Lately, I've noticed a weird rumbling in the front end of the car when I am going down the road. Sometimes it happens sometimes it doesn't.

When it does happen, the steering wheel shakes like a bad balance job but I just had 4 new tires mounted on three wheels I know are round and I replaced one that wasn't round with a good one so I can rule out that.

Could it be an alignment? The car doesn't pull one way or the other going down the road: It tracks straight. As far as I can tell, there is no abnormal wear on the NEW tires either. Also, and possibly related, I've been noticing some creaking sounds coming from the front end of the car when it is turning at slow speeds.

It's got me stumped.

Should I replace all the bushings in the front end of the car and get an alignment? It's all about driveability for me.

 

How are your brakes?
Sounds like warped rotors from what you're describing.

 

I've always heard that the steering wheel shaking on cars comes from a problem with the brakes as apposed to the allignment.

 

Brand new brakes up front with new u-joints in November:

Remember this thread?

Also, it doesn't happen when I am applying the brakes. It just happens. And then it doesn't.

If this ends up being bushings I knew I should have replaced them when I had the front end in peices.

 

Based off my massive amont of knowledge and experience with working on cars, I say replace the bushings.

 

 

Well if you're sure it's not a balance or rotor issue, I'd say check the front end alignment, the lower ball joints and the rod ends for wear.

 

Sounds to me like a tierod, ball joint, or centerlink. Jack up the fron of the car and put your hands at 9 and 3 oclock and wiggle and watch the steering components. Do the same a 6 and 12.

 

The only other thing I can think of as a posibility is the spacers on the front so the GTA's can clear the LS1 brakes.

Thanks for the advice Steve!

 

I agree with steve, also get down there and pull up and down on the tierods. They shouldn't move AT ALL, if they do you need to do some replacing

Good luck!

 

What am I, chopped liver? haha.

You bringin' that badboy up this way anytime soon Mike?

 

The problem is you where talking about selling it happened to me a couple times

 

Dunno. Maybe oneday after I get the new rear end installed? That is literally months away.

I'm over that now.

 

I'd check the upper strut bushings. From what your describing I think that might be the issue.

 

To get a baseline idea of front end issues, I'll go to one of those tyre brake stores and ask them for a free evaluation. Sometimes I"ll get lucky and they'll actually find the real issue or mention something I'd never thought of.

I know for me, I'm going to spring for all new performance moog parts, Koni's, those damn strut tower bearings., etc. I want the black beaver B%^&*^% Interceptor to have a fresh start. Nitro

 

~groan~

That some serious labor to replace those. Definitely a good time to replace all the others too.

I'll start with an alignment and re-evaluate. These are good for 6 months (warranty) so that would be the window to make the repair if it is more than that. No danger here, right? I could ride it like this indefinitely without worry, right?

 

Thread revival.

Turns out the wheel I bought to replace the original one was even MORE bent than the first. Damn shifty Ebayers! Specifically, avoid buying from this seller: "camaro1969ss"

Anyway, took me a good 3 months to figure that out and then another month to find a replacement. None of the GTA wheels you see on eBay are perfect. They are either bent (duh!) or discolored in some manner. Oh well. I'll ride these for a while until I have the scratch to drop on some brand new custom wheels.

On that front, finding what I want is really hard. No one makes a gold center, aluminum rim wheel unless you have it made special. Not sure I'm into that cost.

 

Hey Cadillac,

I really feel for you on the Ebay thing. I've been 'taken' many times and even though I'm so dang thorough now to document and ask questions up front, which I'm sure you did, I still got financially sideswipped by a seller and am currently battling with Paypal's Guarantee and the seller that sold me a mismatched and damaged set of tires for my G-35. If you don't mind, I'd like to post here some surprises I just discovered so others will know the best way to 'challenge' those sneak thieves that sell Ebay junk...

Regarding Ebay; most of us know that if someone has poor feedback, it's there for a reason. What I didn't realize is that by going by a seller's feedback rating, and not checking to see how much the sell each month, it can really skew the facts. Example: such as noticing that they have a 97-98% good rating, but failing to understand that they're one of those 'power-sellers' who move a hundred or more items a month; they can have a high 98% rating, yet are receiving 15-20 negatives a month. I've seen seller's with that excellent feedback average rating, yet have several Hundred negative's over the time they've been selling on the site.

I personally use Paypal, that way I at least know that a seller has to have some sort of credit rating and proof of identity to use the service. The big surprise I just learned this week is that, even though I could show all kinds of documentation to Paypal & Ebay that what I received was not even close to what was promised, that I have copies of the triple email questions I sent before the purchase to verify I was getting exactly what was described-
Paypal's policy is that I have to return the item, at my cost, in the shape it was sent, along with proof of shipping; then they would give me a refund on the cost of the original item. Any idea how much shipping I have to pay out of pocket for a set of 19" super wide tyres??

I should have used my credit card through my Paypal account instead of an 'E-Check'. Just a little heads up.
Nitro......

 

well un related but you cant win them all, no business is perfect, always gonna be some bad sales/deals but its how the seller deals with them that makes it better or ok.


retail sales suck

 

I just ordered a Magnaflow for my Audi off of Ebay and they sent me 2 by mistake.
Looks like I get to sell one.

 

Did you ever figure out what it was?

I am finally back from the dead and starting to work on Red.

 

I hear ya bro, it will be tough to find a wheel that looks as good as those GTA's on there too.

I paid alot for my wheels but got tired of borrowing some bald azz 15's heh

TT2's will look nice I think, I don't know, wonder what they would look like on a thirdgen hmmm

 

Tedious drive in that damn car today. I'm afraid the 185K is wearing on the suspension... vibration is still pretty bad. Gonna think on it for a while.

Seems like the like would be:

*All new bushings on the front end.
*4 NEW wheels that are confirmed round.

For what I drive a year, I got the time.

 

Out of round / balance wheels can make for a crappy drive for sure, not to mention your caliper problem, I take it she made the drive no sweat? Have brakes now?

 

Good question Vin, Mike, How was your brake job, I assume your posting from home and not the side of a highway.

 

Yeah, I made it. When I posted last night, I was totally road rashed. Bumper to bumper traffic in three spots with a fatal accident being the cause of one. Despite the crappy traffic (for what seemed like hours), the car still got 21 MPG. The bouncing and rumpbling of the car has got to go.

When they finally finished replacing the caliper at 4:00 or so, I started the ride home. I got to talk to the mechanic who did the work and he said that the car was pulling hard left when you hit the brakes. In short, fixing the leak in the brakes exaggerated the worn out MC. I knew it was going bad and already have the replacement. It just made for a sketchy ride home:

SEVERE vibration in the front end from 40-50 MPH, and then again at around 70. Pretty common speeds in traffic. Add to that a serious pull to the left with the application of brakes and I am reconsidering what I want to do with this car.

So here's a question to you guys. Can I go ahead an put my new MC on the car with the rear disk prop valve and expect it to work with the drums? I don't have the cash before Xmas to go ahead with the axle.

I'm pretty sure the ride quality won't improve until I redo the front and (~groan~) and then get all new tires and wheels (double ~groan~)

 

Mike,

What happened to the caliper?

 

that happened to me once. ordered a windscreen for the busa and got 10 of them

 

Time to go AIR RIDE Mike! LOL

 

The brake line fitting stripped out of the caliber assembly (or something like that). New caliper - $140.

 

How about the new tubular front end TraviZ got for his IROC? That should fix any problem you might have, lol.

 

You and Joey might have some good points there. I shouldn't have to spend another grand just to get the ride sorted out, should I?

 

Nah, but if you plan on keeping the car you can't go wrong with the tubular front. I will do mine when my '54 Chevy truck is finished. I never plan on selling my rides. I get to emotionally attached. Memories and what not.

 

Same.