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  #1  
Old 09-04-2003, 06:55 PM
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Location: Richardson TX (work) Mason TX (fun)
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70MPH vibration problem

I'm having some vibration between 70-75MPH with my 300SDL. Also seem to be having some front tire wear. I had the car aligned and put new tires on the front. Rear tires look good. Vibration improved with the new tires, but its still there.

It doesn't happen all of the time. It seems to actually be worse on smooth concrete interstate than asphalt 2-lane highway. At around 60MPH the steering wheel has a slight back and forth oscillation. I'm thinking bent or worn suspension parts. As far as I know, the suspension and shocks are original. Can poor shocks be causing this? Where should I start?

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  #2  
Old 09-04-2003, 07:53 PM
moparmike's Avatar
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not to hijack this thread...

But my 380 does the same thing at 90mph. At 100, it quits. It seems odd to me, but I dont do 90 much.
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  #3  
Old 09-04-2003, 08:46 PM
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Just a couple of suggestions.
First, switch the tires front to back & see what happens. You could do this one side at a time.
Second, given the age & mileage of your vehicle, I believe new shocks would not be a waste of time or money.
The Tire Rack has a very good Vibration Diagnostics chart on their site.
Printed one off a long time ago, because I HATE vibrations.
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  #4  
Old 09-05-2003, 10:48 AM
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High speed vibe is unlikely to be related to shocks.

Wheel rotate test good idea. May have a bent wheel, which cannot be balanced. Most tire shops do not test for this, since it requires a second 'spin' on the machine.

Otherwise, something might be getting loose, like balljoints or anything in the steering rack. Loose bearings can cause this as well (not so common). The alignment folks should have caught any of this stuff, but from my experience, they often miss things.

Since your old tires were worn unevenly, that is a clue that something was wrong. Where was the wear? Did you get the alignment printout?

2 lane roads usually have a steeper crown, and lean to the right. Divided highways have a gentler crown, and lean to the left in the left lanes. This could be another clue.
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  #5  
Old 09-05-2003, 01:30 PM
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Location: Richardson TX (work) Mason TX (fun)
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Bent wheel

I've thought about the possibility of a bent wheel. I ran over a big pothole several weeks ago. Not sure if it is related since I didn't notice the vibration right away.

I will try swapping the front tires with the spare and see if anything changes.

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'96 F250 Crewcab PowerStroke
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'66 Malibu ragtop (SOLD, sob)
'01 BMW M3 ragtop
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