Lude Generation

Hi All,

I have had steering wheel vibration for a while and because it was in and around 60mph and my front tyres were low I just thought it was balancing so assumed I would get it sorted when changing the front tyres. Well you know what they say about assumptions

So new front tyres were put on last week, the guy definitely balanced the wheels, I watched him do it, he knocked the old weights off and made sure the machine read 0. I went back the next day to get him to do the rears to make sure it wasn't that, again he got them to 0, one didn't need doing, the other was very slightly out.

The weird thing is, the vibration seems to have got worse since I have had the front tyres changed. It now starts at about 45mph and goes on all the way to about 70. At speeds faster than that (not that I ever do that on public roads) it becomes less noticeable, and below 45mph it is not noticeable. It is at it's worst around 60. It also seems to be worse when the car is cold, but is always there, it never goes. It is not a big vibration but enough to be annoying. It is not rattling the whole car or anything.

I spoke to Rich at PAW and he reckons driveshaft but hard to be sure. I think I might have a bit of wheel bearing noise but this has only reared it's head since fitting the new tyres so it could be tyre noise. The tyres are Falken's so not bottom of the range budget's. There were already Falken's all round on there so I thought I would just stick with them.

Any ideas?

ATR84 wrote:I spoke to Rich at PAW and he reckons driveshaft but hard to be sure.

I was going to say that as well. I have had two sets of shafts that have done similar.

Yep my guess is outer CV joint.
Also check all the engine mounts

Thanks guys, I will get it sorted.

Yep, driveshaft.

Easy enough to check though, just jack the front up with the wheels off the ground, grab the shaft and pull it about to check for movement between the inner and outer joints.
Compare it to the other side for reference.

ATR84 wrote:Thanks guys, I will get it sorted.

Let us know what you find, I've got something similar where the front shakes and vibrates when hard on the brakes from about 70-80mph, but not at any other time and doesn't feel like warped discs as there's no pulsing through the pedal, and I've replaced all the front upper and lower bushes recently thinking it was those... but tbh they were a bit tired anyway.

So it would be interesting to know where to start looking

Yes I will keep this thread updated.

Is it ok to continue driving it like this? I will be able to get it fixed in the next couple of weeks but need to keep using it really.......

The only thing I would give a word of caution is with a bad vibration it could loosen off your wheels nuts, so keep an eye on those.

I bought a set of wheels last year didn't realise one was slightly out of shape, took them for balancing thinking it was that, and the wheel nuts were loose on both front wheels from the vibration, so if you have to use the car keep an eye on those.

Any recommendations as to where to get a driveshaft from? Don't want some crappy chinese pattern part. But don't want to pay 600 quid from Honda either. I guess reconditioned is the way to go. Where did others get theirs from?

The risk is the driveshaft completely giving out on you while you're driving, which can be quite dramatic.
Difficult to predict when they will go, can last for ages or can go quite quickly.
The vibration can start damaging all kinds of things, suspension and steering joints for starters, so don't like with it for too long.
I think you're unlikely to find a crappy pattern part Driveshaft for a lude - too old for them bother starting making them?