Strange Vibration...need help

So a few weeks ago a strange vibration has crept up.

Right around 40 mph, I am hearing a loud whirring sound (almost like engine braking) accompanied with a strong vibration that I can feel in the floor and the pedals. Increasing speed actually does not increase this vibration. At about 60 mph the vibration kind of trails off and I can't feel anything through the pedals or floor anymore, but I can kinda hear the whirring faintly.

At 40 its a straight up roar. 60...not so much.

Additionally, when I turn to the right, the vibration is greatly reduced/eliminated

When I turn to the left, it stays the same.

I recently had work performed at MachV, and the opinion there is it could be three things...tires, rotors, or axles...

My initial thought was tires too since it kinda just showed up, and I had a lot of loose/old suspension stuff under my car. The suspension bits were fixed and the noise/vibration is consistent across different road surfaces. Like when I go from asphalt to concrete and back again, over a short bridge, rough patches of roads, the vibration is still there. I would expect a gap in the noise/feeling when changing road surfaces if it is the tires.

Rotors: I think they are fine, no noticeable different in braking/braking noises/braking feel.

So then its Axles? What about some joints? The axle boots were recently rebuilt so everything is lubed up and protected.

If it is axles...why would it quiet down as speed increases? What else should I be looking at/considering?

Front hub/bearing assembly. Use OEM replacement parts.

This has been talked about a lot. You can get OEM parts from FredBeans for about $130.00

You might as well replace both fronts. I did one last Jan and one a few weeks back.

My vibrations are all gone.

32mm or 1 1/4" small as a Honda Civic. A 4 ft pipe for the breaker bar works well too.

I got my slide hammer from

http://www.tooltopia.com/search.aspx?find=slide+hammer

Really? Front wheel bearing?

This guide:

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/front-wheel-bearing-diy-walkthrough-86994.html?t=86994&highlight=wheel+bearing

Should come in handy.

Is there some other way I can determine if that is the problem other than the stethoscope method listed in the linked post?

I would like to do that before buying more parts.

Jack the wheel up and wiggle the wheel with your hand in/out forward backward towards you away from you. Some bad bearings can have play in them when bad

Yeah that's what I thought...but in the DIY thread I linked to:

"Hub bearings (Wheel bearing with an axle going through it) normally don't contain "play" when they're faulty.. "

And these are hub bearings. I think I am just going to order and replace them. @ 125k they are going to go sooner or later.

Good plan.

I could only feel my right front being bad after I had the axle nut off.

I could feel the steering wheel shake on certain roads at different times. Not always at the same speed on smoother roads.

IMO you have at least one that is going.

Once I had to old one out it was obvious that was the issue.

My left rear made a sound that I could hear in the tranny, sounded like the tranny had a loud bearing. On the off ramps or flyovers changing highways the sound would move around and after a while it was obvious it was the left rear hub.

Just hope that it isn't the transmission:

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/5mt-transmission-failure-s-128098.html

Just hope that it isn't the transmission:

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/5mt-transmission-failure-s-128098.html

Don't say things like this. Out of sight out of mind.

I am definitely leaning toward the bearings...especially since the sound changes when I turn, and given the other symptoms that others have noted here.

I went ahead and bought all 4 with the thought that at 125k, they are either shot, or getting there soon.

My wheels were balanced poorly, and it was stated that poorly balanced tires will destroy the bearings.

Got it done. Problem solved. Took effing forever. Definitely not an easy space to work with when on the ground with jackstands/hand tools. Did kartboy rear links while I was working on the rear end. Having a buddy definitely helped.

Thanks to SBT and derffred for the write ups!

I put mine in the blue recycle bin and the truck took it. Don't see way the garbage truck wouldn't take it if it was in the green bin.

Be sure and let us know if the problem is fixed.

Did any of the hubs feel bad ?

I put mine in the blue recycle bin and the truck took it. Don't see way the garbage truck wouldn't take it if it was in the green bin.

 

Be sure and let us know if the problem is fixed.

 

 

Did any of the hubs feel bad ?

Thanks! I'll give that a shot. Worst case they don't take it.

The problem was definitely fixed. Which wheel bearing was it? One of the ones in the front. As you can see from the pictures, everything was rusted like crazy, so I wouldn't be able to tell you visually which hub was bad....the passenger front side I could hear some very light scraping when I turned it. I think that was probably the bad one. The new ones are dead silent when you turn it in your hand. The car in general is a bit quieter now.

I have to say that this was pretty difficult. I don't know if it was just working on the ground, or the marathon session I had replacing all 4. Bolts were just difficult to access, difficult to break, one of my caliper bolts was half stripped (luckily the useful part was in good shape), and the parts are pretty diffcult to line up...getting the hub on the axle and lined up with the parking brake assembly and lined up with the bolts that are free floating. I definitely needed a friend to hold things in place while I got under and bolted things down from the other side.

The fronts are vastly easier than the rears.

I gotta say that the car feels brand new. (minus all the interior rattles)

Getting the all the whiteline bits installed (alk, front lca bushings, bump steer, kartboy links, fixing the hubs...) puts more confidence in driving and the steering feel is considerably tighter.

I did notice that i have the ever slow leak out of the rear diff drain plug. its just moist under there..just the tiniest drop. i'll have to pick up a new drain plug at some point and refill

I have noticed a slight vibration that starts around 65 that I feel in the floor, pedals and steering wheel which seems to smooth out above about 90 MPH. The car also wanders around a bit on the highway (it feels a lot like driving on a windy day). I also may hear a slight whirring sound around 35 or 40, but it is extremely faint and might just be a normal noise from the transmission or something. Above that speed it is just drowned out by road/wind noise. Turning either direction doesn't seem to make any difference.

Do those symptoms sound like the same problem you were having, or does it sound like something else?

I have noticed a slight vibration that starts around 65 that I feel in the floor, pedals and steering wheel which seems to smooth out above about 90 MPH. The car also wanders around a bit on the highway (it feels a lot like driving on a windy day). I also may hear a slight whirring sound around 35 or 40, but it is extremely faint and might just be a normal noise from the transmission or something. Above that speed it is just drowned out by road/wind noise. Turning either direction doesn't seem to make any difference.

 

Do those symptoms sound like the same problem you were having, or does it sound like something else?

I'm glad to hear things smooth out above 90mph

Thanks! I'll give that a shot. Worst case they don't take it.

 

The problem was definitely fixed. Which wheel bearing was it? One of the ones in the front. As you can see from the pictures, everything was rusted like crazy, so I wouldn't be able to tell you visually which hub was bad....the passenger front side I could hear some very light scraping when I turned it. I think that was probably the bad one. The new ones are dead silent when you turn it in your hand. The car in general is a bit quieter now.

 

I have to say that this was pretty difficult. I don't know if it was just working on the ground, or the marathon session I had replacing all 4. Bolts were just difficult to access, difficult to break, one of my caliper bolts was half stripped (luckily the useful part was in good shape), and the parts are pretty diffcult to line up...getting the hub on the axle and lined up with the parking brake assembly and lined up with the bolts that are free floating. I definitely needed a friend to hold things in place while I got under and bolted things down from the other side.

 

The fronts are vastly easier than the rears.

You must be new at the brakes lol, the job was farily quick for me, but I have had the brakes off a number of times and use anti-seize on all the nuts and bolts. Doing this job should you the confidance to do most any other job on the car.

For your rear diff drain plug, just give it a little snug. It and the fill plug are like pipe threads, just snug them up. Don't over tighten them. If you remove the plug, put Extra-S back in, or Motul300 75w-90, My wagin has Extra-S in the diff the Spec has Amsoil sever gear 75w-90.

I have noticed a slight vibration that starts around 65 that I feel in the floor, pedals and steering wheel which seems to smooth out above about 90 MPH. The car also wanders around a bit on the highway (it feels a lot like driving on a windy day). I also may hear a slight whirring sound around 35 or 40, but it is extremely faint and might just be a normal noise from the transmission or something. Above that speed it is just drowned out by road/wind noise. Turning either direction doesn't seem to make any difference.

 

Do those symptoms sound like the same problem you were having, or does it sound like something else?

You have a bad front wheel bearing. By a OEM one, about $130 from Fred Beans of the other vendor at the vendor page here up top.

Don't go aftermarket for the fronts. Moog's are ok for the rears but the fronts, save yourself the head ache and get oem's. Trust me, been there, done that. The 3rd time I replaced the right front it took me 35minutes start to finish, getting the tools out, car jacked and tools put away and change of clothes twice. Then test drove it.

I'm glad to hear things smooth out above 90mph

Yea, if we had unrestricted highways here it wouldn't be much of a problem

You have a bad front wheel bearing. By a OEM one, about $130 from Fred Beans of the other vendor at the vendor page here up top.

 

Don't go aftermarket for the fronts. Moog's are ok for the rears but the fronts, save yourself the head ache and get oem's. Trust me, been there, done that. The 3rd time I replaced the right front it took me 35minutes start to finish, getting the tools out, car jacked and tools put away and change of clothes twice. Then test drove it.

If it is a wheel bearing would it be getting worse over time? Its been about the same for quite a while (I think around 1500-2000 miles)

Is there an easy way to find out which side is bad without using a lift and a stethoscope? Or is it a good idea to do both sides anyways?

You must be new at the brakes lol, the job was farily quick for me, but I have had the brakes off a number of times and use anti-seize on all the nuts and bolts. Doing this job should you the confidance to do most any other job on the car.

 

For your rear diff drain plug, just give it a little snug. It and the fill plug are like pipe threads, just snug them up. Don't over tighten them. If you remove the plug, put Extra-S back in, or Motul300 75w-90, My wagin has Extra-S in the diff the Spec has Amsoil sever gear 75w-90.

Yeah, only the second time I have taken the brake calipers off so there was some cursing going on trying to get the bolts out. Most of the caliper bolts were easy to access at least, with the exception of the top bolt on the front caliper bracket....the lower strut nut was just in the freaking way and made things awkward.

My rear drain plug is pretty damn snug. I tried to tighten it some more to no avail. There are only 2 or 3 threads showing outside so it is pretty well in there.

Yea, if we had unrestricted highways here it wouldn't be much of a problem

 

 

 

If it is a wheel bearing would it be getting worse over time? Its been about the same for quite a while (I think around 1500-2000 miles)

 

Is there an easy way to find out which side is bad without using a lift and a stethoscope? Or is it a good idea to do both sides anyways?

I have done mine one at a time. the left rear made noise for about 8000 miles before I finally figured it out. So you have time.

Just saying these things are well known for this problem, my fronts would feel like a tire out of balance, only on certain roads at the same speed. Learned that from my left front. When the same feeling happened a year or more later, I knew it was the other front hub.

Yeah, only the second time I have taken the brake calipers off so there was some cursing going on trying to get the bolts out. Most of the caliper bolts were easy to access at least, with the exception of the top bolt on the front caliper bracket....the lower strut nut was just in the freaking way and made things awkward.

 

My rear drain plug is pretty damn snug. I tried to tighten it some more to no avail. There are only 2 or 3 threads showing outside so it is pretty well in there.

Sounds like you know how to do things. The used rear diff I installed last summer had the fill plug bearried, no threads showing. I didn't notice it until I had it installed, had to pull the diff back out of the car to put my old cover on it, so I could back the fill plug out.

Lessoned learned...

Thanks for this thread. @Max, I think I'm going to have to get both front bearings and do this job. I get the odd vibration on the wheel on some roads now. I also have some vibration in the wheel on sweeping left turns. The dealer attributed the vibration to 2 bent wheels (so I bought a set of new ones and getting tires this weekend).

My passenger seat vibrates a lot at speed - does anyone else have this issue with bad bearings?

I'll see if the wheels were indeed the root cause, and if not, will get 2 new front bearings and take the impact gun to town.