Suspension Overhaul?

[calisoundmix]

So i have what i see as a minor problem somewhere in the suspension of my 98 ex. Whenever I go over uneven road (not full on potholes but just a POS paving job/old road) I can hear what I would describe as a shuddering sound coming from under the car. this mainly happens at speeds of 20-35mph and I can only hear this "shuddering" when the windows are down so it's not too loud.

I've recently had the four main shocks replaced (not the fifth shock on the driveshift though) and fairly recently re-greased the front hubs with new bearings and upgraded x-drilled rotors. my mechanic friend who was helping me (he has access to full out shop) put just regular grease on the front hubs although I believe I read somewhere that you are supposed to use CV joint grease, so not sure if that caused it but planning on redoing them soon anyway for safety. I was thinking maybe the torsion bar holders are causing this rattle (something about the kevlar wearing off) but I can't find a part number for them, plus i wanted to see what other insights people might have on here to check/replace since I'm doing a major tune-up soon anyway. thanks for the help!

 

[dogfriend]

From your shuddering description, I would check the condition of the U-joints on the rear driveshaft.

 

[calisoundmix]

did a quick look under the car and nothing seems out of the ordinary with the u-joints, although i'm not exactly sure what to look for. i drive fairly conservatively so wear is at a minimum.

can anyone point me towards a tutorial/post on inspecting or replacing u-joints? i did a quick search but we got quite a few jobs this week gearing up for a festival. many thanks to all.

 

[dogfriend]

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums//showthread.php?t=136985

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums//archive/index.php/t-137235.html

http://www.explorerforum.com/Singleton/web/pages/clunk.html

 

[calisoundmix]

Thanks for the links dogfriend, i did a good reading through especially of the first link on Diagnosis of Driveshaft and U-Joint Problems and here's what i found and the notes i took.

-Clunk when shifting into gear?
Nope

-Speed Sensitive?
Happens louder and more under 30mph, rare over 35.
Happens in Neutral and Drive.

-Transmission in Gear, Carrier Bearing Noisy?
Something is noisy/hissing, disappears when in neutral, looking at recent posts this might be an orifice hole causing this, although your link suggested it might also be a bad pinion bearing, is this a fix i could do myself or is it a costly repair?

-U-Joint Grease Seals? Rust?
U-joints have no rust, light rust on pieces they connect to though. all seals appear fine

-Excessive Joint Movement?
None at all, they are firmly connected.

-Damage or dents to driveshaft
Some color bands and what looks like a small welded on weight, no damage except small scratches here and there.

-Other Notes
Some leaking where tranny and driveshaft connect. So it seems that a new pinion seal is in order. Anyone have any links to this?

Thanks for the time and help.

 

[dogfriend]

-Transmission in Gear, Carrier Bearing Noisy?
Something is noisy/hissing, disappears when in neutral, looking at recent posts this might be an orifice hole causing this, although your link suggested it might also be a bad pinion bearing, is this a fix i could do myself or is it a costly repair?

The pinion bearing is the bearing that supports the pinion shaft, which is what the driveshaft connects to at the rear axle (and front axle too, if 4wd). The parts are not expensive, AFAIK, but the labor could be expensive. You could try to do it yourself, but I think that a special puller and bearing driver (install tool) are required and you need to use a new crush sleeve to get the proper bearing preload. If you have a Haynes or Chilton manual, you can probably find it there to see if youre up for it.

-Other Notes
Some leaking where tranny and driveshaft connect. So it seems that a new pinion seal is in order. Anyone have any links to this?

Thanks for the time and help.

Sounds like you have a leak at the rear seal of the transmission housing, I'm assuming that you have 2wd, since you didn't mention the transfer case. I think this can be repaired with the transmission still in the vehicle, probably easier than replacing the pinion bearing. Maybe the transmission is the source of the shudder?

 

[IZwack]

Hey ummm.. hi.. this is probably not the solution but is the spare tire nice and tight under there? If its loose, this "hissing" or "shuddering" sound you're hearing might be the tire rubbing against metal as the it moves around.

 

[dogfriend]

Hey ummm.. hi.. this is probably not the solution but is the spare tire nice and tight under there? If its loose, this "hissing" or "shuddering" sound you're hearing might be the tire rubbing against metal as the it moves around.

I like this solution better than the "replacing tranny" solution. :

 

[calisoundmix]

you guys are gonna love this, so i checked the spare tire like the respected senator said and it was nice and tight but i noticed that what i believe is the fuel vapor recovery unit (driver side above spare tire near gas tank) was loose and not bolted in.

thinking back on it, my mechanic friend had my leaf spring bushings replaced as an in-class exercise for the suspension class at a local cc. so it looks like no harm was done to the unit. it was wedged in tight enough by the spare tire. so it's zip-tied for now until i find replacement bolts.

took it on a test drive and the shuddering sound is almost entirely gone, so thats awesome and at least it brought the bad seal to my attention, i'll see if i can pinpoint the whining sound, hopefully it's just the tranny orifice hole causing it and not anything more expensive. thanks again for all your help so far