spags930

Ok i have a a 98 ek hatch with a b18a engine swap. It has a inch and a half drop on it with a aftermarket strut and coil over all the way around. I cant remember the exact make off the top of my head sorry .

Also after this vibration came about I thought I seperated a belt in my tires so I went out and bought a set of nice new tires but still didn't fix it.

What is exactly happening
I dropped my right front wheel into a pot hole about a week ago going around 40 mph. Ever since that day when i am driving and hit a bump in the road from around 15 mph and up my steering wheel gyrates violently and my drivers front side of the car which I believe are both linked to each other but it only shakes for a second then it stops and my steering wheel is perfectly fine until i hit another bump in the road. i know its the right front wheel cause it started exactly after i hit the pothole. i also do not get a vibration at highway speeds except for when i hit a bump and that bump has to be on my driverside wheel and then my car hates me and steering wheel goes crazy on me then acts like it never happened.

What i checked so far but no help.
I lifted the front end of the car up in the air and checked the outer an inner tie rods by putting my hand at the 9 and 3 position on the wheel but no play. I then went ahead and check the the upper and lower ball joint by putting my hands at the 12 and 6 and then i changed it up to putting my hands at the 2 and 8 but still no play. I just recently had brand new tires put on my car and i know they are perfectly balanced cause i saw on the machine balance them out to 0 and it doesnt just do it while your driving at highway speed.

Please help me guys

speedpro92

You could have separated the belts in the tire. If you bought the tires from the shop you had them installed at have them check out the tire and maybe they can find it.

spags930

that's what I though it was so I went out and bought a brandnew set of tires but still no help. Still vibrating. I was due for new tires so I didn't really sweat that purchase.

Redbone

if you hit a huge pothole your alignment is probably all f'ed up again. also might want to have ur wheel checked for bends after that

spags930

The alignment is still dead on perfect. I'm thinking I might have blown the strut and when I hit a bump that's what I feel is the recoil of that tire just bouncing around. It feels like tire hop to be exact when I hit the bumps. Could that be the problem ya think. It's not just my steering wheel that shakes it's my passenger front will also go crazy.

spags930

Bump

raidacaipo

axle problem thats what Im guessing...

spags930

How would the axle make the steering wheel hop and right front side of my car.

raidacaipo

anything can affect your steering and causing it to vibrate.. thats your problem right? Hitting a pot hole could have caused the axle boot to rip. Who knows? do you see any black fluid around your wheels? Or the dip could have caused the axle to be pulled apart from the transmission. Even if it sticks out a little it would cause vibration. It cant be a balance issue because those usually occur at speeds of 50-70mph.. It cant be an alignment issue either because you will notice it when your steering starts to pull one way or another just driving straight. Besides I seen plenty people who drive with their steering crooked but dont have any vibrating issues..

My guess is the axle or a loose nut such as motor mounts. Since you said you checked the lower ball joints, check all the inner/outer tie rods as well..

spags930

I know for a fact my motor mounts are gone could it be the passenger one went when I hit the pothole or tore it open more.

mechanix619

I'm not sure what your trying to accomplish with the whole "9 and 3 position" talk but check everything surrounding the suspension. Your problem could be a number of broken parts. If all the suspension pieces are in good order you might have a bent rim.

Trey

Have your wheels balanced or at least, rotate them yourself and see if the vibration moves to the back.

raidacaipo

Yeah he already said he balanced it. Anyways member since 2000 up in herrrrr!!!

spags930

What I mean by the numbers is putting my hands on the tire at the 3 o'clock positon and the 9 o'clock position and wiggling the wheel to check if the parts are loose. I did rotate the tires and still have the vibration.

SHG_Claudio

Yeah I have the same issue, my steering wheel vibrates when I go over bumps. Its not your tires, Ive had 2 diff sets on there and it still happens. I have a ripped CV boot, blown shocks and my car is slightly lowered. I think its the shocks and the axles aren't balanced. Not sure yet because I havent gotten either fixed.

boostB4beauty

what sort of shape are your struts (shocks) in? Sounds to me like hitting that hole may have blown one out. If this happens, your coil springs don't have any damping to aid their travel. This can cause them to lose control of their rebound and in turn give you possible symptoms like you are feeling. Push firmly and quickly down on the front of your car and watch the suspension rebound. If it keeps going up and down until slowly stopping, than you may be purchasing some new front struts. good luck!

spags930

I'm pretty sure the strut is blown out. I'm gonna replace the front two this weekend and see how it works out. I did the bounce test a couple days ago and the left front rebounds quicker then then the right front which is blown out. I'm gonna replace both of them though since the left front is prob getting there to.

spags930

Do you guys think I'm gonna have to get an alignment if all I'm doing is replacing the struts and not altering the toe or camber.

miguel329

mine did this bolts and bushing in steering rack were loose/worn..

spags930

But did it do it only when you hit a bump on one side cause that's how myn is.