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General Information => Troubleshooting => Topic started by: runabout on October 21, 2006, 06:06:04 pm

Title: Severe front end Vibration on 82' Rabbit diesel Pickup
Post by: runabout on October 21, 2006, 06:06:04 pm

This is my first visit and posting so I hope I am not asking an old question.  I just purchased an 82' Pickup (caddy) and the front end seems to shake a lot.  The previous owner said that his brother had the same model and it did the same thing.  Is this common?  The CV joints look good and the tires don't appear to be seperating or missing balance weights.  Any ideas?  I would be very thankful.

Title: Severe front end Vibration on 82' Rabbit diesel Pickup
Post by: Slave2School on October 21, 2006, 08:27:03 pm

Not a rabbit (my car is a GOLF) but I had a bad inner CV joint, and no way to tell till it was off the car.  Vibrated hardcore under load and not really noticeable whiel just cruising.  If the tire rod ends have never been changed on your rabbit that could also be something wroth looking into.

Title: Severe front end Vibration on 82' Rabbit diesel Pickup
Post by: jtanguay on October 21, 2006, 09:38:19 pm

i had a broken motor mount... when engaging 1st from a dead stop, the engine would shake violently... sometimes...  :twisted:  i put a solid mount from a passat... supposedly those last forever??? bit more vibrating though... but longetivity is worth it :D

** forgot to mention that my car shaked in every gear on sudden acceleration. ex: coasting in 5th, then flooring it the car would vibrate a bit... not much but noticeable.  The worst was in reverse because it was the front motor mount.

Title: Severe front end Vibration on 82' Rabbit diesel Pickup
Post by: runabout on October 22, 2006, 09:24:10 am

Jtanguay and Slave2school,
Thank you for the suggestions.  I am out of town and will check it out as soon as possible

Title: Severe front end Vibration on 82' Rabbit diesel Pickup
Post by: jtanguay on October 22, 2006, 12:37:41 pm

i think the easiest way to check for bad motor mounts, is to put it in gear, and rock the vehicle.  look at the mount and how much it moves.  it will move a bit, but not too much.

Title: Severe front end Vibration on 82' Rabbit diesel Pickup
Post by: jtanguay on October 22, 2006, 12:45:06 pm

i think the easiest way to check for bad motor mounts, is to put it in gear, and rock the vehicle.  look at the mount and how much it moves.  it will move a bit, but not too much.

Title: Severe front end Vibration on 82' Rabbit diesel Pickup
Post by: TomB on October 22, 2006, 01:14:08 pm

Is the shaking constant or under braking/load?  The engine mount sounds like a distinct possibility though...  Get somone to check as you apply load in gear (gently :D) and see it looks like it's going to twist up and hit the bonnet....
Good luck,
Tom

Title: Severe front end Vibration on 82' Rabbit diesel Pickup
Post by: runabout on October 25, 2006, 05:07:06 pm

Thanks :D ,

I will check the motor mounts this weekend and give you all an update.  The vibration lets up when I go into a long sweeping right hander.  Does that help?

Title: Severe front end Vibration on 82' Rabbit diesel Pickup
Post by: jtanguay on October 26, 2006, 08:17:54 am

what about a left hander?  if it vibrates in a left hander could be the right side bearing?  does it shake going straight?

Title: Severe front end Vibration on 82' Rabbit diesel Pickup
Post by: runabout on October 28, 2006, 09:58:40 am

It definitely shakes going straight and at all speeds.  I think that it shakes in left handers too.

Title: Severe front end Vibration on 82' Rabbit diesel Pickup
Post by: jtanguay on October 28, 2006, 10:53:32 am

man... check your tires.  i bet the belts are worn.  if not that, then its probably struts/shocks.. i had a golf with bad rear shocks and it vibrated when going past 90 km/h.  by 100km/h it felt like a nice massage... pretty scary  :lol:

Title: Severe front end Vibration on 82' Rabbit diesel Pickup
Post by: Toolbox on November 24, 2006, 03:03:55 pm

If you have old tires on your car have them balanced or replaced. The difference is unbelievable, my car used to shake so bad above 60MPH that I couldn't listen to the CD player. After a blowout I got 4 new tires and could hit 90MPH before there was even a little vibration. (2 speeding tickets later I kinda missed the vibration) The same was true for my wifes car, only we just had them balanced and the shaking stopped.

In any case I would start your troubleshooting with the balancing. The shop I went to did all 4 for $10 because I took them off and brought them in.

Title: Severe front end Vibration on 82' Rabbit diesel Pickup
Post by: Northern RD on November 24, 2006, 03:36:50 pm

Hmmm, a 24 year old vehicle with the front end shakes and no mention of how old any of the front end parts are: I wonder what it could be???
Unfortunatlywith so little to go on it`s almost impossible to say what it is exactly, it could be ball joints, tierod ends, superanuated front end bearings or a combination of all three and maybe more,..... :cry:  :cry: ..