Q: What else can cause a shake/vibration/shimmey?

asked by on September 19, 2016

I have replaced the front struts, strut mounts, brakes, rotors, tie rod ends, radius arms, control arms, ball joints and still have it happening. Wheels have had road force balancing new tires, wheel bearings are good, no bent rims. Driveshaft and u-joint is tight. Rack and pinion is good. What else can I check? Steering wheel doesn't shake but I can feel the vibration in the steering wheel, seats, and floor. Also a shaking in the hood.

My car has 164000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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Hello. Although you mention that you have new tires, there are instances where the construction of the tire is such that it will vibrate no matter how well it "appears" to be dynamically balanced.

This is based on what I have seen in the field. To eliminate the possibility that you have a tire-related vibration, simply install Michelin (or equivalent) tires. If your tires are new, bought at a national chain, and under warranty, I would ask the tire store to switch them out at no charge to you to eliminate this possibility.

There are a finite number of rotating elements on a car that will vibrate at speed. A mechanic, by process of elimination, and dealing with most likely first (tires), will simply go through the list. There are a few "fixed" items as well that can cause the symptom you are describing, notably the engine mounts. What I would do at this point is have a mechanic set up wireless chassis ears at each "corner" of the vehicle’s suspension to see if the source of the vibration (and accompanying noise) can possibly be narrowed down to one area. It is of course also possible that there is an imbalance in a rotating component of the engine/transmission, such as the torque converter or flywheel. With a careful investigation of the vehicle, a certified professional from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to diagnose the vibration issue and let you know what needs repair.

The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our terms of service for more details

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