Club 80-90 Forums

Picked up my new 2.0L Aircooled devon yesterday. Very very pleased with it. Got a big list of minor things to keep me busy for a while, but there's one problem I can't get my head around where to even start.
Doing 65-70mph I get steering wheel vibration, exactly like a wheel needs balancing but it only lasts around 5 seconds, then goes away for around 5 seconds, then repeats.
It's kind of in a wave, increasing in intensity to a peak, then decreasing again, over approx 10 second cycle.
I've checked all wheel nuts are tight.
Can't think of anything on a van that could cause such symptoms.
Any ideas ?

Oscillating vibration - I had that on my car after I had two new front tyres put on. Tyres might be the problem but it could also anything - tracking, worn bearings, warped rims. First thing I'd do is get the whole front end checked. If it's all tight, then I reckon tyres or rims.

defective driveshafts or cv joints also give vibration at certain speeds

Thanks.
Think I'll start by changing the tyres then as that's something I was going to do anyway, then take it from there.
Don't understand the theory as to why some of these things would come and go on a regular basis, but we'll see what happens.

I didn't read past 65-70

swap rear wheels for front and re-test?

Might be a bolt on flexible joints (x3) on steering column.
I've had a bolt come loose and give these symptoms.
When stationary and steering wheel turned a bit does it click ?
Cheers Andy

Yes that's an interesting one. Over the years I have developed an ear for this kind of harmonic vibration - much to the irritation of Her Ladyship whose accuses me of obsessiveness . A classic and not uncommon example being mild wheel imbalance combined with slightly different wheel diameters which will however usually peak on a longer timescales. If you run a tape measure around the circumference of your tires you would be hard pushed to measure a difference. However the smallest difference will over time result in one wheel rotating 360 degrees in relation to it's opposite number causing vibration due to wheel imbalance to come and go in a regular beat just such as described. Just do the sums if you doubt this. I am struggling to think of such a relationship anywhere else on your vehicle other than your speedometer cable for instance which would just make noise rather than physical vibration. Do let us know what it turns out to be.

Do you get the same vibration between 50-60 mph?

Many thanks for the replies.
I've not got round to swapping any wheels/tyres as yet as I was going to get the wheels blasted/painted at the same time. However its very interesting to hear that different wheel diameters can be a possible cause.
One thing I noticed is that one of my front wheels has a lot more tread than the other so this is definitely something I will be focusing on.
Cheers.

Do you get a phone ring tone noise at the same time? I’ve been getting that with vibrations, can’t figure it.


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Adding that to my car diagnosis list

1 - whining noise from the passenger side - wife unhappy about something
2 - banging noise from the engine compartment - ran over cyclist
3 - vibration and strange noise - phone ringing, left wife at last service station


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Smcknighty wrote:Adding that to my car diagnosis list

1 - whining noise from the passenger side - wife unhappy about something
2 - banging noise from the engine compartment - ran over cyclist
3 - vibration and strange noise - phone ringing, left wife at last service station


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If I remember correctly you are not alone in that last one .

Smcknighty wrote: 2 - banging noise from the engine compartment - ran over cyclist

Hilarious

I've been a long time getting round to sorting this problem, but getting new tyres fitted did the trick. I suspect that as suggested, it was caused by having slightly different diameter tyres on front left and right, one being a lot more worn than the other.