Vibration while driving, not engine or transmission related.

[Dennis H.]

Good Morning, First let me give you a few details. My car is a 64 roadster with all stock suspension, drum brakes, and Western Wheel reproduction KO wheels and less than 100 miles on brake job (new shoes, wheel cylinders and flexible hoses).
Yesterday morning we went for an early morning ride. After about 8 miles I noticed a vibration at around 55 MPH. At first, I thought it may just be the road. I stopped at a stop sign and turned left and the vibration was gone. About 1 1/2 miles later it returned. I stopped and checked everything and found no problems. As I pulled away I noticed no vibration. Another mile or so and the vibration starts. I touched my left foot on the brake pedal without letting off the gas and got a tremendous vibration and shake just like you have with a bad rotor, only worse. As I let my foot off the gas and applied the brakes it disappeared. Again, after pulling away from the stop sign, no vibration until a mile down the road. I immediately came home. I've jacked it up and can feel nothing loose. I am going to pull the KO wheels and adapters off and put the original wheels on to see if I still have a vibration. Before I do, does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

[Edward J.]

Re: Vibration while driving, not engine or transmission related.

Dennis, Make sure that you do not have one of the brakes adjusted to tight.

[Dennis H.]

Re: Vibration while driving, not engine or transmission related.

Thanks, they seem to be fine. When I turn them I just hear a slight rub.

[Edward J.]

Re: Vibration while driving, not engine or transmission related.

Dennis since your pulling the wheels I would look at the drums for signs of getting hot, maybe when the brakes are applied they are staying applied because of a bad brake hose or sticking wheel cylinder??

[Rick A.]

Re: Vibration while driving, not engine or transmission related.

agree with Ed as azzume this all started since you did all the brake work?????

[Darryl D.]

Re: Vibration while driving, not engine or transmission related.

Are you sure it is not tire balance?
Do you feel it in the seat of your pants or in the steering wheel? If it IS tire balance then if you feel it through the eat it is a rear tire. If you feel it through the steering it is a front tire.

[Rick A.]

Re: Vibration while driving, not engine or transmission related.

Darryl agree with your assessment, but if this all started in the last 100 miles and was because of the brake work........

[Ed S.]

Re: Vibration while driving, not engine or transmission related.

Are you sure it is not tire balance?
Do you feel it in the seat of your pants or in the steering wheel? If it IS tire balance then if you feel it through the eat it is a rear tire. If you feel it through the steering it is a front tire.

Darryl has a point - if after you pull the wheels and see or discover nothing unusual with the brake system, when you put the wheels / tires back on put the backs on the front and front on the back. Then, take a test drive - if the "source" of the vibration has moved from front to back or vice versa then you can be pretty confident that it is a balancing issue.

[Dan D.]

Re: Vibration while driving, not engine or transmission related.

Make sure you didn't have a wheel weight fall off.

-Dan-

[Duke W.]

Re: Vibration while driving, not engine or transmission related.

It sounds like something is loose - something wasn't tightened during the brake job. If you did the work go back and make sure every fastener you removed was properly tightened during assembly. If the work was done at a commercial shop - take it back, VERY CAREFULLY!

[Dennis H.]

Re: Vibration while driving, not engine or transmission related.

Thanks to all for your comments. It is not in the steering wheel. After the vibration started I applied the brakes with my left foot will maintaining speed. It vibrates really bad like the worst warped disc brake rotor. But as soon as you start slowing down the vibration goes away as you stop. When you start back up there is no vibration at all until I get up to speed and maybe go a mile. It just feels like a loose wheel. It's up on my lift now. I'm going to try to get back to it later today.

[Domenic T.]

Re: Vibration while driving, not engine or transmission related.

A real long shot, but I just developed a problem with my our Suburban that is similar to yours. Sometimes when I apply the brakes at road speeds I get a wild vibration and I am thinking it is something in my suspension that is loose. Possibly a A arm bushing, idler arm, or tie rod end. It also feels like a brake problem. It just might be!

Dom

[Domenic T.]

Re: Vibration while driving, not engine or transmission related.

A real long shot, but I just developed a problem with my our Suburban that is similar to yours. Sometimes when I apply the brakes at road speeds I get a wild vibration and I am thinking it is something in my suspension that is loose. Possibly a A arm bushing, idler arm, or tie rod end. It also feels like a brake problem. It just might be!

Dom

I did forget to mention that what made me change my mind about it being a brake problem is that now when I pull out or in my drive, as I go thru the dip I hear a thump.

[Gene M.]

Re: Vibration while driving, not engine or transmission related.

If brake work was done look there first. I'm only asking this if someone else did the work. Were the brake shoes put on backwards? Possibly a bolt missing/loose on the differential bump stop.