1998 V70R Intermittent Vibration (176k mi)

[scoobycant]

I've got a vibration on my 1998 V70R AWD. Car has original wheel bearings, axles, and propeller shaft. Tires are balanced and have no unusual tread wear patterns. Vibration is noticable at 40 mph and is worst between 62 - 66 mph. No vibration at 70 mph. Vibration shakes steering wheel left-right-left-etc - not much up and down. Vibration also shakes front seats. Rotating tires front to back/back to front had no effect. There's no clicking of front CV joints around turns. No wheel bearing noise on hard right or hard left maneuvers. Vibration is intermittent - sometimes 62 - 66 mph is smooth. Vibration doesn't get worse under acceleration. Vibration, when occurring, doesn't get better or worse in response to lane changes, driving uphill, descending downhill, or breaking. No vibration in park up to 2,000 RPM.

I just had the car on ramps. Inner and outer CV joint boots are undamaged on both axles. No grease is spattered around them. None of them feel firm when gently pushed in, however. With the car on ramps (wheels stationary), I attempted to rotate each axle. On the right axle, the inner joint freely rotates back and forth about 1.5 mm around its biggest circumference. Is this rotation indicative of a worn inner joint? Does anyone have any troubleshooting suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

[JDS60R]

If its only in the 62-66 mile range and doesn't get worse under load or uphill /downhill it would be a driveline imbalance.

Check the wheels for run out or any dents . Check the tie rods ,ball joints and upper strut seats.
Test it again and see if its worse while accelerating up a hill. ( Inner CV's)

Also - get under the car and check for any weights that have fallen off the driveline and any rubber isolators that are worn.

Let us know what you find. Test the bearings while you are looking at ball joints etc.

[brooklynsystems]

Did you ever figure this out? Ive had a similar problem for 2 years now, it doesnt get better or worse, but when the pressure in a tire is low, when the drivetrain vibration is happening, and you start braking, it shakes the car. I would love to figure this one out.