There is a perfectly good explanation for this.........and it's got nothing to do with "haunted".

The wheel fits to the spindle with a certain clearance.........otherwise, you couldn't install it. In reality, for simulation of the balance on the machine, you'd need zero clearance. The machine uses a tapered cone to eliminate all possible clearance, so the repeatability is excellent. You don't have this benefit on the vehicle.

The real question is the fit between the wheel and the spindle. If the fit is .005 loose (a typical tolerance), the wheel can move a maximum of .0025". This would give exactly .25 oz. of unbalance on a 15" wheel with a 45 lb. tire and wheel assembly. That's about the limit on the W-126 before you are going to start to feel it.

If the fit has a clearance of more than .005", then your result will be very random.........depending on the runout that you get on each installation.

If you have a suitable vernier, measure the spindle and measure the wheel...........you might find the clearance is .010" or more..........and you cannot ever get a satisfactory result with such clearance.

I torque down the idler arm today. With the wheel off the ground, I can still feel an ever slight wiggle when checking for play in the front end. All the other components look like there is no play, except the wheel. Still the same vibration at 55+ mph.

Is this a reasonable place to fix next? I am getting tire at throwing money at this car.

John

Take the wheel and tire assembly off the wheel hub.

Move the hub radially on the spindle and try to detect any movement. If you feel anything you found your problem.

Now pull the hub axially toward you and shove it back toward the vehicle. If you feel anything, the bearing axial play is incorrect. The specification is .0005" which really cannot be achieved without a dial indicator. You can't feel .0005" so, you might have less than zero........which is a preload. The tapered roller bearings are quite unhappy with a preload.

If you don't have a dial indicator, carefully tighten the nut until the very slight noise that you hear when pulling and pushing axially is finally gone. It usually helps to spin the hub a bit during this process.

When is the last time the bearings were removed, cleaned, and repacked?

I think they're original. 21 yr old. 155k on odometer.

John

Unfortunately, the tires I bought for the front are Goodyear Eagle H rated tires. One of them is getting out of round. A friend of mine showed me how to check for this. One would spin the tire and looking head on, the tire would move up and down. I switch the old Michelin (they also need to be replaced) to the front and the vibration improved, I can get the car to past 80 mph with only minimal vibration.

Guess it's time for new tire on all four. I bought my tires at Sam's club. Does anyone know if they will prorate the tires I bought.

John

P.S. Any recommendation on tires?

How about this one http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=173123 or this http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=371878

Well, all you would have needed to do is mention the word "Goodyear" in the first post and we could have saved you all this heartache.

I heard an expression that is apropos:

Michelin makes round tires..........Goodyear makes black ones.

Heed the advice.