How bad is my alignment?

[VehiGAZ]

Whoa doggies - let's start with the simplest and most likely culprit - tire balance.

A vibration that occurs only at certain speed ranges is generally one of two things - tire balance or a bad CV joint (not an alignment problem). If you feel the vibe in the wheel, it's one of the front tires; if you feel it in the frame (i.e., through your butt), it is probably one of the back tires.

Since you said the tires are new, I suspect them the most. Have them rebalanced by whoever put them on and if that doesn't help, have the CV joints checked out next.

Granted, your alignment may be messed up, but that's probably not the cause the vibration. It may have caused a CV joint to fail, though, or so I have heard.

Good luck!

[psychos2]

Whoa doggies - let's start with the simplest and most likely culprit - tire balance.

A vibration that occurs only at certain speed ranges is generally one of two things - tire balance or a bad CV joint (not an alignment problem). If you feel the vibe in the wheel, it's one of the front tires; if you feel it in the frame (i.e., through your butt), it is probably one of the back tires.

Since you said the tires are new, I suspect them the most. Have them rebalanced by whoever put them on and if that doesn't help, have the CV joints checked out next.

Granted, your alignment may be messed up, but that's probably not the cause the vibration. It may have caused a CV joint to fail, though, or so I have heard.
Good luck!

What he said!!! And what I said earlier!!! shawn

[custom]

Good call! Before I did anything major I took the VX to ANOTHER tire place and had them balance all 4 wheels. Turns out, just as stated, that it was one of the two back wheels. After your post I remembered that when I got the tire put on one of the rear wheels the guy was in a big hurry (they were about to close and had kept me waiting for a long time). I drove the VX around for a test and then drove it home from work - no more vibration! Thanks guys

Whoa doggies - let's start with the simplest and most likely culprit - tire balance.

A vibration that occurs only at certain speed ranges is generally one of two things - tire balance or a bad CV joint (not an alignment problem). If you feel the vibe in the wheel, it's one of the front tires; if you feel it in the frame (i.e., through your butt), it is probably one of the back tires.

Since you said the tires are new, I suspect them the most. Have them rebalanced by whoever put them on and if that doesn't help, have the CV joints checked out next.

Granted, your alignment may be messed up, but that's probably not the cause the vibration. It may have caused a CV joint to fail, though, or so I have heard.

Good luck!

[tom4bren]

I guess the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle is hard for VX owners to learn. Or did the BS (Brilliantly Simple) principle apply here?

At least it didn't cost anything more than a few grey hairs.

[Mr.Badguy]

I know what you are talking about with the shaking. above 50mph some things shake in the car. In mine, the passenger seat shakes (if no one is in it). I have had all the wheels rebalanced and it still shakes. The steering wheel is fine at those speeds, doesn't shake, so its something else. I also had my U and CV joints checked and greased when i had my alignment done in June.

sorry i'm not much of a help for the problem.

[VehiGAZ]

No problem - glad you got it sorted out.

There are few symptoms in a vehicle that are almost always one or two possible problems, but a vibration in certain speed ranges is one of them.

Badguy... do you by any chance have Tone's seat rail extenders installed? I put them in mine, and they didn't fit so well, and they eventually stressed the seat frame rails until a weld cracked. The passenger seat had a nasty shake to it at that point, but I had the frame rails replaced (under my extended warranty -suckers!).

[Mr.Badguy]

No problem - glad you got it sorted out.

There are few symptoms in a vehicle that are almost always one or two possible problems, but a vibration in certain speed ranges is one of them.

Badguy... do you by any chance have Tone's seat rail extenders installed? I put them in mine, and they didn't fit so well, and they eventually stressed the seat frame rails until a weld cracked. The passenger seat had a nasty shake to it at that point, but I had the frame rails replaced (under my extended warranty -suckers!).

Hey VehiGAZ,

I do not have the frame rail extenders for the passenger seat. but perhaps there is something wrong with the seat rails anyway. I'll see what i can do with the seat tomorrow, now that there is something i can look for.

thanks!

[tom4bren]

I put the seat rail extenders on mine and haven't noticed any problems. They were a tight fit (so tight that I stripped a bolt trying to get them installed). Once I tapped the hole though and finished the installation, no problem. During the install did you insert all the mounting bolts loosly and then tighten them all after everything was in place? That should have kept you from getting any stress fractures.