Vibration felt on the steering wheel at low speeds (1 Viewer)

[DecreedIt]

A Friday mystery to help me solve. 2008 LC, 168k miles, well maintained - recently baselined (all fluids) after purchase from a family member.

I've got this slight but noticeable high frequency vibration feeling in the steering wheel at low speeds, especially felt pulling out of the driveway and creeping through our suburban neighborhood, max 25 mph, lots of stops. It's not constant, and goes away once we're out on 2ndary roads, never really feel it on the highway.

It reminds me of power steering pump groan but I've not been able to correlate it to turning - it's there in a straight line too. I know, odd - it's definitely NOT rotor warp or bent/out of balance wheel - felt, found and corrected all that already.

Ring a bell with anyone? Any thoughts or clues on what to chase down? Or, possibly normal for a 200? My first LC and just now getting dialed into the noise, feeling of driving, et cetera.

 

[grinchy]

What tire are you on? Put up a pic of the tread.

 

[bloc]

When you baselined it, any indication whether the front driveshaft had been maintained prior to your purchase? It seems a few of these maintained at the dealer never had the front driveshaft shaft touched. I got mine at 105k and as far as I can tell the front was never greased. That said, because of the easy angles it is still working great.

Point is, it sounds to me like it could be driveline related.

 

[RTaylor]

Agreed with bloc. Likely the front shaft.

 

[DecreedIt]

When you baselined it, any indication whether the front driveshaft had been maintained prior to your purchase? It seems a few of these maintained at the dealer never had the front driveshaft shaft touched. I got mine at 105k and as far as I can tell the front was never greased. That said, because of the easy angles it is still working great.

Point is, it sounds to me like it could be driveline related.

Great call out - I don't recall reading about it in the full service history - will check.

 

[DecreedIt]

What tire are you on? Put up a pic of the tread.

Defender LTX M/S - quite fresh, alignment and balance all good.

 

[DecreedIt]

Great call out - I don't recall reading about it in the full service history - will check.

Nothing - as far as I can tell never done. Will get on that. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[bloc]

Great call out - I don't recall reading about it in the full service history - will check.

If has been getting greased there will be the usual sling pattern around the ujoints, all over be bellhousing etc.

My rear was done with every dealer maintenance, but they neglected the front.

 

[TeCKis300]

High frequency vibration at parking lot speeds.

Sounds to me like the vibration is not correlated to wheel speed. It's probably independent of the driveline as well at those speeds. Let us know if those assumptions aren't true. Is there any associated sounds?

I would probably focus on the engine side of things as that would be the only component capable of producing high frequency vibrations in that context. Can you do a visual check of the accessories run off the serpentine belt. Everything running true there? Take note of the fan also.

 

[rusty87]

High frequency vibration at parking lot speeds.

Sounds to me like the vibration is not correlated to wheel speed. It's probably independent of the driveline as well at those speeds. Let us know if those assumptions aren't true. Is there any associated sounds?

I would probably focus on the engine side of things as that would be the only component capable of producing high frequency vibrations in that context. Can you do a visual check of the accessories run off the serpentine belt. Everything running true there? Take note of the fan also.

Check the engine mounts also.

 

[DecreedIt]

High frequency vibration at parking lot speeds.

Sounds to me like the vibration is not correlated to wheel speed. It's probably independent of the driveline as well at those speeds. Let us know if those assumptions aren't true. Is there any associated sounds?

I would probably focus on the engine side of things as that would be the only component capable of producing high frequency vibrations in that context. Can you do a visual check of the accessories run off the serpentine belt. Everything running true there? Take note of the fan also.

Assumptions true - It doesn't feel correlated to wheel speed to me either - again the only equivalence I can offer is it feels like power steering pump 'groan' at or near the locks which I have felt many times in the past (on other cars w/ p/s issues), but this can occur dead straight at slow speed. No sounds associated either.

When I took some videos (different thread) for lifter noise I spent a lot of time looking and listening, and, gotta say, apart from that noise (lifters) - it's perfect. Really fresh belt, smooth running, water pump, t-stat, radiator all done around 140-50k ish.

 

[TeCKis300]

Could be the engine mounts per @rusty87 , as you're into higher mileages.

Could try flushing the power steering if you think it's related to that.

 

[DecreedIt]

The plot thickens - I had forgotten about this. Car had front end and rear end collision repairs at different times (separate incidents). On the rear invoice - there's a sublet R&R "4x4 actuator" for - get this - $3000. Highly suspect. I looked underneath and it's real clear the transfer case has been apart - excess sealant around the seam, AND - the harmonic dampener is gone, and a boss is broken. I think I mentioned it before here, and was told 'there's no way you would feel that' - maybe that was in person. And I agree - but - they put one on there for a reason . . . possible?

I'll dig up a picture of the missing dampener/broken boss and edit this post;

 

[DecreedIt]

Could try flushing the power steering if you think it's related to that.

Did that during baselining

 

[TeCKis300]

I personally don't think it's the transfer case at those speeds. As you're primarily feeling it through the steering wheel rather than chassis? I've been wrong before.

 

[DecreedIt]

I personally don't think it's the transfer case at those speeds. As you're primarily feeling it through the steering wheel rather than chassis? I've been wrong before.

Agreed - it's 100% in the steering wheel - so weird, that's why it feels to me like p/s stuff - that's the closest thing to this I've ever felt in other vehicles.

 

[TeCKis300]

Check the fill level on the PS fluid.

Symptoms through the steering wheel could also be caused by the front end suspension, linkages, or tire. The 200-series steering doesn't have a whole lot of feedback but it could come from things like road texture, worn steering rack, worn tie rods, wheel bearing, irregular tire wear, etc. Still suspicious as you describe it at high frequency so it wouldn't be my first guess.

 

[LCtoLX]

At say 20 MPH, is the vibration the same no matter what gear you’re in? Meaning, is it related to vehicle speed or to engine rpm. Does the vibration change or vary with speed (10 vs 15 vs 20 MPH)? And is the vibration that you feel the same whether you’re going, say 15 MPH and driving straight ahead or going 15 MPH and making a quick, sharp left or right turn? Sorry for all the questions but just trying to find some sort of correlation to help isolate the possibilities.

 

[grinchy]

Defender LTX M/S - quite fresh, alignment and balance all good.

View attachment 2374679
View attachment 2374680

There goes my theory.

 

[GordJ]

Around 2000 rpm? Any gear?