warped hub? unbalanced half shaft?

kevinj · Post by **kevinj** » 08 Oct 2008, 14:30

howdy folks! as always thanks in advance.
i am trying to determine the culprit for this minor imbalace situation that i have.
symtoms are a very mild but noticeable wheel pulsation that starts out around 10mph. similiar to a warped rotor but in a lesser sense. so far i have installed new rotors and a new left hub unit. is it possible that the right hub is warped? and if so would the symtons start showning up at such a slow speed? tires are good. and i have balanced the tires. no apparent signs of a bent rim!
my last attempt to thouroughly inspect the right hub failed due to me stripping the 13mm head and not wanting to to it the other way. therefore i did not get the axel out to spin the the hub by hand!
possible that it is an out of balance axel?
hard to describe symtons on a keypad but very similiar to driving on a mildly egg shapped tire.
car is a 99xc with boat loads of miles so it does not have to drive perfect but, in this case something is clearly outta wack?

chuckcintron · Post by **chuckcintron** » 08 Oct 2008, 16:34

I'd be looking at the strut...spring seat...etc.

Really no way it's due to an imbalanced drive axle.

-Chuck

kevinj · Post by **kevinj** » 08 Oct 2008, 16:54

geez chuck! just one more thing to add to the list ! and thanks for the reply. i guess i will investigate this first thing in the am. ill put it on a lift and fire up the wheels and hope someone under the car knows more than i do

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 08 Oct 2008, 17:55

I've got a similar issue that sounds very similar on the platinum 850.

I put new struts, spring seats, and one new strut bearing on it a couple of weeks ago along with new (rebuilt) axles on both sides. I'm kinda convinced that the C/V joints aren't right on one side or another. I just can't tell which side is screwed up. The axles I bought have a lifetime warranty, and while I hate the time it will take to change one again, the "wobble" feel in the steering and the vibration at 50ish MPH is intolerable.

I plan on putting the front end on jack stands tomorrow afternoon, starting the car and putting it in drive, and looking for wobble in the axles.

I have this nightmare that it falls off of the jackstands while I am doing it but it has never fallen off before.

If I find something I will post it back.

...Lee

larryh · Post by **larryh** » 08 Oct 2008, 19:43

if you can feel it at 10mph i would think it's a bent wheel or an out of round tire, both of these are common. out of balance conditions wouldn't show up at such slow speeds, and warped rotors are only felt when applying the brakes. i'd bet it's a tire. did you try rotating them?

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 08 Oct 2008, 19:47

Ozark and Kevinj...I've had a bad axle from a CV joint repair that I did (wobbled from about 30mph upward)...apparently the axle was worn out at the CV joint. Things didn't improve until I replaced that axle with a Raxle axle... I suppose other axles are fine too.

kevinj · Post by **kevinj** » 09 Oct 2008, 08:30

thanks guys ill let you know what i find later this eve. im going into the shop now to install my abs unit and see if it gets rid of the lights.
car right now is on ebay and the auction ends this eve. if the car does not sell im going to take this with me to fla on the first wave. im certainly taking this to my mechanic for inspection of my work prior to me leaving. i have a few days left to work some of the kinks out on my own. thanks!

Post by **JRL** » 09 Oct 2008, 14:34

larryh wrote:if you can feel it at 10mph i would think it's a bent wheel or an out of round tire, both of these are common. out of balance conditions wouldn't show up at such slow speeds, and warped rotors are only felt when applying the brakes. i'd bet it's a tire. did you try rotating them?

A badly bent wheel will show up as an imbalance right off the bat
You cannot tell unless you look at the inside of the wheel, most bends are on the inner lip

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 09 Oct 2008, 17:02

JRL wrote:A badly bent wheel will show up as an imbalance right off the bat
You cannot tell unless you look at the inside of the wheel, most bends are on the inner lip

Problem is, this is what he's already told us:

kevinj wrote:and i have balanced the tires.

kevinj · Post by **kevinj** » 09 Oct 2008, 18:24

well folks it it finally time for my trusty volvo mechanic to solve this issue for me tomorrow at 9am! very interesting day at the office. it started out with the installation of my abs module that i just did the diy thing.( ill write a post soon here why the average person should not try this at home) fired up the car and bingo lights out! how good was i feeling!
then i had to to wait an hour for a lift to become available so i could investigate this small irritaitng vibration. so im up in the air a few feet and get a tech standing there asking him to listen. i put the car in gear and im horrified! a sound like i have never heard before, a very very bad scary sound with vibration. put it in gear no noise and engine sounds great, put in gear there we go. shop was very busy today and i was on my own til this happened! i called my buddy off his job a few bays over and said i think i need you (understatment) he looks mystified when he hears the sound. comes back a second later a with a stethosope and checks the internals of the tranny, then says hell be tied up an hour or so (helping some idiot stuff an lt1 into his jeep) and he can help me then. in the meantime he hands me a data stream reader and asks me to to get all the info i can! i said hug? thats when i called my volvo mechanic and set up an appointment!
in any event not a good of wrenching overall. if you drive this car there is no signs of anykind that it has a tranny problem. put the wheels on the ground and i hear nothing other than the slight vibration which i think is from the left halfshft (mechanics agreed on this one) but the noise? now im going to see if i have at least one heineken left in the fridge