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Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2003 9:01 pm Post subject: vibration on deceleration
I just noticed this today... say I'm cruising along at about 60 or so and I let off the gas. The whole car starts to shake, but stops if I give it enough gas to maintain or increase speed. It doesn't seem to do it if I shift to neutral, but I only tried that at a lower speed (I didn't know if the tranny would like it so much if I did it at a higher speed). Another strange thing is that if I'm at a stoplight and then go, the car seems to want to pull to the right until I let off the gas slightly, then a clunk comes from the front suspension (or so it sounds) and the car straightens up. I've heard the clunk one other time while backing out of a parking spot.
So anyways, does anyone have any idea what could be causing these things? I'm gonna crawl up under there tomorrow, but I thought I'd ask here first to see if I can get a few possible starting points.
Thanks in advance for any guidance.
-Dean
P.S. If it makes any difference, the tranny's a 350, recently replaced the front U-joint. I haven't touched anything else lately except for the distributor and the carb when I timed it and set the float level/idle.
Necoa #: 14
Location: 5(NC,SC)
Joined: Dec 07, 2001
Posts: 1761
Year: 1978
Model: El Camino
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2003 9:32 am Post subject:
I had a simuliar problem on one of my Chevelles. The last time I had it aligned the guy did not tighten the bolts enough & the alignment shims fell out causing the upper a arm to move around. Look at that & the a arm bushings cause they could be shot. _________________ 78 Camino SS, 355,built 700r4,3.23
Gallery78 Camino SS, 355,700r4,3.23
MSGT 145 AW
NECOA #14
Necoa #: 128
Location: 7(AL,GA,TN)
Joined: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 1399
Year: 1987
Model: El Camino
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2003 9:59 am Post subject: Re: vibration on deceleration
deangod wrote:
Another strange thing is that if I'm at a stoplight and then go, the car seems to want to pull to the right until I let off the gas slightly, then a clunk comes from the front suspension (or so it sounds) and the car straightens up. I've heard the clunk one other time while backing out of a parking spot.
Check your upper and lower ball joints before you drive it again. Make sure your castle nuts are torqued to spec and the cotter pins are in place. I dropped a front lower a few months back without any warning. Thank gawd I had just pulled into my regular spot at work!
Necoa #: 128
Location: 7(AL,GA,TN)
Joined: Dec 10, 2002
Posts: 1399
Year: 1987
Model: El Camino
Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2003 8:01 am Post subject: Re: vibration on deceleration
deangod wrote:
I just noticed this today... say I'm cruising along at about 60 or so and I let off the gas. The whole car starts to shake, but stops if I give it enough gas to maintain or increase speed.
Monday I noticed a slight shimmy at 47 mph in drive. Figured with 154K it was the tranny getting ready to "give up the ghost". Crawled under the car when I got home to check the universals & such. Grabbed the drive shaft to check for play and the whole tranny slid from side to side. Looked at the tranny mount thinking it had worked loose. Nope, shot to sh#t...guess what I'll be doing Saturday! Figured I'd swap the u-joints at the same time as well just as preventative maintenance.
Necoa #: 572
Location: 10(IL,MN,WI)
Joined: Jan 28, 2003
Posts: 3629
Year: 1984
Model: El Camino
Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2003 8:40 am Post subject:
Definately sounds like a front end problem of some sort deangod. Check ball joints, control arms, and all steering linkage. Something(s) under the front end has definately passed its lifetime or is loose or not aligned...idler arm maybe? 87SS...I'd go with the polyurethane transmount. _________________ "The day we lose our will to fight is the day we lose our freedom" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4fe9GlWS8
Hmm, I guess I'll take a look at the front susp.... Didn't get a chance to last weekend because I ended up getting free tickets to the IRL race at Texas Motor Speedway. So, I'm driving the car very, very sparingly this week.
Have any of you guys tried the front end rebuild kits from Performance Suspension Components (http://www.performancesuspension.com/)? I figure I might as well rebuild the whole thing if I'm replacing ball-joints (rather do it all at once than have something else fail in 2 weeks).
Necoa #: 572
Location: 10(IL,MN,WI)
Joined: Jan 28, 2003
Posts: 3629
Year: 1984
Model: El Camino
Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2003 9:39 am Post subject:
Dean, probably a wise move and I'd go with the kit with the polyurethane bushings, a bit more expensive but it will handle better and last much longer. _________________ "The day we lose our will to fight is the day we lose our freedom" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4fe9GlWS8
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