April 15, 2006, 10:57:15 PM

that could be too...... im due for back brakes because in gravel my car just tends to slide lol

all you gotta do is pull the clips out and they (should) come right out, but i dont know much about the rearends under these cars so yeah

Again, need some help with my problem(s) ;)

Reply #7 – April 16, 2006, 12:39:21 AM

Actually check your transmission mount. It sounds like its bad. I've seen a few varients of the same ford design and they all suck....

Also pull your driveshaft and have it balanced, it will cost like 50 bucks or less to balance.

Again, need some help with my problem(s) ;)

Reply #8 – April 16, 2006, 09:03:38 AM

u joints maybe?

Again, need some help with my problem(s) ;)

Reply #9 – April 16, 2006, 10:00:50 AM

Quote from: shame302

u joints maybe?

Thats what i was thinking.

Jack your car up, get the rear tires up in the are, grab your driveshaft and yank on it and try to move it around. Watch your U-joints as you do that. Usually if they clunk like that, theyll move whil you yank on them.

While your under there, grab your transmission at the tailshaft, and do the same thing, there should be a little little bit of movement, but not too much.