Highway Vibration Issue
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Tuned
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 289
Likes: 4
Highway Vibration Issue
Hi guys! I have a 95 f150 2wd. I have a highway vibration issue that I've been chasing down for over a year. I've replaced the wheel and hub bearings, the ball joints, tie rod ends, and axle pivot bushings. A year ago I put new 31" Cooper Discoverer at3.
The vibration usually becomes noticeable above 50 mph and varys in intensity and sometimes can almost disappear for a few seconds. The only variables at this point are the wheels and tires. The front tires are worn badly. They have cupping and outer edge wear. Plus the tire shop used quite a few weights to balance them.
The wheels are the vintage turbine style wheels. The wheels are not hub centric and use a flat washer (mag) lug nut.
I had the truck aligned a few a few months after I installed all the parts mentioned above.
So is it the tires, the wheels, or the balance job? Your thoughts?
The vibration usually becomes noticeable above 50 mph and varys in intensity and sometimes can almost disappear for a few seconds. The only variables at this point are the wheels and tires. The front tires are worn badly. They have cupping and outer edge wear. Plus the tire shop used quite a few weights to balance them.
The wheels are the vintage turbine style wheels. The wheels are not hub centric and use a flat washer (mag) lug nut.
I had the truck aligned a few a few months after I installed all the parts mentioned above.
So is it the tires, the wheels, or the balance job? Your thoughts?
Hotshot
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 11,958
Likes: 228
I've been trying to figure out a similar issue. Coincidentally I have the same tires that are about 2 years old, but don't have many miles on them. I'm now wondering if it is the tires. Is your truck a super cab with a 2 piece driveshaft?
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 289
Likes: 4
Ok so I'm not alone! I have a single cab with a single drive shaft.
One of my friends used to have the cooper at3s and said it was the tires. I'm still unsure though.
Like I said I have these wheels that clearly don't fit the hub but still use mag style lugs.
One of my friends used to have the cooper at3s and said it was the tires. I'm still unsure though.
Like I said I have these wheels that clearly don't fit the hub but still use mag style lugs.
Tuned
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 470
Likes: 90
It's all guesswork until you swap out the bad part. But you may have answered your own question if you had the tires put on right before all this started.
Could also be that your rim(s) is(are) bent/warped/damaged. A good tire shop will be able to test them.
Borrow some tires and rims, or do a rotation of what you have, and see if the symptoms change.
What about bad shocks or maybe the problem is at the other end somewhere?
My son's 96 started to vibrate like crazy at a few different speeds. One of the u-joints had literally lost it's bearings on two opposite sides. Luckily we caught it before it snapped.
Could also be that your rim(s) is(are) bent/warped/damaged. A good tire shop will be able to test them.
Borrow some tires and rims, or do a rotation of what you have, and see if the symptoms change.
What about bad shocks or maybe the problem is at the other end somewhere?
My son's 96 started to vibrate like crazy at a few different speeds. One of the u-joints had literally lost it's bearings on two opposite sides. Luckily we caught it before it snapped.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,893
Likes: 12
From: Ohio
If the tires are cupping, then the alignment is off. I went through this with two trucks. First truck had multiple alignments through the 7yrs I drove it. Always tore up front tires and I had to rotate them at every oil change to keep them from destroying themselves.
My current '95 had cupping issues(inside edge) and I finally put a tape measure on it and realized it had 3/4" of TOE OUT! I adjusted it myself and the cupping is going away along with the "shimmy" in the steering wheel.
I never rechecked my previous truck, but I think the alignments were crap from the get go. I just never realized it. I figured how could two different places do the same bad job?
If they are cupped on the outside, then they are TOED IN too much and scrubbing horribly.
My current '95 had cupping issues(inside edge) and I finally put a tape measure on it and realized it had 3/4" of TOE OUT! I adjusted it myself and the cupping is going away along with the "shimmy" in the steering wheel.
I never rechecked my previous truck, but I think the alignments were crap from the get go. I just never realized it. I figured how could two different places do the same bad job?
If they are cupped on the outside, then they are TOED IN too much and scrubbing horribly.
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 289
Likes: 4
It's all guesswork until you swap out the bad part. But you may have answered your own question if you had the tires put on right before all this started.
Could also be that your rim(s) is(are) bent/warped/damaged. A good tire shop will be able to test them.
Borrow some tires and rims, or do a rotation of what you have, and see if the symptoms change.
What about bad shocks or maybe the problem is at the other end somewhere?
My son's 96 started to vibrate like crazy at a few different speeds. One of the u-joints had literally lost it's bearings on two opposite sides. Luckily we caught it before it snapped.
Could also be that your rim(s) is(are) bent/warped/damaged. A good tire shop will be able to test them.
Borrow some tires and rims, or do a rotation of what you have, and see if the symptoms change.
What about bad shocks or maybe the problem is at the other end somewhere?
My son's 96 started to vibrate like crazy at a few different speeds. One of the u-joints had literally lost it's bearings on two opposite sides. Luckily we caught it before it snapped.
At at this point I'm thinking it's the wheels. They are the only thing that aren't stock and aren't new. They came with the truck. They don't sit on the hub and they don't use 60 degree centering lug nuts. I wish I could rotate them but the offsets are different.
The shocks are new but the coil springs have 200,000 on them.
I'm probably going to do what you said and get a set of wheels see if that eliminates the problem.
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 289
Likes: 4
If the tires are cupping, then the alignment is off. I went through this with two trucks. First truck had multiple alignments through the 7yrs I drove it. Always tore up front tires and I had to rotate them at every oil change to keep them from destroying themselves.
My current '95 had cupping issues(inside edge) and I finally put a tape measure on it and realized it had 3/4" of TOE OUT! I adjusted it myself and the cupping is going away along with the "shimmy" in the steering wheel.
I never rechecked my previous truck, but I think the alignments were crap from the get go. I just never realized it. I figured how could two different places do the same bad job?
If they are cupped on the outside, then they are TOED IN too much and scrubbing horribly.
My current '95 had cupping issues(inside edge) and I finally put a tape measure on it and realized it had 3/4" of TOE OUT! I adjusted it myself and the cupping is going away along with the "shimmy" in the steering wheel.
I never rechecked my previous truck, but I think the alignments were crap from the get go. I just never realized it. I figured how could two different places do the same bad job?
If they are cupped on the outside, then they are TOED IN too much and scrubbing horribly.
i though maybe the cupping was from my 200,000 mile old coil springs.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,893
Likes: 12
From: Ohio
Old springs just sag. If it was bad, they can adjust the camber some to help, but maybe not enough?
I just scratched my head for years as I couldn't figure out why my previous truck ate tires. All new suspension, I mean everything. Still did it after alignments were done. Go figure, I guess my tape measure is more accurate then the machine they had used? They were both "reputable" places too?
My current truck had an alignment by PO, but it was eating tires. I checked it and it was way out. I rotated the tires and they seem to be staying flat.
I just scratched my head for years as I couldn't figure out why my previous truck ate tires. All new suspension, I mean everything. Still did it after alignments were done. Go figure, I guess my tape measure is more accurate then the machine they had used? They were both "reputable" places too?
My current truck had an alignment by PO, but it was eating tires. I checked it and it was way out. I rotated the tires and they seem to be staying flat.
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