Semi Urgent. Bearing or axle problem.

[ib042129]

I need some suggestions before I give up and take the car to a shop.
I recently took a big road-trip and came back with my car broken.

So basically the car was driving fine, and then started vibrating a bit when I applied on the gas pedal. I had to drive the car home so with the miles the vibration increased more and more.

At this point it feels like I am driving on a washboard.

Now here are the key symptoms:
1)The car only vibrates if I apply the gas.
2)When coasting or braking there are no vibrations. Nothing feels loose on the turns.
3)The vibrations depend on speed. Start at 30mph die down after 80mph.
4)The vibrations do not depend on what gear or what RPM I'm in.

I lifted the car up yesterday and tried to inspect the front wheels. The wheels are not damaged, I can't really see any play in either the axle or the bearings or the suspension. So visually I can't find anything wrong.

Any ideas on what it could be? I don't want to give up just yet and take it to a shop.
Thanks in advance.

 

[knighthawk1104]

did you check the bearing by moving the wheel? maybe putting it in gear and have someone listen to it if it makes any noise.

 

[ib042129]

did you check the bearing by moving the wheel? maybe putting it in gear and have someone listen to it if it makes any noise.

Yeah. I lifted the car and rotated and shook the wheels. I can't hear anything or feel anything at the speeds I can rotate by hand.
I can hear it knock when I'm driving though.

 

[knighthawk1104]

maybe it's the axle. the end that goes into your tranny not the end that sticks out.

 

[AllGOnoSHOW]

CV boots do not have to have play to be bad, make sure you check your inner / outer joints and bushings

Sounds like a shock or shocks might be bad. Sounds like the hydraulic oil is not getting warmed up enought to cause the correct amount of resistance / friction so check your shocks for leaks excess ability to bounce the car up and down and check for squishy noises because usually it is the piston seal that gos bad in shocks causing air to push into the shock.

Check your bushings as well as your rear and from motor mounts.

Check and make sure all your lug nuts and wheel studs are tight.


Really sounds like a shock is out.

 

[AllGOnoSHOW]

Good luck man!

 

[Asian Invasion]

Is there any chance you lost a wheel weight?

 

[knighthawk1104]

Is there any chance you lost a wheel weight?

slight possibility but he says it only vibrates on acceleration. a missing wheel weight would result in vibrations more than just during acceleration.

 

[ib042129]

Wouldn't the shocks create vibrations even while coasting?

I have Tein SS coil-overs I think those are gas shocks. I'll check if the
car is bouncy again, but I don't think it was.

I checked the motor mounts and they looked fine. And I revving the engine while in neutral does not create any extra vibrations.

CV boots on the axles are not cracked. And I don't hear any extra resistance or noise when I rotate them by hand.
Is there a more certain way to check if it is the CV joint?

 

[AllGOnoSHOW]

If a shock is gone it could only cause issues after the car reaches a certain speed. Push down on each corner and see if any side is a lot different. Asian is right, having a cars wheel out of severly out of balance could definitely cause this.