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kwatnel
Novice
Apr 20, 2013, 8:07 PM
Post #1 of 9
(1988 views)
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highway body vibration
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1986 Honda Accord hatchback LXI. Vibration under the knees in the front seats while going 50-60 MPH; most noticeable on long, gradual uphill and moreso on a gradual curve; not noticeable on a gradual downhill or at speeds less than 50. Tires(fairly new) are balanced, front end aligned, motor mounts replaced in recent years, no brake vibration even at high speed. This has been happening since I owned the car(1.5 years). It has 160,000 miles. Thanks for any suggestions.
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MarineGrunt
Enthusiast
Apr 20, 2013, 8:24 PM
Post #2 of 9
(1973 views)
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Re: highway body vibration
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You said you put new tires on and had them balanced in recent years. How long has it been? Even if it has only been a few months you can't rule it out completely. Even newer tires can break a belt. I'd swap the tires around and see if the vibration has seemed to move to the rear.
Have you checked the ball joints? Hub assembly?
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kwatnel
Novice
Apr 21, 2013, 6:56 AM
Post #3 of 9
(1945 views)
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Re: highway body vibration
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I had a mechanic friend look at the front end for any worn rubber (or otherwise) parts; he said it all looked ok. Not sure if he could evaluate the ball joints. Not sure how to check the hub assembly unless you take the whole thing apart; I am not real clear on what all is involved with the hub. Two of the tires are 2 months old and the other 2 are maybe a year+ old. The vibration has not changed with rotation or getting new tires; I think if a tire were bad it would be difficult to balance; often,too, if a tire belt is bad the car will pull to one side and it doesn't do that. I'm also wondering if a cv shaft is not true or if bad struts can cause the problem; and if so how you could check these without replacing them; also could the rear tires need aligning. Can't really afford to start replacing parts to see if they are the problem
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MarineGrunt
Enthusiast
Apr 21, 2013, 11:15 AM
Post #5 of 9
(1930 views)
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Re: highway body vibration
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You can evaluate the ball joints by jacking the front end up and feeling for play by pushing and pulling on the tire.
I had a tire once that looked perfectly fine but would shake the vehicle once I hit about 60 mph and it didn't pull to one side. You can't always tell just by looking. I'm not saying yours is a tire but it's something I would really look into first. Start inspecting the easy options first and then work your way up.
I agree with not wanting to throw parts at it. A lot of people do that without realizing it would be cheaper to just pay a professional to diagnose and repair the problem. A shake can be a tricky one because there can be a number of different things that can cause it. It's more than likely a tire or suspension problem. You just have to inspect everything from tires to ball joints to bushings, etc. until you find the culprit.
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kwatnel
Novice
Apr 22, 2013, 1:06 PM
Post #6 of 9
(1919 views)
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Re: highway body vibration
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Thanks for the advice. Makes sense because I have suspected there could be several causes , but just haven't seen how to approach it.I didn't mention that the steering wheel does not shake in the least when this body shaking occurs and this is why I have discounted tires; maybe I'm wrong for doing this.
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MarineGrunt
Enthusiast
Apr 22, 2013, 5:59 PM
Post #7 of 9
(1912 views)
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Re: highway body vibration
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With the car being 27 years old there could be a number of worn out parts. Seems like suspension parts are things people tend to let go until there's a problem. Some suspension parts have a recommended replacement interval. I'd look over everything real good such as ball joints, hub, sway bar bushings, shocks or struts, tie rod ends, etc. I still wouldn't overlook the tires and would swap front for rear to see if you notice a difference in vibration. You said you did this in the past so might not need to mess with it. If it has been awhile I think I'd try it again just so you can be 100% sure.
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kwatnel
Novice
May 9, 2013, 5:50 AM
Post #8 of 9
(1855 views)
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Re: highway body vibration
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Does anyone see any significance in this vibration occurring virtually always on an gradual uphill slope at 50+MPH and more often a gradual curve? I'm inclined to just pay a mechanic $40-50 to see what he says because I'm not sure how to determine if these parts are bad.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
May 9, 2013, 6:15 AM
Post #9 of 9
(1854 views)
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Re: highway body vibration
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Why are you worried about a few bucks to let a mechanic witness this? Didn't re-read whole thing but seems this vibration is under load or curves at some speed. Things like wheel bearings, even engine trans mounts.
If a wheel itself or tire balance issue of any kind the tire has probably worn into that some and will never be right with a tire getting used to a flaw like that,
T
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