Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

What can cause speed selective wheel wobbling?

I have a 2001 Ford Escort that has recently developed a front-end wheel wobble (not a bounce or a shudder). It's extremely speed selective; it occurs at 30-35 mph and again at 40-45 mph. It feels like only one of the tires is wobbling, but it's possible that each speed is associated with a different front wheel. Speeds outside of these two ranges are generally wobble-free, with the occasional isolated wobble when traveling at speeds close to the above (such as 50 mph). Also, the wobble doesn't happen at all during acceleration; only during cruising, coasting, and deceleration. It's the worst during coasting and light deceleration.

So far I've checked my breaks, wheel balance, and rims. The breaks are fine, balancing the tires didn't improve performance, and the rims are undamaged. I have a book that suggests the CV joints might be the problem, but to my knowledge shouldn't CV joint problems increase during acceleration rather than deceleration and coasting?

I'm really puzzled here. I'm thinking it could be a bearing problem, but I really don't want to have to pull my hubs if there are some easier things I can check first.

Any help is appreciated with either ideas of things to check, or diagnostic tests I can do to narrow it down.

Update:

On the CV Joint thing:

No I haven't hit a curb going fast, but I do live in wisconsin and the roads are horrendous in the sping. Pot holes that you could lose a van in. I've hit a few of those going fairly fast.

Update 2:

I realize now that spring has an 'r' in it.

2 Answers

Relevance
  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    When you got your tires balanced, did they give you a diagnostic report on the camber? Sounds to me like it could possibly be a problem with the camber of the tire, could be off a bit but not much since it does not seem to effect the car much, id guess -0.2 or 0.2 off at most. However, it could be a matter of the CV joints being bent, did you hit a curb or something while you were moving faster than 30mph, if so, then one of your CV's might be bent.

  • John R
    Lv 6
    1 decade ago

    Take your Car in and have the Front end Aligned. BUT, before you do that, Check your Idler Arm and Pittman Bar. One or Both of these is Probably bad. You can tell by Jacking Up the Front End an Wiggling either one of the Front tires. If there is "PLAY" in it, then replace them both and take the Car down and have the Front end Aligned. It is NOT your CV Joints. They will CLICK and CLATTER every time you make a turn when they are going out.

    Source(s): Just went through this with my Truck. Replaced the Idler Arm and Pittman Bar then took it for an alignment. Problem Solved. Parts are very cheap. Alignment cost me $59.00 + tax.
Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.