Help with Wobble on Pass Side RT4WD

ChaseChase Wagonist
in Engine & Drivetrain
Hello everyone,

I hate to make a separate thread about this but I am trying to diagnose what is wrong with my girlfriends RT4wd civic wagon. She has a vibration that seems to be coming out of the transmission on the passenger side. It only happens when you go around 55mph plus. I have changed wheels, and have put two new refurbed axles in and it continues to do the same thing. I have been told it might be a differential bearing. The axle almost looks like its out of round when its roating when you have the car up on jackstands. I thought it was the axle so I replaced it, twice with no help.

Anyone have any idea what it might be, I just dropped the engine in there and the last thing I want to do is take it back out.

Comments

  • arries289arries289 Wagonist
    Sounds like you have replaced about everything that would affect that type of vibration, but a bad front U-joint or inboard CV would make that vibration. I would think that a diff bearing that far out of whack would cause a leak and be noisy. Best thing to do, IMO, is take it to a shop and put it on a lift and run it in gear to see what the issue is from underneath. Should be visible.
  • ChaseChase Wagonist
    arries289 wrote: »
    Best thing to do, IMO, is take it to a shop and put it on a lift and run it in gear to see what the issue is from underneath. Should be visible.

    Yeah thats what I did at my house. I jacked it up and put it on all 4 jackstands. Without the wheels on you can see the axle kind move in a way it shouldnt if that makes any sense. Like its not rotating 100% correctly. I took the axle out and the noise went away and you could see the inside of the tranny spinning with zero issues. Idk maybe it somehow still is the axle. IDK lol
  • arries289arries289 Wagonist
    I have had 2 cars with bad inboard CV joints...one worse than the other. Both had a low frequency vibration on the highway between 55 and 60 mph. That would be my guess.
  • AbideAbide Council Member
    always axles, mounts, or tierods for me as well. or a combination. Sometimes the mount helps the axle out.
  • Ryanthegreat1Ryanthegreat1 Wagonist
    I have had zero luck with reman halfshafts. They all vibrated on the highway like crazy and one seized up the outboard joint in less than 1000 miles. I am running used OEM axles with much better success.

    Keep in mind that the inner joint will have an out of round path of rotation if operated at any sort of angle. I am lifted 2" and have an operation angle of about 12 degrees on the inner, you can see the halfshafts bump up and down three times per revolution. That is just how a tripod joint operates. The more angle the bigger the out of round the path becomes. So with the suspension at full droop the wobble as you put it will be VERY noticeable.
  • ChaseChase Wagonist
    Thanks for the responses guys. Im going to be honest here and have been very lazy. I havent checked it out just yet but I did drive the car yesterday. Seems to do just fine at any speed under 50mph. Never got it above that around town so hopefully I will update sometime this weekend with more info. I was thinking that when your to low or to high " lifted" it has effect on the axles but im onlike about 3in lower. My other wagovan is much lower nad has zero issues. Then again the dude did replace the ball joints and tie rods so I have no clue if those were done correctly.
  • ChaseChase Wagonist
    Update: So I finally got to drive it around highway speed and and anything above 45mph it shakes real bad. So I jacked the car up with the wheels on and move the wheels side to side with my hands. When I did this, there was about an inch or two of play side to side. So this tells me that the outer or inner tie rods are prob shot. So I need to do some more investigating and will update then. Hopefully its just that and not the transmission.
  • HaydzHaydz Moderator
    If that is moving it will be the ball joints or bushes, take a closer look at the tie rod, upper ball joint and lower ball joints as you move the wheel. If it isn't obvious then move onto looking at bushes. You should be able to use a tyre bar to jam it under the wheel and move it about. Think about what direction the wheel is moving that is unnatural and go from there.
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