Worn Out Suspension Bushings Cause Vibration

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For a while now I've been having a vibration. It was mostly apparent right at 65-70mph. I had a tire rotation and balance. This reduced the vibration at 65-70mph but now I feel another right at 25-30mph (neither are severe, just annoying. I can't feel any shake in the steering wheel but it does feel like it has more play in it than usual). I changed my oil the other day and noticed the bushings on my sway bar end links were shot. Also, the tie rod bushing don't look great but aren't as bad as the end links. Could either of these be causing the vibration? This is the car in my signature and it has about 49k miles.

Sway bar end links:

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Tie rod:

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Wether those bushes are the cause of the vibration or not, you have identified worn/deteriorated parts that should be replaced.

Were the wheels balanced correctly? Is a tyre flat-spotted?
 
Dude!

When posting Pics, Pls post low-res versions, it eats up time, data charges to download and view!

Here's a good way to test the joints:

Use a rubber hammer to lightly smack the joints from different angles, if they
are actually loose and worn inside, you'll hear a click or clang and you may
see the joints move! Cracked boots are no good and need replacing, but you
also want to trace down the issue. Don't use a steel hammer.

Got my rubber hammer at a dollar store!

Also try this PDF:

" TRACING SUSPENSION NOISE THE ‘MacGYVER' WAY "
https://www.box.com/s/plmqfw0qc4t0zgo0o2rf
 
Working in several garages, I've never seen us recommend replacing sway bar links or tie rod ends because of the way the rubber looked. If there is play we'd recommend replacing. I doubt they would cause a vibration unless there was severe play.
 
Dryrotted boots are not ideal but are not necessarily a cause for concern. Check the joints for play.

One area to definitely check is the inner tie rods. Those can sometimes cause unexplained vibrations if they are worn.
 
Originally Posted By: caprice_2nv
Working in several garages, I've never seen us recommend replacing sway bar links or tie rod ends because of the way the rubber looked. If there is play we'd recommend replacing. I doubt they would cause a vibration unless there was severe play.
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Dryrotted boots are not ideal but are not necessarily a cause for concern. Check the joints for play.

I checked them and I couldn't feel any play. The boots have completely degraded though, I can see straight through to the joint.

One area to definitely check is the inner tie rods. Those can sometimes cause unexplained vibrations if they are worn.


Best way to test the inner tie rods?
 
Off topic, but man, seeing shots of a 10 year old car without rust or corrosion makes me a bit envious.

Agreed with others, check the parts for play before you "fire the parts cannon" at those front-end pieces.

Lastly, what about the rear suspension? Isn't that IRS on this generation?
 
Originally Posted By: sciphi
Off topic, but man, seeing shots of a 10 year old car without rust or corrosion makes me a bit envious.

Agreed with others, check the parts for play before you "fire the parts cannon" at those front-end pieces.

Lastly, what about the rear suspension? Isn't that IRS on this generation?


Been a while since updating but I partly forgot and have had other things going on. But the vibration (I should correct this and call it more of a wobble than a vibration) is getting more annoying.

Yeah, it's nice living in the south when it comes to cars. I think it would make me sick to watch my cars rust away.

Anyway, it is IRS in the back. Everything looks pretty nice still, I can't find any cracked rubber or anything noticeable. Pic of rear suspension

Back to the front though, having never replaced sway bar links or tie rods before, is it normal for the parts to rotate easily? There is no movement out of the joint, but they turn easily by hand. Here are a couple videos to show what I mean (I apologize for the blurriness, the camera was on the wrong setting, but it is clear enough to show what I'm asking)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5-2enB1rSs&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol7YLEWT7NE&feature=youtu.be
 
Originally Posted By: RoGuE
Originally Posted By: sciphi
Off topic, but man, seeing shots of a 10 year old car without rust or corrosion makes me a bit envious.

Agreed with others, check the parts for play before you "fire the parts cannon" at those front-end pieces.

Lastly, what about the rear suspension? Isn't that IRS on this generation?


Been a while since updating but I partly forgot and have had other things going on. But the vibration (I should correct this and call it more of a wobble than a vibration) is getting more annoying.

Yeah, it's nice living in the south when it comes to cars. I think it would make me sick to watch my cars rust away.

Anyway, it is IRS in the back. Everything looks pretty nice still, I can't find any cracked rubber or anything noticeable. Pic of rear suspension

Back to the front though, having never replaced sway bar links or tie rods before, is it normal for the parts to rotate easily? There is no movement out of the joint, but they turn easily by hand. Here are a couple videos to show what I mean (I apologize for the blurriness, the camera was on the wrong setting, but it is clear enough to show what I'm asking)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5-2enB1rSs&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol7YLEWT7NE&feature=youtu.be


Rogue, those videos are really helpful - good idea. I've replaced a number of the sway bar end links - they don't seem to last long up here with our severe winters and potholed roads. Wear has shown up first as a knocking noise when the car goes over a parking lot speed bump. Even if yours aren't making noise, they look very loose. They're typically a metal ball in a plastic socket, and don't last the life of the car. I often have to cut mine off with a cutting wheel, but in your area you might be able to remove the nut successfully. The problem is that the nut rusts onto the stud coming out of the ball, and the ball rotates inside the worn socket when you try to loosen the nut.

As far as the outer tie rod end, it too looks to be pretty loose, and I think I can hear some clunking in the video. I test mine by trying to move the tire side-to-side with the wheel off the ground. Watch for movement at the tie rod end. If you replace them, you can count threads on the old ones and try to install the new ones accordingly. However, I've usually needed take the car in for an alignment after replacing them.

Neither of these necessarily are causing the vibration at highway speed - that has almost always been a wheel-balance issue in my cars. I had a number of new Goodyear & Michelin tires with shifted belts that couldn't be corrected with wheel balancing.
 
Originally Posted By: Number_35
Originally Posted By: RoGuE
Originally Posted By: sciphi
Off topic, but man, seeing shots of a 10 year old car without rust or corrosion makes me a bit envious.

Agreed with others, check the parts for play before you "fire the parts cannon" at those front-end pieces.

Lastly, what about the rear suspension? Isn't that IRS on this generation?


Been a while since updating but I partly forgot and have had other things going on. But the vibration (I should correct this and call it more of a wobble than a vibration) is getting more annoying.

Yeah, it's nice living in the south when it comes to cars. I think it would make me sick to watch my cars rust away.

Anyway, it is IRS in the back. Everything looks pretty nice still, I can't find any cracked rubber or anything noticeable. Pic of rear suspension

Back to the front though, having never replaced sway bar links or tie rods before, is it normal for the parts to rotate easily? There is no movement out of the joint, but they turn easily by hand. Here are a couple videos to show what I mean (I apologize for the blurriness, the camera was on the wrong setting, but it is clear enough to show what I'm asking)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5-2enB1rSs&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol7YLEWT7NE&feature=youtu.be


Rogue, those videos are really helpful - good idea. I've replaced a number of the sway bar end links - they don't seem to last long up here with our severe winters and potholed roads. Wear has shown up first as a knocking noise when the car goes over a parking lot speed bump. Even if yours aren't making noise, they look very loose. They're typically a metal ball in a plastic socket, and don't last the life of the car. I often have to cut mine off with a cutting wheel, but in your area you might be able to remove the nut successfully. The problem is that the nut rusts onto the stud coming out of the ball, and the ball rotates inside the worn socket when you try to loosen the nut.

As far as the outer tie rod end, it too looks to be pretty loose, and I think I can hear some clunking in the video. I test mine by trying to move the tire side-to-side with the wheel off the ground. Watch for movement at the tie rod end. If you replace them, you can count threads on the old ones and try to install the new ones accordingly. However, I've usually needed take the car in for an alignment after replacing them.

Neither of these necessarily are causing the vibration at highway speed - that has almost always been a wheel-balance issue in my cars. I had a number of new Goodyear & Michelin tires with shifted belts that couldn't be corrected with wheel balancing.


Thanks for the input. Even as loose as the sway bar end links are, I don't experience any knocking. I have also tested the outer tie rod ends by moving the wheel side to side and there isn't any movement that I can detect.

Right now I hope it is the tires and not something like a CV axle. They are about 6 years old and almost ready to be replaced.
 
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