"Wiggle" Feeling - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

ar0ck · 12-07-2005, 12:58 AM

When I'm driving my car, only when I bring the RPM's up past 2,000 when I engage the clutch to shift gears my car feels like it is wiggeling from the rear. It feels like its ready to kick out as soon as I press the clutch in. Its pretty scary (especially at highway speeds).

It does it most noticibly when Im accelerating onto the highway and it feels like its comming from the rear of the car. I can do it on the street and its fine. When I kept trying to test where it happened, if I was already doing 55-65 on the highway in 6th, if I engaged the clutch the RPM's would shoot up about 200rpms. Its really strange. I want to say the wiggle feeling is from when I engage the clutch and the motor revs alitte, but thats not natural. This is something new I experienced after putting on the Salad Shooters. At first I thought the lug nuts were loose but I went over them real quick (car on the floor, not raised) and I only put my body weight on untill they just didnt move.

Just some things I plan on checking tommorow:
Driveshaft at the rear end
Double check the rear wheels that their on tight
suspension
tire rub

This is probably unrelated, but I hear a smack on the passenger side rear fender well, it sounds like the tires are rubbing, but I never got that sound when I had the 315's on. And it only does it once in a while. I can go over a bump one second and its smooth, and the next it sounds like the shock is worn out. Their brand new Bilstien HD's.

Any suggestions, things that are easy for me to look for?

Savage_Messiah · 12-07-2005, 01:59 AM

are they revalved HD's to match the eibach springs???

Tru2Chevy · 12-07-2005, 10:17 AM

Check the inner fenders for rub marks. You *shouldn't* have that problem, but for the time it takes to check it.....

- Justin

Squirrel · 12-07-2005, 12:02 PM

did you have the lowering kit on there the same time as you had the stock wheels back in the day?...maybe that small shock from letting out the clutch is making the tires bang

ar0ck · 12-07-2005, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Savage_Messiah

are they revalved HD's to match the eibach springs???

Their not the re-valved re-sold ones like SLP's, but they are valved for the specific springs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squirrel

did you have the lowering kit on there the same time as you had the stock wheels back in the day?...maybe that small shock from letting out the clutch is making the tires bang

The shocks & springs, were installed when I had the 17x11 w/ 315/35/17's on them. Just last weekend I put the stock 16x? 245/?/16's back on. How would that effect it?

I dont see why I should have tire rub problems especially on the 16's. The tire heigh is the same, but the width is almost cut in half for the winter.

Later tonight, Im going to check the driveshaft, only because its seems to be vibrating more then usual. I also have to call up my transmission shop to adress a few question I have regarding my transmission.

12secondv6 · 12-07-2005, 09:04 PM

Check the tire psi
Make sure the wheel weights are still on the wheels (did you use stick on ones or stamp on ones?)
Lug nuts should be torqued to 100 ft lb's When you put them on... did you criss cross the lug pattern when tightening?

ar0ck · 12-08-2005, 11:42 PM

Ok, I checked the Tire PSI, and their all still where I wanted them 30psi all around.

I took off the passenger side rear tire where I thought I felt the main vibrations comming from. I took it off, and re-mounted it and criss cross the lug pattern. I put alittle of my own body weight onto the bolts untill they were snug and not moving anymore. I did notice that when I put the wheels back on, the stock "acorn" style lug nuts had to be perfect when lining up the wheel studs. I put the car back on the ground, proceeded to back-out of my driveway and I heard the tire rub sound!

Went down the street, brought the RPM's over 2k and it did the same stuff!

I was just driving home, and feeling for it again and it feels like the drivers side rear now. Tommorow afternoon Im going to rotate the tires, since I put the fronts in the rear this time. Im going to put them on the way the car came. I have one odd tire so thats how I knew.

And for the wheel weights, they are stamp on style and they are all their. I only know the one odd tire was last balanced when it was replaced.

And is it possible for a driveshaft to become unstable or something? I know it obviously had to come out when I had the transmission work done about 2 months ago.

So many ideas, I have no idea where to start. I need help!

12secondv6 · 12-09-2005, 08:53 AM

Are you using a torque wrench for lug nuts?

When exactly did this vibration start? Maybe we can find out which part is related.

D/S has metal bits attached for balancing.... maybe it needs to be balanced.

Tru2Chevy · 12-09-2005, 08:57 AM

30 psi seems a bit low to me...

- Justin

12secondv6 · 12-09-2005, 08:58 AM

I like 33 psi for the bird.... when it was driven normally

ar0ck · 12-17-2005, 05:13 PM

Turns out the lower controll arm snapped a bolt at the relocation bracket, it was dragging causing that one random noise, and the wiggle was the entire rear end shifting.

Savage_Messiah · 12-17-2005, 06:06 PM

...oh

whatchu doin abotu it now?

89 Trans Am WS6 · 12-18-2005, 09:26 AM

Someones hopefully gonna stand by their work..cuz i doubt alex did it

qwikz28 · 12-18-2005, 09:29 AM

hmmm... the last shop to work on alex's suspension is...

Tru2Chevy · 12-18-2005, 09:57 AM

The bolt snapped? Wow....must have been a cheapy or a defect. I assume that it is being taken care of by the one(s) who did the work?

- Justin

GP99GT · 12-18-2005, 10:01 AM

replace it with grade 8, and do the other side too while youre freezing your ass off doing it. unless you take it back to whoever did it, TTP i assume

ar0ck · 12-18-2005, 11:56 AM

See one reason why I dont do my own work! I cant get blamed for it!

Im going outside right now to raise the car. Should the read be under load, like put the jack-stands on the rear end to raise the car? Im taking off the wheels to gain more access as well.

I'll survey the damage, check the other side and go out to the parts store if its possible. If I cant fix it or it did more damage, I'll call TTP just to let them know at least. Maybe if its a defect in the parts it can be replaced by Spohn?

The Fixer · 12-18-2005, 02:53 PM

The problem will be that the rear is only located by the TQ arm and LCA on the other side. You'll need to support the body with jackstands, and use the jack itself to push the rear up into position. Then swing the LCA into the slot and pop the bolt through.

Good luck! Too bad I didn't catch this earlier, I woulda driven up there to help.

ar0ck · 12-18-2005, 03:32 PM

Well I didnt get anything accomplished today, Im probably going to save it for christmas. I emailed Spohn about my dilema to get the specs on the bolt, maybe they will send one to me for free.

Im in no rush to get the camaro back onto the salty streets of N. Jersey. Plus my GF got her new car so she can drive me!

The Fixer · 12-18-2005, 10:02 PM

Sounds good. I'm on vacation the week between Xmas and New Years, so if you need a hand, I'm up for it.

qwikz28 · 12-18-2005, 10:16 PM

me too. i cant fix **** but i'll come chill

Savage_Messiah · 12-19-2005, 02:09 AM

Spohn supplied new bolts with the LCAs?

I'll give ya a hand too, I have done LCAs on my car and nothing broke yet

I would definately give TTP a call and tell them what happened

Tru2Chevy · 12-19-2005, 10:07 AM

Surprising that something that Spohn provided broke. Like I said, it could be a defect. Was the bolt actually broken (like in pieces, but still there)? Or was it just missing when you looked, so you assumed that it broke?

- Justin

ar0ck · 12-19-2005, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tru2Chevy

Surprising that something that Spohn provided broke. Like I said, it could be a defect. Was the bolt actually broken (like in pieces, but still there)? Or was it just missing when you looked, so you assumed that it broke?

- Justin

It was completly MIA, I had the car lifted to inspect. I will defenitly call some people up later this weekend. I'll put the car as far into the garage as I can, and put the space heater in. Should be easy but hanging out with buddies is fun since the woman wont be around x-mas weekend.

And Kasey, I kinda assumed it came with the bolts, because all the other bolts in the area are pretty clean.

V · 12-19-2005, 11:01 PM

spohn doesnt include the bolts, When you buy lca relocation brackets they usually come with a bolt and nut and a spacer. the spacer goes where the original lca mount was and uses the original oem bolt. then the LCA bolts into the new lower mount on the relocation bracket with the new nut and bolt supplied with the reloc. brackets. So one of three things happened, either the reloc. brackets came with bad bolts, TTP just used bolts laying around that were crap, or TTP over tightened them way too much and stressed them.