Bent Axles? Help me kill some gremlins...

I've been getting a highway vibration for years now and just been dealing with it and driving like an old lady. Now I have koni yellows & ITR springs with 14x6 et30 rims and would like to drive a bit more aggressively. Any time I get to highway speeds i get vibration. Suspension parts are ALL up to date and alignment is spot on. Rack end bushing done.

I've had 3 different sets of rims AND tires and they all do the same thing, some more pronounced than others due to sidewall differences and such (winter tires have soft sidewalls, some of the tires were lower profile making the vibration worse)

Today I threw the car up on jack stands, put it in 1st and let the tires spin freely so I could inspect them...

On the driver side, if I stare down the bottom of the tire while it rotates, it's not rotating perfectly round. I can see the tire going up and down while it rotates. Both sides are doing this but the driver side is much more pronounced, passenger side is slight. Is this a case of really crappy aftermarket axles? I replaced them years ago, and the shakes have been present for years... they have no torn boots and aren't clicking.

I guess my question is, should the wheels spin perfectly centered and balanced if in the air? mine certainly do not.

Thanks!

Comments

  • FakeJDMEF8FakeJDMEF8 Senior Wagonist
    Id say bent hubs or shitty wheel bearings. Or both...


    axles tend to bend in-between joints (in all my experiences)....
  • quartersquarters Council Member
    both bearings have been done within a year...

    i'll try to inspect it again today.
  • 3rd4ce3rd4ce Council Member
    had a crv that had vibrations ....

    put on new rotors and it fixed the problem ..... think i was told it was warped or something ... cant remember
  • quartersquarters Council Member
    It has to be a bent hub...

    i changed the axle and found a bad UCA balljoint bad, changed that too.

    because it vibrates like while in the air, it CAN'T be anything suspension or steering related right? it has to be axles/hubs, is rotors even a possibility? like a bent rotor where it mates to the hub and not the braking surface?
  • quartersquarters Council Member
    Ok... here's what I NEED to know. If anyone can jack up their car and idle in 1st... inspect the axles and tell me if they rotate perfectly balanced and straight or if they move up and down as if they are bent. I'm %51 sure I have a bent hub...

    very very strange things are happening. i took of my 14x6 et30 rims and put on my 13x5et40 rims and it drives a lot smoother (and sloppier), but now when I brake it's a violent shake! i've replaced a highway shake for a brake shake! car still vibrates but not near as bad.

    But what i really NEED TO KNOW is the axle visual. if they are meant to spin perfectly balanced with no movement, then i have a bent hub or something bent up front...

    HELP!@#!@#!@%#@$$)(
  • quartersquarters Council Member
    i'm loosing my mind...

    brand new tires and still brutal.
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