Wobble, but maybe not death wobble?

Some of you may be aware, I've had to do some work on the front of my 90.

I've finally now replaced: wheel bearings both sides, brake discs both sides, calipers and pads both sides, stub axle right side only, hub assembly right side only.

Once it was all fitted, I bled the brakes and went out for a drive. All seemed well, brakes worked, drive was smooth, steering was responsive and no strange noises. A success I thought.

However yesterday I went back out, this time a longer run, and this time some A road driving.

The issue was first noticed at 44mph. It was as if the road surface was bad. A fast vibration through the whole vehicle, but not a wobble on the steering that I've been reading about, more as if my wheels were suddenly slightly oval shaped, i.e I wasn't struggling with side to side movement, or holding the car straight. Also I'd describe it as more of a rocking than a vibrating.

Backing off, seemed to end it, but then for the next hour I drove about at various speeds working out what triggers it. It seems to kick in from 43mph to 45mph, then go away until 50mph and then anything over 50 does it, I didn't feel safe going up to 60 though as the rocking is quite unsettling.

I then noticed that it's also there at exactly 30mph too but very subtle and in slow frequency. I wouldn't have even noticed it if I wasn't paying close attention.

So, what have I done to cause this? I began this overhaul at the front because I had an inner bearing eat itself on the right side, which ultimately led to both hub and stub death too. But leading up to it, I didn't notice any such rocking/vibration.

So either I have introduced this, or something else also kicked the bucket in the bearing death incident that I haven't picked up on.

Thoughts?

When was the last time you had your wheels balanced?
As you are running huge bits of rubber, which go in and out of sync with each other, t is possible that any slight imbalance becomes magnified as the wheels get 'into phase' with each other.

Oldseadog said:

When was the last time you had your wheels balanced?
As you are running huge bits of rubber, which go in and out of sync with each other, t is possible that any slight imbalance becomes magnified as the wheels get 'into phase' with each other.

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I was just thinking about this. I was wondering if where I've been driving around for quite some time with a problem that was slowly getting worse, I wonder if that had an effect on the wheel balance over time. And now everything is tight and corrected, it's now showing that up.

Last time I had them balanced was when the new tyres were fitted 2 years ago. Do I just go into my tyre place and ask them to check them, or is this a garage mechanic thing?

I'd try just swapping the wheels around first.

Col

HeywoodFloyd said:

Do I just go into my tyre place and ask them to check them

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Yep - mine certainly would, and he used to advise getting any LR sized tyre rebalanced every year anyway... Not been for a while now though, as I bought my own balancer

Colthebrummie said:

I'd try just swapping the wheels around first.

Col

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+1 - even simpler - and simple is always best ..... OP - presuming your rears are balanced, then this is a good idea ... if they are not, then it might get, er, "interesting" .....

Disco1BFG said:

+1 - even simpler - and simple is always best ..... OP - presuming your rears are balanced, then this is a good idea ... if they are not, then it might get, er, "interesting" .....

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Haha

Have you checked/set the swivel preload ?

Just get all four balanced, won’t cost allot, it’s never going to be a bad thing to get done n if it fixes the fault bonus!

Well that was all very embarrassing. Never would any of you have guessed what the cause was, simply because it was something so amateur and daft.

After spending weeks learning lots of new things about fitting new stub axles, brake discs, calipers, pads, bearings, new hub assemblies, and so on.... one thing I've never been told, or read anywhere...

The wheel nuts go on a specific way around - the flat side facing out!

Turns out I had them on the wrong way around on both front wheels and this was offsetting both wheels by a fraction on both sides. The guys at the tyre place were quite good about it, and even quickly switched the nuts around for me free of charge. I'm sure they had a good old laugh after I left though.

Took it all the way up to 60mph after, no vibrations or rocking.

Doh.

That was but live and learn.

My mate did the same many years ago on a 2 yr old mk1 mondeo! He drove it around for weeks until I had a look at it. By which time the wheels were shot as well as the studs and the nuts. It drove like a sack of sh1t. Goodness knows how he managed to live with it like that!!!
I once forgot
To tighten the wheel nuts on my first car. Found out when I developed a clunk and discovered 2 nuts rattling around in the wheel trim and the other 2 hanging on by just a few threads!!
Ya live and learn! Luckily no harm done apart from a dent in your pride!!!

Fair play for admitting it, glad it was a cheap fix