Shudder / Vibration while Driving

[ksknapper]

I experienced a unique problem over Thanksgiving. I spent 4 days trying to figure what was occuring and just waiting for it to fail while we were returning home. My 95 LTD 4.0 developed a hard shutter at about 65 to 70 MPH. It is not in the tires, you can feel it in the body of the car - seems like its right under the console. After reviewing the archives, I'm thinking it might be the Torque Converter Clutch failing, am I right in this assumption? I pulled the pan on the Tranny and no shavings or metal what so ever. The fluid was a little dark, so had it flushed by a shop and had the mechanic ride with me and he also thought it was the TCC. If I replace the TC is that going to solve my problem? Is there anything else that might be occuring, before I start pulling the tranny? Originally thought it was a U joint failing, but all seem real tight. Noticed in one post that two different types of tires caused the situation for another member. We did just get new tires, but all of one type and size. Would there have been any coorelation there? Noticed in the manual, all terrain tires were not to be installed, but no reason why, I just assumed due to the overturning issues brought out in the mid 90's as the reason. ANyone else have a solution? I'm all EARS

Thanks

 

[ExplorerDMB]

Why are you saying it's not in the tires? Because you can't feel it in the steering wheel? Front tires out of balance/bent wheels will give you the vibration in the steering wheel. Rear tires out of balance/bent wheels will give you the vibration in the seat. A bad CV-Joint can cause a shutter to. U-joints can cause vibrations as well. I would just do more inspections, take your driveshafts out and move the u-joints around, are they tight? If so you will need to replace those. Hope this helps

-Drew

 

[Glacier991]

Ok guys... hearing "shutter" is like hearing fingernails on a blackboard. It's SHUDDER ! A shutter is what covers a window. And a ****ter is a porta potty. (Whew I feel so much better now.) [I know ... prissy a**holes like me should be whipped or something... but humor me... shudder, please?]

I once had a little Toyota Corolla. I was in college (back in the dark ages) and bought some "fabric radial" tires (stop laughing). There was ONE street Boulder CO had grooved and I COULD NOT drive that car on that street, at all. It was practically uncontrollable. Tires and suspension can do odd things.

That is what makes the thread about a SHUDDER difficult. So many things can affect the feel of a vehicle. The more info the better, but obviosuly being IN the vehicle is best way to tell and we cannot be there.


Your Torque convertor SHOULD lock up at 40 mph or so. Unless it is sufferring inadequate pressure to keep it locked up somehow...... a shudder at 65-70 seems NOT TC related. Ah, for a trans pressure gauge. I am skeptical your have a TCC problem here.

 

[ksknapper]

thanks for the reply Drew, I can 99% guarantee its not in the tires. Can't feel it in the steering and rotated tires, no difference. It obviously in the drivetrain behind the engine somewhere. Read somewhere that U joints only vibrate while accelerating. This shutter happens all the time above 50 mph. We got about 4 inches of snow today and I'm a shade tree mechanic so haven't dropped the driveline yet. Thanks for input.

Bryan

 

[robrike40]

Bryan,
I may have been the guy you refered to about the two different size tires. Mine is a 98 XLT and my shudder came in under half to 3/4 throttle at speeds above 50mph. It was happening as the tranny was trying to decide to shift out of OD to 4th. Mine has the Auto/4hi/4lo switch and was only happening in Auto. Turns out that even though I had the same sizes the brands are different in size even though they say they are the same. Little standardization please on the sizing. Hope this helps rule out the problem I had. 98 had a gem reflash to make the think less sensitive to rear vs front wheel slippage. In the quest to diagnose my problem I replace both rear u-joints, not too bad to do if you have a vice. Machine shop could do it cheap and easy for you if you remove the shaft yourself. U-joints are cheap to replace. Might be worth trying.
Rob
98 XLT

 

[ksknapper]

Thanks for the additional input Rob and Glacier. It has been really cold and with the holidays I just got to pull the driveline this past weekend. I might have found the culprit. My front U-joint was locked up and the slip yoke splines are not as tight as I would expect. I took the driveline to the specialist this morning in hopes this may solve at least some of my problems. Two new U-joints and a tested driveline shouldn't hurt matters any. I plan on putting the driveshaft back on and taking for a test run. I'll repost upon my findings.

Glacier, where does one get a trans pressure guage and how is it used. Could I have a selenoid problem and not a TCC problem or are they interrelated? I am pretty ignorant when it comes to trannys. I hope your right in your prediction, I really don't want to have to pull that tranny.

Bryan

 

[Glacier991]

"Where does one get a pressure gauge and how are they used"

I'll post some places that sell them, they are essentially a 300PSI gauge on a hose. As to use.... there is thread in the top of the forum in the "sticky threads" on using on on a 1st gen. But applies to you as well, you just have more places to connect it.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Some people add a lot of extra gauges on cars, like air/fuel mixture, turbo boost, RPMs, temperature, etc. Why don't the manufacturers of these aftermarket gauges like Cyberdyne, Autometer, or the OEMs have anything like a transmission over temperature light, or temperature/pressure gauge?

 

[Glacier991]

I think some of the Japanese cars have a transmission light which gets set by the happening of certain events

 

[ksknapper]

Well I forgot to indicate my findings on this problem. Both Drew and Glacier were right in their assumptions. The U-joint was definetly the problem which is now solved. I wish they were all this simple. You guys are great. I've learned alot since viewing this site. I've got new problems now and just posted about them as well. I hope it wasn't brought on by this cheap and easy fix.

Bryan