Pegged the speedometer - hood needs tweaking

[Justwondering]

So I had to drive the Suburban 45 miles away for a front end alignment and other assorted changes up front. Husband got to drive the Chrysler over.

Dropped off the Suburban and will go get it again tomorrow.

Meanwhile, we did the drive through at Braums for chocolate shakes and I got to drive home.

Seemed like there was a shimmy or vibration when you got to 70 mph.
So I goosed it to 75mph and it was still there.
Went away at 80.
Was back at 85 and whatever lies above that cause I pegged out the speedometer.

But I noticed that the hood seemed to be riding uneven. The front passenger corner was catching wind.

Once we got home, I pulled out the socket set and went about trying to adjust the hood.
Down a little, scoot it over a little to the driver side to even out the seams.
Tighten it. Its uneven.
Try again. and again and again.

Eventually I used a 2x6 block of wood about 5 inches long and used it as a spacer to push against so I could tighten the bolts while the hood was just high enough for me to reach the bolts.

Push/pull/push down/lift up -- check the fit, again and again.

I eventually got it a little better in the front but the back seems like its kicked up more and of course, my seams are uneven.

Is there a secret technique or is this a matter of practice makes perfect?

By the Way -- we rolled past 40,000 today!

 

[Aspen500]

There isn't really any secret beyond what you're already doing. What always screws a person up is, an adjustment at one point, throws another spot out, so you adjust to fix that and,,,,,,,,,,,,,now that's out of whack............. Also, you'll never get a 30 year old mass produced car to have everything line up perfectly. Hate to say it but, they weren't really all that good when new either.

 

[Justwondering]

Well now... at least I know it wasn't cause I might ... have been driving just a wee, tiny bit fast this afternoon.
bwaaa haaa haaa

 

[BudW]

Is the speedometer still pegged out?

The vibration sounds like one of four issues (or combination thereof):
- Propeller shaft U-joints
- Tire balance
- Tire belt separation
- Loose front wheel bearings

The U-joints require you need to get (completely) under car to check. When under the car grab the front of propeller shaft just behind the front U-joint and feel for any play up/down or side to side. A small amount coming from yoke to transmission is normal. Anything more than a small amount from yoke to transmission is not normal and needs to be fixed.

Same thing to rear of shaft, just in front of rear U-joint. No play should be felt up/down or side to side. If play is present – check to see if is coming from the U-joint or from differential.

I think, you can change U-joints yourself, for what I know of your technical abilities and tools (if needed).

If still under car and no play is seen at either U-joint, then place car in any gear other than Park. It helps to have one or two helpers to rotate both rear tires (at same time) to get propeller shaft to rotate. If only have one helper, chock one rear tire and have helper rotate the other side rear tire. Check for any damage to shaft when it is rotating (rock, forklift, covert, etc.), for shaft should be straight and ding/dent free. If any damage is present to shaft, it will need to be replaced or fixed.

With front wheels off of the ground (and attached to car), grab ahold of wheel at 3 and 9 O’clock positions and check for side to side play. A slight bit is normal. If more than a slight bit, is present – get a helper to look for play at tie rods (or other steering) and for play between wheel and spindle while other person moves the tire.
Then put hands at 6 and 12 O’clock positions and check for play again. Very slight play is normal but anything more needs to check for wheel bearing tightness and/or for wheel bearing failure.

Tire balance needs to be done by a shop with correct equipment.

Tire belt separation can be done by you. Jack up each wheel (both rear wheels at same time helps, to check rears). Rotate tire, by hand, watch the tread for any up/down movement or tread going side to side. It is kinda hard to explain when you have good tires, but if you do have a belt separation, you will see drastic movement in tread in a spot that could be a couple inches of tread or could take up to ¼ of entire tread surface. If you have a tread separation problem – avoid driving on that tire, because the tread is not too far from coming off of the remaining part of tire (ie, the tread will leave in chunks or in its entirety while driving, causing vehicle damage, a lot of swearing as well as grief changing a tire on side of road.

Generally if you are driving and all of a sudden car starts to vibrate and vibration is getting worse, PULL OVER NOW before the tread comes off. Some extreme cases, this can happen in less than a mile distance traveled, sometimes.

BudW

 

[Justwondering]

Not still pegged out. Just was going real fast to see what would shake loose. lol

I'll have to investigate the vibration.
Have already had it over for a front end alignment so it must be something else.

I'll go through your list when I get a helper and an 80 degree day.

Bud -- thanks for the advice though.

 

[BudW]

I’ve been on roads in Texas that has an 85 MPH speed limit (and still managed to do a bit more than that . . .).

Oklahoma only has 75 MPH speed limits that that is only on interstates and outside of 5 miles of a town/city.

I’ve not tried to get going that fast on my 5th Ave, but the Oklahoma Highway Patrol caught me doing over 100 MPH in my wagon, back in February, when I was late for a funeral.
BudW

 

[Justwondering]

Budw. You keep doing 100mph in your wagon and I'll be coming to your funeral. Not so worried about your driving but about the other folks on the road driving and texting.

What's a 100 mph ticket run you in Oklahoma?

 

[BudW]

I think it is well over $1000.

I didn’t get a ticket (therefore, I didn’t ask).

The officer asked where I was going. I showed him on my phone (GPS) and text I got, saying who/when/where - and he let me off.

Also, I was following a new Jaguar for quite a bit beforehand, but he turned off about a mile earlier.

Note: on the interstate, on Thursday about 11am, there wasn’t a lot on the road at the time. I still had a lot of gas petal left to use . . .

He did give me a ticket, though.
This was on February 2 and my previous car insurance expired on February 1 - and I forgot to put in car, my current insurance card, beforehand.

A trio to Eufaula, OK court, a month later got that ticket removed (no cost), except for the 5 hour car trip.
BudW

Edit: my Trip to Waco, TX a month earlier, the speed limit was kept (mostly) at 65 or 75 MPH.

 

[MoparKidD-4]

Interstate speed limit around here is 75, I usually cruise around there or 80. I have noticed with my 5th Avenue the front end sheetmetal shakes and shimmies a lot more than my old A-body 1970 Duster driving at highway speeds, mainly going over rough patches of road or hitting bumps. Might be the rubber K-frame isolators jiggling around? lol

What kinds of vibrations were you feeling, and what end of the car did they seem to be coming from (front/back)? Usually an out-of-balance tire will be lower frequency like a rumble and shake (feels like a wheel is coming loose) while driveline imbalance will be higher pitched, more of a constant "hummm... hummm..." and it will feel like it's coming more from underneath the middle-rear of the car.

 

[Justwondering]

Steering wheel vibrating like crazy.

Seems a little less vibration since I 'adjusted' the hood. I really think I need to move the entire front clip up 1/4 inch and towards the passenger side about 1/4 inch. Something is out of wack.

I'll check the tires... its got new tie rods, pittman, and idler and a realignment so I think that's good.

 

[MoparKidD-4]

Steering wheel vibrating like crazy.

Seems a little less vibration since I 'adjusted' the hood. I really think I need to move the entire front clip up 1/4 inch and towards the passenger side about 1/4 inch. Something is out of wack.

I'll check the tires... its got new tie rods, pittman, and idler and a realignment so I think that's good.

I would forget about the sheetmetal for now until that vibration is fixed, body panel alignment has nothing to do with how the car drives... I'm willing to bet a wheel weight fell off one of your front tires, I would just take it into a tire shop and have the fronts re-balanced right off the bat. Alignment issues could cause some vibration too if the toe setting is out of whack but you say it's recently been aligned, also it would handle and steer kinda funky with messed up alignment.

 

[Justwondering]

good excuse to hit the tire company I use...
free ice cream bar while you wait, it was 99 today and will be again tomorrow.