CaptainGSR

Update: video at the bottom of page 1, final update on page 2, photos and tips on how to replace wheel bearing an driveaxle on page 3.



Ok, here is what I have ruled out so far:

- not the wheels: tried 2 sets of rims, one set with brand new tires
- not an alignment issue: just did a full corner balancing and alignment, and found no problems
- all suspension arms seem ok: no play in balljoints/bushings
- steering wheel does not vibrate
- i can really feel the vibration if i hold the passenger seat right side bolster
- jacked up the car once and ran the engine with the car in first/second/third gear, and noticed both wheels shaking, especially right rear. Transmission clunking seemed normal.
- clutch probably needs replacement (110k miles, does not really slips, but very light clank heard from clutch area when fully pressing pedal)
-engine mounts seem ok.
-no wheel bearing noise

Questions:

- do driveaxles fail or bend often on these cars?
- could this be caused by a dual mass flywheel failure?
- any advice? Am I missing something?

Linnm

Try a wheel balance using a machine that does "road force" balancing. Tires sometimes are not uniform weight at all places--road force will tell you where and tell you where to put the balance weights. It is possible to have a tire that won't give you the ride that you seek

CaptainGSR

Not the tires, tried different wheels, same problem. 18s, 17s...
Last set of wheels (17s) was with two different sets of tires. Last ones have been road forced balanced, nitrogen inflated...blabla...
I don't go to walmart for tires :-)

I am thinking driveaxles. It is a weak point on my Integra. They always vibrate if not properly balanced when rebuilt. I have zero experience with the Porsche driveaxles... I have never taken mine apart.
The passenger side really shakes when it spins with no weight on wheels...

NYC993

CV joints?

BesideTheBox

You may want to check the rear hubs for lateral runout.
If the issue is in the transmission or clutch, the shaking will be RPM versus MPH dependent.

Ed Hughes

I would inspect the axles, joints AND check that none of the bolts are loose. I'd not drive it until you do.

CaptainGSR

"BesideTheBox," I found an old post of yours, about a shaking you had in 2012. Did you end up having to replace the hub assembly, or a bearing?
I'm gonna stop by Harbor Freight and pickup a gauge tomorrow.

Nothing loose Ed. I think the car has always been shaking. I bought it in 2007. It was barely noticeable then. I blew it off at the time because it would only show above 110mph, which I only tried once. But it got worse recently.
The right rear wheel was bent when I bought the car. I had it fixed, and sold that set of wheels a many years ago.
I suspect that whatever the PO hit with the car to bend that wheel, did some damage (Either the hub or a CV joint/shaft issue.)

redlightrich

Did you own this car for a while? Did this vibration just start, or has it been progressively getting worse?

What condition are your rear rotors in? When you apply brakes, how does pedal feel?

When you say bearings have no noise, is that based on listening to it while the wheels are off the ground ( they usually need a load to make noise unless they are really bad).

Also, the axles are difficult to diagnose with the wheels off the ground as this applies unusual force to them ( compared to when driving)

I think you should check axle fasteners, check wheel bearing play and deflection with an indicator and the rotors too.

After checking axle fasteners, maybe a ride with a friend could be helpful. One can drive, and one can investigate.

I agree, wheels and tires are probably not it.

One more thing, don't completely ignore the fact that other areas of the car can transmit vibration and make it appear like another. I have seen things seemingly unrelated be the culprit!!!

Good luck

Rich

Full Boost

curiosity has got me… Im watching!

BesideTheBox

The front brakes pulsed when I bought my car, figured it was 'just' the front rotors. The following Spring, I replaced rotors and pads.
All good for 2K miles, then the pulsing came back. Bought the runout gauge and found that the hub was out of spec by a few
thousandths (don't remember the amount exactly).
I am finally getting around to getting this fixed - new hub and bearing - when I get my suspension fixed up (struts, springs, front control arm bushings).
Yeah, I move slow.

Now that I think of it, the shake was only noticed when applying the brakes because I could feel it through the steering wheel.
At 70 MPH and you apply brakes, does the shaking get better or worse?

Oh, I just see that you posted that the shake has gotten worse over time and that the PO had bent the RR wheel. Makes hub investigation a worthwhile endeavor.

CaptainGSR

I'll keep you guys posted on what I find. I will do a high speed run and try braking/neutral...etc...

So far, I have never really felt anything through the brake pedal.

k722070

one way to go about this is get the car back up in the air, engine idling in second gear.
use a stethoscope or screw driver to listen to various parts of the drive train, then remove stuff.
listen, then remove wheels. listen, then remove brake caliper, listen then remove brake disk.
if the noise or vibration is still coming from the hub area and not the transmission you've narrowed it down to the wheel bearing or cv joints(my guess).
if the noise is coming from the tranny continue to remove by unbolting the drive shaft from the joint flange, might be something crazy like the taper roller bearing holding the joint flange.

lopro

check your wheel bearing jack the car and grab the tire from at the sides with both hands and try to wobble the wheel if no play then at 60 kms swurve the car from side to side, if its your wheel bearing you will hear a grinding noise/growling noise.

if the bearing is ok then try to spin the wheel and check the hub runout for slight wobble

im willing to bet its in the driveshaft

But it could be anywhere and Im on board to hear more

CaptainGSR

OK, I did some troubleshooting this afternoon. Here is a quick video of the car.
I used the Esco jack stands to simulate weight on wheels (otherwise, the transmission rattles.)

The silver mark on the axle was caused several years ago by the PSS10 droplink mount. It had rotated under load, and the axle started chewing it. I suspect this might have accelerated the wear on the shaft/CV joints.

It looks like I will be calling sunset in the morning. I am thinking brand new driveshaft... I guess my hub is still good?
The tire is slightly flat spotted on the video. The rim is also straight.
The wheel bearing felt and sounded fine (I used a stethoscope.)
Let me know if you guys disagree with the diagnostic.

Ed Hughes

There's no question that axle is bent. IMO, inspecting the drive components is always the first thing to do if one has proven it isn't tires/wheels.