MrMazda92's '92 GS - New daily

[MrMazda92]

Some SE door panels and PaceSetter headers coming in later this week. I need to see if it's too late to get in on the SRD items...

[MrMazda92]

This month will be a big one for this car, I've been holding out on the updates while I got things lined up.

1. PaceSetter Headers - Back on the to-do list.
2. SRD Crossmember - Received!
3. SRD Lower Tie-Bar - Received!
4. SE Door Panels - Pending Payment

I'm also looking for a full set of solid motor mounts, waiting for the right deal though.


So far this month, I've done the following:
- Adjusted ride height about 5 times. - All in the name of troubleshooting!
- Replaced both lower ball joints
- Replaced both outer tie rod ends
- Replaced one wheel bearing
- Fixed an oil leak
- Fixed a coolant leak

[MrMazda92]

SRD items received the other day while out of town!

They'll be powdercoated black and installed with a few other goodies I've yet to unveil...

*Space reserved for pics*

[ethand]

*space reserved for comments on pics* hahahahahaha can't wait to see it
(and yes, I'm back! )

[MrMazda92]

I still haven't snapped any! I've been running back and forth, barely even been home all month sadly.

Welcome back man! That was sooner than expected, no? Any plans for Zeke?

[ethand]

Haha all good, I totally know that feeling!! I seem to spend 3/4 of my life running back & forth!!
Sorry, by "back" I meant back on the forums (for now, at least!!) I'm still yet to leave for overseas - that happens in another 3 months, and I'll be gone for 12 months! So no real plans for Zeke still, although I do have some little things in mind possibly before I leave... mostly maintenance stuff, though...

[MrMazda92]

Kind of hit another financial road block, bleh. Debating what to do next... here's where I'm at.

Pending Payment:
SE Door Panels
Lower Manual Seatbelt Mounts
SE Leathers - Front/Rear Seats, near mint condition.

I'm currently saving for the following:
PnP MegaSquirt

Since I'm almost completely debt free, my money is now divided between bills and play. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a little of this done before basic training, moving 2 cars and a truckload of parts is hard enough when both are running.

[MrMazda92]

Phew.... It's been a rough month, and it's only half way over!

Good news, I've actually started to make money again. I'd fallen slightly in the hole with bills, and should be fully current in about a week.

Bad news, My '92 is having some frustrating issues still. I replaced both ball joints/outer tie-rod ends, and the driver's side axle earlier this year. Despite the work, fresh parts, and careful driving, my problems with vibration have not gone away.
The vibration is WAY less noticeable than before, and the car is definitely drivable(improvement, at long last), however the problem is very much still there.

When the front end is off the ground, 1st gear and reverse net the exact same effect. The driver's side wheel literally bounces up and down. My thoughts jumped immediately to axle and or wheel bearing. Brand new axle, install was a royal PITA(understatement), and unknown mileage on the wheelbearing.

I've been driving a '95 Civic Hatch around until I figure out this issue. Gas savings are nice, but my soul withers and blackens a little every time I get behind the wheel.

[crazycanadian]

Phew.... It's been a rough month, and it's only half way over!

Good news, I've actually started to make money again. I'd fallen slightly in the hole with bills, and should be fully current in about a week.

Bad news, My '92 is having some frustrating issues still. I replaced both ball joints/outer tie-rod ends, and the driver's side axle earlier this year. Despite the work, fresh parts, and careful driving, my problems with vibration have not gone away.
The vibration is WAY less noticeable than before, and the car is definitely drivable(improvement, at long last), however the problem is very much still there.

When the front end is off the ground, 1st gear and reverse net the exact same effect. The driver's side wheel literally bounces up and down. My thoughts jumped immediately to axle and or wheel bearing. Brand new axle, install was a royal PITA(understatement), and unknown mileage on the wheelbearing.

I've been driving a '95 Civic Hatch around until I figure out this issue. Gas savings are nice, but my soul withers and blackens a little every time I get behind the wheel.

When you put the new axle in on the drivers side your vibration got better??

When and where do you get the vibration? Are you checking it in the air with the tire at ride height or just drooped all the way down?

If the vibration got better I would suspect the pass side more then the drivers side, but the only way to check them is at ride height and even then it can be hard to tell.. Also axles usually only vibrate during accell..

[MrMazda92]

Honestly, the only noticeable improvement for the vibration was changing both ball joints. The driver's side was far more noticeable than the passenger.

The vibration happens only when the wheels are turned roughly 20+ degrees to the left, at 25+ MPH, and only while moving forward. No other test conditions(I've tried many, trust me) have yielded the same effect. Acceleration intensifies the vibration noticeably.

As far as testing goes, the up-and-down motion only happens when the front end is off the ground. Wheel assemblies are not compressed, so free in the air. The driver's side is the one with the unusual movement, and it does happen both in 1st and reverse(while in the air).

While driving, It almost feels like the tire is rubbing, and there is audible sound from the left front for the full duration of the vibration. I'm losing my mind trying to figure this out, none of my local friends/family have been able to figure it out either. I've run out of money to throw at the problem, and I need to find out the root cause before I try that approach again.

I'm not giving up on the car, it'd take a lot more than this, but I'm sure not thrilled about things right now.

[Nd4SpdSe]

The vibration happens only when the wheels are turned roughly 20+ degrees to the left, at 25+ MPH, and only while moving forward. No other test conditions(I've tried many, trust me) have yielded the same effect. Acceleration intensifies the vibration noticeably.

It may or may not work, but have you tried jacking it up with the wheels turned that way (maybe find an open parking lot, do some circles until the vibration happens, than stop with your wheels at the right angle, and check that way. Although it's a bit unsafe, jack both ends up the front and see if it happens with no weight on front end, and you can do an inspection around the vehicle that way if the vibration happens.

[MrMazda92]

Unfortunately, with the wheels off the ground the vibration is more than I'm comfortable with. The driver's side wheel literally bounces in 1st gear(idling), and accelerating only exacerbates the issue. I believe that the weight of the car is enough to overcome the "bouncing" for lack of a better term, while driving.
Above ~25 MPH, the problem is significant enough that I can feel it.

I would throw some jack stands under the control arms, if it weren't for the left front corner bouncing up and down. I honestly doubt that corner would stay in the air for long. Sadly, fully weighted testing is limited to actual driving for now.

The driver's side wheel does mimic the bouncing motion when turned by hand, and I do hear a slight grating(almost like worn brakes) when turning it by hand. The passenger side spins as smoothly as ever.

Honestly, I will try to take a video of this when I get the car in the air again. Probably next week at this rate.

[Nd4SpdSe]

Have you swapped the wheels around? Or maybe take off the wheel to maybe be able to see easier what's causing the vibration?

[crazycanadian]

Wheel bearings are tight? Inner tie rod ends are tight?

IF you have the car up in the air and turn each wheel by hand do you feel any binding at all??

[MrMazda92]

Nd4SpdSe,
I have rotated front to back to check, and this had no noticeable effect. Taking the wheel off had no effect either, sadly. That corner still bounces up and down, no matter what I've changed this far.

crazycanadian,
The wheel bearing seemed good to me, using Ryan's walkthrough in the suspension section as a diagnostic routine. As for the inner tie rod ends, I'll check once I get the car up again. I did swap the driver's side outer out with the axle, as it was completely shot.

Turning the driver's side wheel by hand is difficult, at the point where the "bounce" occurs in powered rotation. It still lifts that corner up, and takes a lot more force to turn. It's about 30 degrees of the rotation that are noticeably difficult.