Kevin

After reading through this thread I have the worst feeling
in the pit of my stomach. My car never used to have the
highway problem with the vibration and all. About 2-3
months ago ( memory's fading on me) I got into an accident
where I smashed a curb doign about 60 off the highway.
Destryed most of the right side components: lower arm,
halfshaft, hub rotor, etc etc. ( i posted a pic a while
back of it). Basically had to get new parts put in on the
rgiht side and some on the left as well as three new (
reconditioned) rims. since it's been fixed I've noticed the
exact same problme that many of you described on this
thread. I feel like by getting into that accident I've
cursed my car into this vibration. The new reconditioned
rims might be the issue. I also noticed the new rims they
put on the rear left doesn't even have a balance weight on
it. The Mechanic siad it was already balanced without
the weight bull****!! My next plan with hte car is to get
betters suspension with H&R/AGX combo to replce my Eibach
Tok setup. Hoepfully at that time I can look at all the
components and see if I can isolate the problem.


Kevin

ILoveMyMax

I have the same humming vibration i just got my wheels balanced and had an alignment...oh well just have to turn the radio up

kvzeyde

You said you got new tires and it did not fix the problem. The new tires could be bad. They may have flat spots or be out of round.

I had the same speed sensitive (aroun 78 mph) vibration before I got a new set of tires and alignment. This completely fixed the vibration problem regardless of speed.

My '97 Plymouth Grand Voyager van was vibrating at all speeds. When I had my old tires rotated they asked if I had done any hard braking because they saw a flat spot on one of the tires. Then I thought about it and remembered I did hit the brakes hard while turning to avoid an accident on the interstate. Since the tires still had good tread left, I had them put the tire with the flat spot on the rear and drove with those tires for another 6000 miles. The van always had a vibration with those tires. I had a new set of tires put on and it now drives like new.

Even though you had new tires put on, I think this speed sensitive vibration problem people have been describing is due to out of round tires and not unbalanced tires........just my 2 cents.

Washington DC Maxima

Ditto.. Get the tires re-balanced.


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>
Even though you had new tires put on, I think this speed sensitive vibration problem people have been describing is due to out of round tires and not unbalanced tires........just my 2 cents. [/B][/QUOTE]

Lime

the service department also said tires can make a lot of noise and become scalloped...I have VERY CRUDDY tires, but I still do not have this vibration thing.

Albertt

I put on new tires and still the vibration was present. Unless all the new Continentals that I've been buying are screwed up...

mbnickel

I agree, I've just put a set of Kumho's on mine less than two weeks ago. The vibration was present before and after I had the tires and wheels put on.

maximachad

Has anyone who has posted in this thread had their rims CAREFULLY inspected?? I had a vibration in my Maxima for almost a year (worst between 70-80 mph, really bad around highway corners, etc) and spent a lot of $$$ on balancing, rotations, new tires. It turned out I had a bent rim that no one was noticing. When the Nissan tech couldn't figure it out, he watched the rim very carefully on the balancing maching, and noticed it was bent. Problem solved - car is buttery smooth up to 100mph!
-Chad

sgmax

Do you think this can cause the vibration problem? Maybe that explains why it is intermittent and comes and goes.

DaddyMac

all cars have it, you just noticed it. it happens within a 5mph range.
It just throws the balance off, and it seems 4th gens are notrious at having it show up in 70-75mph range

Albertt

You've got the right idea. But in my case, the vibrations come on at about 65 and stay till about 85.

When my car was new, there were no vibrations. So, I'm pretty sure that Nissan performed all the necessary calculations need to prevent resonant frequency vibration.

orgasmicNYC

[I got new Potenza RE950 installed yesterday and noticed pretty loose minor vibrarting handeling at speeds around 75-85. I was thinking of getting front struts and new shocks later next week. Could that solve it? Maybe my axle is loose?

sgmax

Is is at all possible that the shocks/struts could be going at 40K miles? The reason I'm saying that is because it sometimes shakes in the back, and sometimes in the front, depending on speed. Also, does the 98 use struts or shocks in the back?

95MaxSEPearl

"Well!!! believe this or not, but someone took one of the lugs off of my rims and my car was shaking violently at around 60-70 miles per hour, i couldnt figure it out for the longest time because i never really noticed it was missing...take it to the shop and have them replace the stripped part and i bet you it wont shake anymore...as soon as me and my brother put a new lug on, BAM the shaking was ABSOLUTELY gone!!!"
try it and let me know
MrBagoda@aol.com

Albertt

Do you mean a vibration, or kind of a skipping side-to-side feeling? If it's the latter, then that's something inherent in the beam axle rear end design. New STRUTS in the back might help a tiny bit.

mbnickel

After 5 weeks of waiting for the damned things to come in, I picked them up tonight and got them on. It feels a little more solid in the steering wheel, but didn't solve the vibration prob. I'm gonna look into control arm bushings, etc. next week, and I'll post my findings later.

sgmax

The back end stays straight, does not skip back and forth. It feels just like the front does, like a continuous wobbly side-to-side vibration in the seats/floor that appears at about 55-65 mph and disappears at around 68-70 mph, that's when the front starts shaking. In other words, as you approach 68-70 mph, it is like slowly turning a balance **** on the radio from the back to the front. As mentioned before, it also seems to depend on the road being driven on and is occasionally worse in the front when going around a long curve on the highway.
P.S. For anyone in NJ, ever notice that is worse on 287 and the GS Parkway than on other roads?

t80

I notice a vibration on my 98 SE at 60+ MPH, especially if the road is smooth. If I hold on to the steering wheel at 3 & 6 o'clock, I feel a sideways vibration in the steering wheel and it is very annoying. Depending on the road, the frequency of the vibration seems to increase with speed (duh !). Have checked wheel balance and alignment twice, moved the tires front to back and still have the same problem. Even put new tires on - Michelin Energy MXV Plus SE and the problem continues. Two mechanics tend to think that the problem is due to bad front struts as the vibration depends on the type of pavement. If the pavement is wavy (some of the SoCal freeways), then it seems fine. I am suspecting a problem with the struts or otherwise the rack & pinion as I feel a similar side to side sway if I hit a pothole or some other bump in the road. Could the struts be gone at 33K miles ? The good ole push test is ok. Any thoughts ? This car is driving me nuts ! There has to be an answer, the question is -how many $ signs down the road ?

t80

[QUOTE]Originally posted by t80
[B]I notice a vibration on my 98 SE at 60+ MPH, especially if the road is smooth. If I hold on to the steering wheel at 3 & 6 o'clock, QUOTE]

....should read..
3 & 9 o'clock

momax98

I have a simlar problem with a 98 maxima 33000 miles
anyway i had the same vibrations between 60-80 mph if u go above tht it seems to be fine
i got the wheels rotated and balanced and it was fine for a few months now its back??
any suggestions let me know

Albertt

I'll try anything at this point. I'll replace the OE lugnut in place of the McGard locknut and see if it makes a difference. I doubt it however, because the lugnut hole pattern has a relatively small radius with respect to the over diameter of the wheel.

Stillen_I30

i have had the same problems for over a year now, since I had new 17x8" (up from 15") rims on Dunlop SP5000 235 (up from 215) tires. The DAY i put the rims/tires on, the problems started (vibration between 40-45 and then again above 70 to 90...never tried above 90, but i presume it will continue). It is also worse as I meander a curvaceous path on the highway. The vibrations are from side-to-side.

So far, I have been through about 5-6 balances total, mostly the hunter 9700 variety. An allignment was done when the tires/rims were first put on over a year ago. Since then, I've replaced all four tires with brand new bridgestone re950s (very expensive attempt to remedy this) with no luck. Mechanics at local tire places are suggesting the lugnuts may be the problem. As "Albertt" stated above, they suggested the McGuard variety. Luckily, McGuard's HQ is 15 mins away from my home...but I have not yet had a chance to try a switch yet. The mechanics suggested a lower (or shorter) variety of nut compared to mine which are quite slender. Other then that, the place i got the rims/tires from (discounttire direct) is NO help. they forgot to send the hubcentric rings, but when they did send them and they were installed, the problem didnt go away. i am now suspecting a bent rim, and will have to devise a plan to help identify which rim(s) is/are bent.

Albertt

I have the McGard locknuts on there now. I was thinking of putting the OE lugnuts back on to see if my vibrations go away.

Sorry for the mixup.

Stillen_I30

so you're saying the mcguard's didnt solve the problem for you? did it make it worse by putting them on there?

Albertt

Nope. They are bigger and heavier than the OE lugnuts...so I was musing that they could be the cause of the vibration.

sgmax

I think the problem might be suspension related, since the front still vibrates at the same speed despite many rotations, new tires and balancing. Is it possible for the struts to be worn out at 40K miles? The car does not bounce up and down very much, but can that cause vibration like that?

Albertt

I think that in the end, at least for me, it will come down to the suspension needing work.

Struts can be worn after 40K miles. But just to let you know, I was on my stock GXE struts for 125K miles, they never leaked much, but after the swap to KYB AGXs, the vibration was still present.

I'm afraid that for now, I'm going to live with the vibration. I need a new starter and have an exhaust leak that needs immediate attention.

AL

sgmax

I was on the highway today, and noticed that when I rapidly turn the wheel back and forth, not enough to move the car but just slightly, the vibration gets worse in the steering wheel while I'm moving it. Also, if I let go of the wheel for a second or two, it turns back and forth slightly along with the shaking. This is about 65-70 mph.

97GLEMAX

It may be the struts. My GLE has 90,000 miles but I am not sure if anyone evr changed them. I am in the process of buying new struts and springs so we shouuld find out soon. I really hope it is the struts. This is driving me stir crazy and the max is too nice to have this shake.

Albertt

Same here.

Albertt

I don't know. I just replaced the struts and springs...AGX and H&R...but the problem existed before and after the install.

sgmax

I am almost convinced it's the struts or front suspension, since it did not change when I rotated the tires, the only thing I can't figure out in that case is why it only happens above 65 mph. However, both the front and back seem to have the same problem, just at different speeds.

PhillyMAx

iTrader: (1)

I had the exact same thing happen to me in January when I slid on black ice and destroyed my front passenger side components: arm bushings, axle, hubs, etc... and my two air bags went off, which costs an hell-load to fix. Insurance took care of the costs, but the mechanic did a half-assed job of fixing things. The alignment was all screwed up, big time. I drove for a few weeks thinking my tire was out of balance because of the usual vibrating steering syndrome, but when I took it to my local mechanic for an oil change, he showed me that my 2 new front tires were stripped to down to the steel threadings, and advised me to go to the dealership for an alignment and balance and etc... So, I ended up having to get a new alignment and 2 new front tires.

My advice to anybody experiencing these symptoms is to see a mechanic ASAP, or your dealer if the car is still under warranty. It may save you even more trouble and money later on.

maxnewbie

My opinion is: Get used to it. I have had this problem since I bought my Maxima (29,000 miles, current 53,000) and I have not been able to get rid of this problem. I have gone through different tires, balances, alignments, etc.. No one has the answer and no one on this site has it either. Conclusion: This appears to be typical to Maximas. I have given up and will eventually get rid of this car. Will try Lexus next. They have a better track record.

sgmax

Does the 98 use shocks in the back, or are they struts? I know the front are struts, but what about the back? When they had the car on the lift, they looked like regular shocks.

Kevin

struts are typcally in the fornt and shocks are in the back on FWD cars.

Kevin

sgmax

Any possible chance that the vibration may be brake-related? I still have the original brakes with 40K miles. Can a warped brake rotor cause highway vibration without pressing the brakes?

sgmax

97GLEMAX

I really can't believe I stumbled upon this thread. I havea 97 Max and I posted a while back th at I too have this problem. No one can figure it out. The lugnuts issue is sh*& because I had the factory ones and now aftermarket with brand new rims and tires. Same vibrating problem. I just received my new coilovers and struts/shocks and drilled rotors and porterfield pads so they will be installed tommorrow and if that doesn't worj then I am still stumped. I have this feeling that everytime I get a balance or alignment or new tires or new rims that the problem will go away but yet it still remains driving me totally nutz. And to top it off as I try to watch me new DVD in dash the screen shakes as well. What a awful problem to have with a car. I will post my results tommorrow night but till then pray for this to work.

sgmax

It's amazing just how many people have this same problem - has anyone ever actually solved it (other than the guy with the rocks in his tires)? If so, we'd like to hear! What is the magic solution? Let us know if those brakes and struts help the problem