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Ben_nz · Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2004 10:24 am Post subject: Car throwing a wobbly?

Over the last day or so my 33 has been keeping me on my toes, as 33s often do.. Its latest game is to drive as though there's a puncture or a wheel loose and wobbling about. I watch the corner of the bonnet and I can see that the car is going up and down as it drives along, in time with the wobbling wheel sensation. This occurs at low speeds.
This morning the car didn't even want to drive me to work.. I got as far as the top of the street before deciding the car felt too dodgy and some part of the wheel or suspension would surely fall off. I drove slowly back home and swapped to another car. At this point I had some weight in the boot of the car, but only 30kg or so.

Possible causes? Two weeks ago I opened up both rear drum brakes and replaced one outer wheel bearing. Then I sent the car to have both outer CV boots replaced. I had been driving it for about four days since getting it back from the mechanics, and hadn't noticed anything wrong.

This afternoon I jacked up each corner of the car in turn and tried to find something wrong. All wheels were secure, no bits of suspension missing, chassis rails still not cracked through. Took it for a drive, it still didn't feel right. Got my dad to come out and watch as I drove up and down the street, incase he could see any wheels wobbling, the car leaning to one side etc. The car was fine! Drove it for an hour, testing for wobbling and not a single wobble would wibble. The handling and steering felt direct and normal again.

But who's to say a wheel won't fall off tomorrow? Or was the whole thing my imagination? How should I go about tracking down this seemingly unrepeatable and potentially dangerous (or imaginary) problem? Confused

gritsop · Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2004 12:28 pm Post subject:

Hi,

A couple of years ago, I felt the same feeling in my car for about 3-4 kms when a FIAT Punto driver stopped me and told me that the rear left wheel was going in and out.

What had happened??? Another member of the family tryed to be a DIY mechanic when the tyre had a big nail in it. He did not report to me that the he had a flat tyre , he replaced it BUT he did not put the rim correctly to the drum according to the small nail that it has on it.
Result: As he was doing the bolts the nail of the drum was pushing the rim's steel and eventually it ended with a big "bruise" instead of the nail being on the other, correct side of the rim... Shocked

Hopefully, no bearing was shot as the kms were a few & no accident happened...

Ben, I dont want to imagine that you have the same situation! My car felt like you describe. It felt like a shaker Rolling Eyes

Regards,
_________________
Thanassis Gritsopoulos
1991 Alfa 33 1.4 IE
2001 Alfa 147 1.6 Distinctive

http://www.alfa-restoration.co.uk
Parts Shop: www.alfa-restoration.co.uk/shop

Ben_nz · Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2005 8:36 am Post subject:

Gritsop, I think I may have found the problem today.
That 'small nail' which sticks out of the disc brake to help you line up the wheel was missing from the front passenger side.
I had taken the front wheels off to swap them and found one small nail missing, also that the brake disc on that side could rotate independently of the rest of the hub and driveshaft. I think the small nail must normally hold them together. Instead only the wheel bolts had been keeping everything in place.

Normally I hate that small nail and wish it would go away, but not any more - fitting the wheel without it, when the brake disc also rotates so its holes don't line up with those in the hub, is a nightmare! I will get a new nail as soon as possible and see if it fixes the small wobbles which are still present on slow tight right-hand turns.

gritsop · Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2005 8:21 pm Post subject:

Hi,

After a quick search the nail that you mention missing has purpose only to help the installation of the wheel. It is bolted right into the hub and the brake disk has a hole for it to come out.

My parents Merc does not have such nail but an aluminium long stick like a pen which bolts into the hub. You then install the wheel and then undo it to take it out after installing the bolts.

I don't consider it a cause of wobble as the wheel bolts keep together the wole assembly hub-disk-wheel so there is no chance for slack.

Anyway, keep us informed for any progress.

Regards
_________________
Thanassis Gritsopoulos
1991 Alfa 33 1.4 IE
2001 Alfa 147 1.6 Distinctive

http://www.alfa-restoration.co.uk
Parts Shop: www.alfa-restoration.co.uk/shop

James Granger · Alfa 33 Joined: 10 Apr 2003 Posts: 302

Just, don't play any music in the car... Wink

Maybe it is the bearing - the wheel could fall off!!!

Ben_nz · Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 9:59 am Post subject:

I can't handle not listening to music! I will pay attention on tight low-speed turns though, incase my wheels want to fall off.
It must have settled down, whatever it was, because over the past week or so the car passed a Warrant of Fitness check, and got me from one end of New Zealand's North Island to the other and back again. Pics from the trip to come soon! =)

LDA · Alfa 33 Joined: 28 Nov 2004 Posts: 276 Location: France

defo' take a drive with no tunes playing. even turn the fans off.
you need to listed to every sound the car is making and see if any of them are related to speed of the wheels.
i'm sure you know what a broken wheel bearing sounds like, but if not then you are listening for a groan/metallic whine/squeak.
if the bearing is only just starting to go the sound may come and go at various speeds.

a good way to test for wheel bearings is to jack the car up. put both hands on the wheel at opposite points e.g. 3 and 9. then try to push one hand in and the other out and see if there is any movement. try to wobble the wheel with this in/out action.
check this from a number of points round each wheel. there should be no movement.
check all 4 wheels. as what may feel like a front wheel puling could be a rear one.

good luck

L.
_________________
A good workman allways blames his sh*t tools.

GaryUK · Guest

Sounds like a shot CV joint

notgotone · Guest

at low speed it could be a faulty tyre,not so noticeable as you go faster.if tyre is faulty it is about to blow out.jack up car sit in front of tyre whilst spinning wheel by hand if faulty it will look deformrd and mis-shaped.get expert to check.
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Guest · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 1:48 pm Post subject: Re: wheel wobble

[quote="notgotone"]at low speed it could be a faulty tyre,not so noticeable as you go faster.if tyre is faulty it is about to blow out.jack up car sit in front of tyre whilst spinning wheel by hand if faulty it will look deformrd and mis-shaped.get expert to check.
[p.s. i had a wheel actually fall off - worn thread on rear stub axle/hub, not funny at the time.]

Ben_nz · Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 5:13 am Post subject:

My car hasn't felt wobbly again for ages now. Whatever it was must have settled back into position.

I took the car to an Alfa club track day this weekend, and the scrutineers told me I'd done both rear hub nuts up too loose. This was put right before I got to do the single car sprints event. None of my wheels fell off during the course of the day, but that did happen to someone else's car! I bet they didn't think it was funny either. Wink