Vehicle Vibration Diagnosis Checklist
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AREA |
PART |
POSSIBLE PROBLEM |
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Body |
Loose Body Mounts |
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Body |
Rusted Body Mounts/Brackets |
Check #4 First TracyPerf©98 |
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Brakes |
Rotors |
Out of Round, Wobbling, Cracked Fins |
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Brakes |
Calipers |
Loose Caliper Bolts |
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Clutch |
Pilot Bushing |
Loose, Worn TracyPerf©98 |
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Clutch |
Flywheel |
Out of Balance |
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Clutch |
Flywheel |
Out of Balance, Surfaced too much, Loose, No Dowel Pin |
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Clutch |
Clutch Pressure Plate |
Plate Off Center, Out of Balance, Bent Housing |
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Clutch |
Clutch Disk |
Out of Round, Dropped, Out of Balance |
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Clutch |
Bellhousings |
Cracked or Hole not Concentric to Crankshaft |
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Clutch |
Bellhousings |
Wrong Size Hole for Trans Collar |
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Engine |
Water Pump Shaft |
Bent, Loose Bearing TracyPerf©98 |
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Engine |
Fan Clutch |
Loose, Bad |
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Engine |
Fan Blade |
Bent, Out of Balance |
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Engine |
Balancer |
Loose, Spun on Rubber, Bad Keys |
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Engine |
Motor Mounts |
Cracked |
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Engine |
Tune-up |
Misfiring |
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Engine |
Carb |
Misfiring TracyPerf©98 |
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Engine |
Crankshaft Rear Flange |
Bent, Loose Flywheel Bolts, Worn Dowel Pin |
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Frame |
Cracked Bent or Rusted Frame or Crossmembers |
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Frame |
Cracked Front Frame Supports, Extensions |
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Frame |
Loose Bumper Brackets, Bumpers, Impact Bars |
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Rear Axle |
Spindles |
Loose or Improperly Shimmed Bearings, Bent Spindle, Bent Studs |
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Rear Axle |
Flanges |
Bent Flange or Loose Bolts TracyPerf©98 |
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Rear Axle |
Flanges, Half Shafts |
Wrong Combination, Wrong Alignment |
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Rear Axle |
Half Shafts |
Bent, Out of Balance, Loose U-Joint Holes |
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Rear Axle |
U-Joints |
Not Seated Properly, Off Center, Wrong Caps, Clips Missing |
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Rear Axle |
Axle Yokes |
Bent, Not Seated U-Joints, Not Machined Correctly, Loose Bolts |
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Rear Axle |
Pinion Flange |
Bent, Machined Wrong, Loose Bolts |
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Rear Axle |
Pinion Snubber Bushings |
Loose or Worn Out Cushions or Loose Bolt |
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Rear Axle |
Pinion Snubber Bracket |
Slotted Bracket Holes or Loose Bolts |
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Steering |
Wheel Bearings |
Loose or Bad Bearings TracyPerf©98 |
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Steering |
Steering Gearbox |
Loose Internally or Loose from Frame |
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Steering |
Frame at Gearbox |
Check for Cracks |
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Steering |
Steering Column |
Loose, Bent |
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Steering |
Steering Rag Joint |
Loose, Worn Out |
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Steering |
Tie Rod Ends |
Loose or Indexed Wrong |
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Steering |
Idler Arm |
Loose at Bearing or Frame |
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Steering |
Pitman Arm |
Loose or Oblong Hole TracyPerf©98 |
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Steering |
Power Steering Valve |
Loose Ball, Not Properly Screwed onto Relay Rod |
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Steering |
Manual Steering Relay Rod |
Bent Rod or Loose Ball Stud |
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Steering |
Relay Rod |
Bent Rod or Loose Tie Rods or Oblong Holes |
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Suspension |
Front Spindles |
Bent Spindles or Loose Bolts on Steering Arms, Oblong Holes |
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Suspension |
A-Frames, Shafts, Bushings |
Bent A-Frames or Shafts, Loose Bushings, Missing Bolts |
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Suspension |
Ball Joints |
Loose, Not Lubricated, Not Riveted or Bolted Properly |
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Suspension |
Shocks |
Worn, Loose, Leaking, Bolt or Grommets Missing TracyPerf©98 |
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Transmission |
Trans Input Shaft |
Bent TracyPerf©98 |
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Transmission |
Trans Output Shaft |
Bent |
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Transmission |
Trans Tailhousing Bushing |
Worn |
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Transmission |
Trans Mounts |
Cracked |
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Transmission |
Trans Yoke |
Worn |
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Transmission |
Driveshaft |
Bent, Out of Balance, Balance Weight Missing |
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Wheels/Tires |
Hubcaps |
Heavy Wire Style Hubcaps May Effect Balance |
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Wheels/Tires |
Wheels |
Bent, Loose Lug Nuts, Wheel Adapters |
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Wheels/Tires |
Tires |
Bad, Out of Round, Out of Balance, Broken Cords |
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Test Drive |
Check at what speed vibration comes in TracyPerf©98 |
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Test Drive |
Check whether it is MPH of RPM related |
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Test Drive |
Check whether it goes away with clutch disengaged |
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Test Drive |
Get up to speed where vibration is the greatest, Then: |
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Diagnosis |
Disengage Clutch, Does Vibration Go Away? TracyPerf©98 |
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Diagnosis |
With Clutch Disengaged, Rev Motor Up & Down |
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Diagnosis |
Does the Vibration Relate to Engine or Road Speed |
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Diagnosis |
With Car Sitting Still, Rev Up Engine to Check for Vibration |
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Diagnosis |
Short Out Cylinders to See if Vibration is Related to One Cylinder |
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Diagnosis |
Disconnect All Belts to Eliminate Front Engine Accessories |
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Diagnosis |
Install a Different Set of Wheels and Tires to Eliminate Them |
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Diagnosis |
Run the Vehicle on the Hoist with Jack Stands at Rear to Load Suspension Properly |
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Diagnosis |
Spin Balance Wheels on Vehicle |
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Diagnosis |
Hoist Testing will Eliminate Front Suspension, Steering, and Road Vibration Problems |
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Diagnosis |
Using a Stethoscope or Wooden Dowel on Components will Amplify Noises and Vibrations TracyPerf©98 |
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Notes: |
Clutch & Flywheel Problems Tend to Be Felt at around 1800 and 3600 RPM |
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Notes: |
Tire Balance Problems Tend to Get Worse With Speed TracyPerf©98 |
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Notes: |
Front End Problems Can Come and Go With Different Speeds. They Plane Out Sometimes |
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Notes: |
Front End Problems Tend to be Felt in the Steering Column |
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Notes: |
Clutch, Flywheel, and Trans Problems Tend to be Felt in the Shifter |
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Notes: |
Rear End Problems Tend to be Felt in the Seat Bottom TracyPerf©98 |
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Notes: |
Body, Frame and Bumper Problems Tend to be Felt in Body Vibrations |
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Notes: |
Vibrations Tend to Come From Items With Great Mass at a Great Distance from Centerline |
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Example: |
You Can Get a Vibration from a Tire, But You Wouldn't Get One From a Spindle Nut TracyPerf©98 |
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This information is for experienced Licensed Mechanics!
This information is courtesy of Tracy Performance. Additional information and comments are welcomed!