Hello all. I have a 93 civic Dx Five speed that could use some help. Not sure where to start diagnosing as I'm not very clever with suspension and such.

So driving home, suddenly the steering wheel starts (along with the front end of the car) to shudder HARD, like trying to pull it out of my hands hard. Come to find out that it WOULD NOT do it if I was accelerating or keeping load on the engine. Anytime I started to go down hill (and not accelerate) or let off and engine brake it would start to shudder crazy bad. If I was slowing down clutch engaged or in neutral (for either case) no shuddering at all. Happens at any speed. I haven't jacked it up to check out things, but I was wondering what I should be looking for? I checked the motor mounts as best as I know how (how obvious will a busted one be?).

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

My bad ISB causes my car to lurch sometimes when I engine brake. Does it only when in gear. Possibility? But this sounds more like a front end issue, possibly an axle beginning to pop out.

 

Thanks for the reply. I'll check into, but this is a lot more than lurching. It's like driving on a rumble strip, you can feel it in the whole front end, pedals, and steering wheel. I need to get the car lifted to check under it, but there's been snow on the ground since this started, hard to find a nice dry place to check it out...

 

I bet you have an axle slipping out.

 

So I got under the car today and couldn't find anything loose? Pulled on the axles, shook the wheels, couldn't find anything.

Does anyone have any opinion or way to diagnose this problem?

 

So it does it with no brakes applied? Just decelerating with vehicle in gear? Sounds like a wheel bearing, warped rotors or extremely worn out struts.

Can you be a little more descriptive as to exactly what you're doing, what gear you're in, how fast you're going, if it only does it in a certain gear, rpm or speed etc.

 

have this problem at the minute only i know what it is!

its the inner cv joint on my left hand driveshaft (could be either side on yours)

iv had a few innner cvs go and it usually causes the judder on accel but this time its onlt decel!

if you want to check them, jack up the car, remove the 32mm hub nut, pop the bottom ball joint and push the cv joint out of the hub,

you should be able to get the shaft and push and pull id an inch or two in and out towards the box,

this is the three bearings sliding in the inner cv, if one of them is stuck when you go to push/pull it, thats the culprit!

its the bearing sticking in one of the runners in the cup and not allowing it to articulate properly!

hopefully this helps, if the judder is fairly severe i would put money on that being the problem!

im a mechanic too so its not just a noob guessing :D