shock absorber

[captden29]

I am having a vibration problem with my 54 Windsor. at 60 mph and up the car gives the kind of bounce you might associate with tire out of balance. gets noticeably worse at 65 mph. [ these are speedometer speeds and are about 5 mph higher than true]. I changed out every tire with my spare, one at a time and road tested. no difference. could it be shocks? if so, are NOS too old? are new better?also I have wire wheels from a 55 NY'er and they have been on the car for 8 years and were recently balanced. I had them balanced due to feeling a vibe. in the car, but it has just gotten worse. the universal does not have any slop in it. I greased the rear bearings and no play in front ones. my guess now is the shocks could be played out, they are the originals as far as I know. I have my original rims so I might just put them back on to see if the old wire wheels are the problem. the tires are 8 years old. NOS shocks are more money, but are they worth it? thanks,  capt den

[casper50]

seals deteriorate over that many years.  I bought new ones for my 47.  Why pay for NOS and find out they no longer work correctly?  Just my 2 cents. 

[greg g]

How would a shock absorber cause a vibation?  By it's nature it is a static device that will not move of its own volition.  Its purpose is to resist motion not cause it.  So whether brand new or old a chaock can not cause a vibration.  A shock absorber attached to a suspension that has an out of balance wheel/tire assembly can either have no effect of can by its design mitigate the forces felt through the chassis, but not eliminate it.

 

If you have swapped the tires around and not noticed a difference, then the source must be elsewhere.  What could be the next soruce of vibration caused by rotational forces?  The drive shaft is likely the next likely component.  Either from being out of balance as an assembly, having a failing universal joint, or simply having been removed and reinstalled without regard to its original mounting position.  The first thing I would do is detach the drive shaft from either the front end or the differential, and rotate it 180degrees and reattach it.  This may or may not address the vibration, but if it lessens it, then you can look further into the assembly, checking the universal joints and the entire balance. If this doesn't provide relief from your vibration then check your vibration damper on the engine ( or check that first as it can be easily observed with the engine at idle).  If you see any wobble from that assembly than that would need to be repaired or replaced.

[Niel Hoback]

Determine if the vibration is in the front or the rear, Does the steering wheel shake or does the seat vibrate?  Whichever end you think likely, take those two tires and move each one 180 degrees on the wheel and dynamic balance them again. If that doesn't do it, check for excessive wheel runout.

[knuckleharley]

I am having a vibration problem with my 54 Windsor. at 60 mph and up the car gives the kind of bounce you might associate with tire out of balance. gets noticeably worse at 65 mph. [ these are speedometer speeds and are about 5 mph higher than true]. I changed out every tire with my spare, one at a time and road tested. no difference. could it be shocks? if so, are NOS too old? are new better?also I have wire wheels from a 55 NY'er and they have been on the car for 8 years and were recently balanced. I had them balanced due to feeling a vibe. in the car, but it has just gotten worse. the universal does not have any slop in it. I greased the rear bearings and no play in front ones. my guess now is the shocks could be played out, they are the originals as far as I know. I have my original rims so I might just put them back on to see if the old wire wheels are the problem. the tires are 8 years old. NOS shocks are more money, but are they worth it? thanks,  capt den

 

Why spend the big bucks for NOS shocks that have been sitting around for decades when you can buy brand new gas-filled shocks that work better a lot cheaper? If you have to in order to be happy,you can always paint them black before installing them.

[captden29]

thanks for the replies. I cannot tell if the vibe is front or rear. there is no shake in the steering wheel. the engine dampener is a possibility I had not thought of. what is wheel runout? universal was checked and seems to have no play.i agree on the shocks. new is the way to go, but greg is probably right that they are not the cause here. I will move the driveshaft 180. sooner or later something will turn up. appreciate the help. capt den

[Niel Hoback]

Jack up the car and spin each wheel slowly to check for a bent wheel.

[windsor8]

Sounds like an issue I had with a wheel/tire not being round.