Vibration Issues At Highway Speeds
3/9/15, 10:03 PM
#121
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So I finally gave in to the urge and bought myself a mustang. The last one I owned was a '67 back in 1993 (high school). It is a '13 GT Premium with one owner and 33000 miles (still under warranty), and I am thoroughly enjoying it so far.
That said, I have the (evidently common) vibration at highway speeds. It starts at around 55-60, and at 70-80, vibrates mirrors. I am not feeling this through the steering wheel at all, and it feels nothing like any balance issues I have felt in the past. I have been reading here, and it seems that it can be attributed to a range of problems from tire balance (which this is clearly not) to tolerances in drive shaft components.
I am going to set up an appointment to have it looked at. I guess what I am asking is what should I tell the service department to make sure I don't waste time dealing with what I know to not be the problem. I specifically do not want to go after market unless I absolutely have to.
Thanks in advance.
ETA: 3.73 gear ratio
That said, I have the (evidently common) vibration at highway speeds. It starts at around 55-60, and at 70-80, vibrates mirrors. I am not feeling this through the steering wheel at all, and it feels nothing like any balance issues I have felt in the past. I have been reading here, and it seems that it can be attributed to a range of problems from tire balance (which this is clearly not) to tolerances in drive shaft components.
I am going to set up an appointment to have it looked at. I guess what I am asking is what should I tell the service department to make sure I don't waste time dealing with what I know to not be the problem. I specifically do not want to go after market unless I absolutely have to.
Thanks in advance.
ETA: 3.73 gear ratio
3/10/15, 08:25 AM
#122
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after I swapped my clutch I had a little vibration, had me worried...noticed one of my mufflers was not lined up with the cutout, re-loosened the clamps/realigned everything, vibration went away. think pressure on pipes from not hanging free puts force on the motor mounts and pipe hangers, sure could feel it. read there was a TSB to throw away the midpipe rubber hangers- guess they were really only needed on the assembly line till the motor went in... mine are still on there, but its all lined up again now
It does not matter what gear, clutch in or out, or road surface. It is related to speed. 45 mph is it light. 65 mph is noticeable to anyone. 75 makes the mirror and something in the rear glass rattle. Deceleration from 75 aggravates it even more, especially in 5th. 80 mph and the vibration goes away but there is a drone.
Last edited by farsidejunky; 3/10/15 at 08:28 AM.
3/10/15, 09:24 AM
#123
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I think this is a different problem. Vibration of the pipes would be related to RPM's, correct? Or possibly road surface variables? Unless something else was causing it to vibrate. In which case we are back to something else.
It does not matter what gear, clutch in or out, or road surface. It is related to speed. 45 mph is it light. 65 mph is noticeable to anyone. 75 makes the mirror and something in the rear glass rattle. Deceleration from 75 aggravates it even more, especially in 5th. 80 mph and the vibration goes away but there is a drone.
It does not matter what gear, clutch in or out, or road surface. It is related to speed. 45 mph is it light. 65 mph is noticeable to anyone. 75 makes the mirror and something in the rear glass rattle. Deceleration from 75 aggravates it even more, especially in 5th. 80 mph and the vibration goes away but there is a drone.
3/10/15, 10:59 AM
#124
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Do both gear ratios use the exact same gear housing or diferential? In the Thorsen rear end, does it use the same housing? What specifically is Thorsen in them? Also, should this not be able to be resolved, are the Ford Racing rear end assemblies I see for sale at Jegs and other places different than ones from the factory?
Last edited by farsidejunky; 3/10/15 at 11:33 AM.
3/10/15, 12:41 PM
#125
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No difference in the standard just different gears bolted to the differential. The torsen is a different differntail http://www.americanmuscle.com/ford-3...8-t2-diff.html they both use the same axles and housing
Last edited by keltymd; 3/10/15 at 12:42 PM.
3/10/15, 01:43 PM
#126
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No difference in the standard just different gears bolted to the differential. The torsen is a different differntail http://www.americanmuscle.com/ford-3...8-t2-diff.html they both use the same axles and housing
3/10/15, 02:12 PM
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Potentially. It could also be the batch of housings they sent to the line for the 373s had an issue the torque they applied on that line was incorrect causing the issues or a number of other things. But more than likely it was bad gears it is just funny to see them run over this long of a period for three plus years and have the same issue. If it was a bad batch I would think we would be looking at build dates down to the month
3/10/15, 02:20 PM
#128
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your reply on the Ford Racing rear end assemblies wasn't clear to me. Are they different than what is installed from the factory?
Last edited by farsidejunky; 3/10/15 at 02:31 PM.
3/10/15, 03:53 PM
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The ford racing gears (you can buy from any ford racing parts supplier to have put in your rear end) as far as I know are the same gears just put in retail packaging. That is what gets me. 373 is I bet the most common gear ratio for our 8.8 rear ends and the 373 gears will work in any 8.8. That would be F150s, Crown Vic, Mustangs from 1986-2014 etc. Gears is one of the most common entry level mods best bang for the buck. I have installed I bet 10 or 12 sets in the last couple years for people all Ford Racing 373 gears and have never had an issue with vibration or noise from them. With all that in mind I am a bit baffled why the gears we got from Ford factory would be the issue. IMHO I think what happened is they had someone on the Assembly line installing the 3.31 gears and then some 3.73 gears and they did not check gear patterns or know that the different ratios can require a different shim setup so they were installed with too much backlash causing a bad wear on the gears.
3/10/15, 04:22 PM
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3/10/15, 06:44 PM
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No they have not opened it up. I thought they said they checked gear lash, but I have read so much that I may be getting my wires crossed.
I do have the hotline report...
After reading, the following has been done:
1. Replaced drive shaft.
2. Road force balanced.
3. Replaced drivers side rear tire.
4. Checked carrier bearing angle; removed and added shims.
5. NVH test.
And still waiting on the engineer. The hotline report said they would contact within one business day. That was at 12:27 yesterday...
I do have the hotline report...
After reading, the following has been done:
1. Replaced drive shaft.
2. Road force balanced.
3. Replaced drivers side rear tire.
4. Checked carrier bearing angle; removed and added shims.
5. NVH test.
And still waiting on the engineer. The hotline report said they would contact within one business day. That was at 12:27 yesterday...
3/10/15, 06:48 PM
#134
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I do have two additional thoughts.
1. If one were to replace the entire rear end (essentially a drop in) shouldn't that solve the problem?
2. I did purchase an aftermarket warranty. It seems to me that I could take the car to any dealer and they could diagnose/repair minus the bureaucracy of hotline.
But I will stick with the dealership for now because this may help others as well.
Week three straight without the Stang is starting to wear on me though.
I went in there and raised hell with the adviser at the end of last week, and he has called me when hotline has returned a recommendation, or when they rule things out. That is a step in the right direction considering that all last week they had zero calls to me when they did nothing to the vehicle. I had to pull the information out of them.
Purchase date: Jan 31
Days driving the car: 17
Days in the dealer service department: 21 and counting...
1. If one were to replace the entire rear end (essentially a drop in) shouldn't that solve the problem?
2. I did purchase an aftermarket warranty. It seems to me that I could take the car to any dealer and they could diagnose/repair minus the bureaucracy of hotline.
But I will stick with the dealership for now because this may help others as well.
Week three straight without the Stang is starting to wear on me though.
I went in there and raised hell with the adviser at the end of last week, and he has called me when hotline has returned a recommendation, or when they rule things out. That is a step in the right direction considering that all last week they had zero calls to me when they did nothing to the vehicle. I had to pull the information out of them.
Purchase date: Jan 31
Days driving the car: 17
Days in the dealer service department: 21 and counting...
Last edited by farsidejunky; 3/10/15 at 07:15 PM.
3/10/15, 07:26 PM
#135
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Wow well if they shimmed the carrier they did open the rear end up shunning would mean the gear patternwas off kind of like I was Saying about the backlash
Last edited by keltymd; 3/10/15 at 07:28 PM.
3/10/15, 07:31 PM
#136
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I don't know quite enough to know if you have to take apart the rear end to shim the bearing. I understand the structure and basic components, but beyond that is above my pay grade.
They also had him check to see if it had been lowered or had aftermarket control arms, which is negative on both. That is when he put shims in the carrier bearing.
They also had him check to see if it had been lowered or had aftermarket control arms, which is negative on both. That is when he put shims in the carrier bearing.