01 Eldorado shimmy

[rockfangd]

I am wondering also.

The boots on the left side look dry cracked a little but I see no obvious grease leaks.

I wonder if the left axle is the problem. Only way Ican think to confirm it is to replace them one at a time and hope for the best. Maybe one is bad.

Let me give a little history

When I bought the car I noted axle grease all over on the inner driver side axle and the axle looked like new. But now I notice that the boots on the same axle are dry cracking. I see no obvious leak in the axles but maybe there isnt any to leak. I will check them again

[Cadillac Jim]

If you are getting something that feels like wheel hop, and you don't have road kill jammed in the wheel throwing it badly out-of-balance, just jacking up the front of the car or putting it on a lift that uses the frame pads should let you feel the slack by the usual front-end tests of grabbing at the 12:00 - 6:00 points and push-pull, etc. Failing that, letting the car idle in gear should reveal noise or irregularity in the offending wheel.

If a boot looks like it is cracking, I would figure on replacing it ASAP.

[KHE]

When I bought the car I noted axle grease all over on the inner driver side axle and the axle looked like new.

This would suggest the driver's side CV joint could be bad.

[rockfangd]

Update.

Had car looked at this morning.

I have been told it is not a tire or wheel balance issue

not a shaft issue.

They were not able to figure out the cause but told me it is extremely minimal.

they said it is most felt around curves at speed. They told me I should research to see if someone shares a similair problem. I laughed.

So Tonight I went over car again

Inspected subframe bushings.(noted some movement with my large prybar) Normal? not sure.

control arms are fine.

rack is tight

I think problem is a rotor. I am going to pull the front rotors and have them put on a lathe to see what it shows.

I dont think it is a warped rotor but yet a rotor that is not even mated with the hub.

If the rotors dont resolve it I give up. I will just have to live with it.

[KHE]

Update.

Had car looked at this morning.

I have been told it is not a tire or wheel balance issue

not a shaft issue.

They were not able to figure out the cause but told me it is extremely minimal.

they said it is most felt around curves at speed. They told me I should research to see if someone shares a similair problem. I laughed.

So Tonight I went over car again

Inspected subframe bushings.(noted some movement with my large prybar) Normal? not sure.

control arms are fine.

rack is tight

I think problem is a rotor. I am going to pull the front rotors and have them put on a lathe to see what it shows.

I dont think it is a warped rotor but yet a rotor that is not even mated with the hub.

If the rotors dont resolve it I give up. I will just have to live with it.

If the vibration/shimmy occurs when the brakes are applied, that would point to something in the brake system. If it occurs at speed, I would not suspect anything in the brake components.

[rockfangd]

It is possible to be brake related if the hub surface of the rotor is not even with the braking surface of the rotor, and with a condition like this it may not even pulsate when applying the brakes.

[rockfangd]

well guys, still at this one.

I replaced the rear brakes again. Shimmy is better but definately still there, I knew there was something going on in the rear.

So now it is just in the front.

I bought another set of front rotors to try,

I also bought a used Oem cv axle from my local u pull it. The replacement on the eldo has cracks all over the boots and I imagine it wont last long.

I am swearing between either engine and/or tranny mounts, or cv axle.

I am also going to be putting my snows on soon.

I am going to swap the axle first, then the rotors, then the tires. Hopefully one of these nails it, if not then I will have to try mounts.

All I can really say is that it is at all speeds, variable of speed though, and is worse when turning into curves, (left or right) and even worse when the wheel is turned faster than normal.

I will keep posted

[rockfangd]

Update 1/30/2015.

I finally have some improvement.

Last week I swapped the rotors in the front for the set I purchased.

I also replaced the worn lower engine and transmission mounts.

The car rides alot better. Huge improvement. The wheel hop feeling is gone.

There is still a vibration from something but it is tolerable for now. I still feel the axle on the left side may be some culprit. I will swap it in the spring.

Only thing I am still curious about is why it feels like the wheel jitters only when turning into a curve.

I am likely going to replace the front struts and lower control arms in the spring. The front end is noisy and I think the vertical arm bushings are going bad. (could be the cause of the jitter) Maybe a caster issue.

So anyway I will post more in the spring

[Cadillac Jim]

Have you looked at the cradle mounts? Is the rack-and-pinion OK and its bolts tight? How about the inner *and* outer tie-rod ends? Stabilizer links are a notorious source of rough-road noise.

[rockfangd]

cradle is tight. no movement

rack is tight.

inners are tight, outers are new and tight

links are questionable. They feel tight and take grease ok.

[Cadillac Jim]

A vibration at highway speeds (45 mph or above), particularly if stronger or weaker at some speeds, would point to tire/wheel balance. Vibration at very low speeds points to CV joints, or bearings related to the front axle, such as a loose bearing at the transmission.