Vibration vs. Shaking or Pulsating

4

4sracn

Registered
I have had a 96 Mark VIII for about a year now, and I have just bought a 97. I have been reading about the drive shaft issues. My 96 has a vibration that you can feel in the steering wheel and as you get to higher speeds, 80+ you can see the rear view mirror vibrate and even hear the vibration. To me this could be the drive shaft. Now on the 97, the steering wheel doesn't necessarily have a vibration, but it shakes or pulsates, and starts doing it at lower speeds, 45 and up. It seems to come and go, and is sometime mild to sever, at different times that I drive it. Would the drive shaft cause these conditions also? With the shaking wheel, I thought about rotors, but braking doesn't seem to make it worse. Thanks for any advise.
 
4sracn said:
I have had a 96 Mark VIII for about a year now, and I have just bought a 97. I have been reading about the drive shaft issues. My 96 has a vibration that you can feel in the steering wheel and as you get to higher speeds, 80+ you can see the rear view mirror vibrate and even hear the vibration. To me this could be the drive shaft. Now on the 97, the steering wheel doesn't necessarily have a vibration, but it shakes or pulsates, and starts doing it at lower speeds, 45 and up. It seems to come and go, and is sometime mild to sever, at different times that I drive it. Would the drive shaft cause these conditions also? With the shaking wheel, I thought about rotors, but braking doesn't seem to make it worse. Thanks for any advise.
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If you know all tires are in balanced, check their age. You could have tread separation on one or more tires. Usually they will "waddle" at low to medium speeds, depending on the road surface.

If your tires were on my wife's car, I'd bet money it was tread separation. Sometimes I think the Tire God hates her. She's batting a 1000 on her just purchased car with existing tires hex. The only way i can break the spell is to buy premium Goodyear. Although I did see her take out a pair of those.
 
These cars are extremely sensitive to wheel imbalance issues. Try a tire rotation with balancing all 4 wheels to see if it changes the symptoms.

As for tires, I run a set of drag radials on a pair of spare wheels. When new they rode OK, but after use which included burnouts, they ride like crap. I only put them on for special events anymore. :D
 
You won't feel the drive shaft vibrations in the steering wheel. It will more sound like a humming towards the rear of the car. You'll know when its the drive shaft.

+1 for tire/wheel balance issues, expecially on the 97.
 
You didt say whether or not it has stock wheels. If they are not stock, hubcentric rings are a must. Even then many still vibrate. Anywhere from 45 up.
 
ye si just put a set of 3.73 gears in my car bot i have drive shaft vibs from about 80 on up. it sounds like my subs are going haywire and humming real bad but its a realy tight quick vibe. the tire shake is sort of a slow lazy vibe compared to the the shaft vibe.
 
7 sek mark said:
ye si just put a set of 3.73 gears in my car bot i have drive shaft vibs from about 80 on up. it sounds like my subs are going haywire and humming real bad but its a realy tight quick vibe. the tire shake is sort of a slow lazy vibe compared to the the shaft vibe.
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Lol! Sorry...some people just need to lay off the Pepsi before trying to help someone else out. I can barely make out what he's saying. X)
 
I try to be as literate as possible when I text too. I due use "lol" "lmao" "rofl" and "oh nooz" a lot though, haha.
 
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