I've been trying to pinpoint a front end vibration for months now. It is most noticeable at speeds above 45 mph. Car is 2004 FWD and has 96k on it. So far I've done (in order):

replaced strut/shock all 4 corner with new mount/seat
balanced all tires twice
rotate tires front to back once
got 2 new tires for front
got 2 new tires for rear
replaced driver side halfshaft with reman
replaced pass side halfshaft with reman (+ hub bearing at the same time)

Each time something was done the vibration feel changed, but still there. I did the pass side halfshaft last night and the high frequency vibration is gone, but now it's high frequency on top of low frequency (maybe 1 Hz) coming and going like when 2 instruments are slightly out of tune. Feels like those rumble strips across the roadway before toll both but not as strong. I thought it was the road because it was so regular, but now I'm pretty sure it's not. Of course, it's most noticeable at my cruising speed of 70mph.

I haven't replace the rotor/pads because I haven't felt the vibration through the pedal when I brake. Anything I missed? I suppose any of the new parts could be defective because it seems like quality of stuff has just gone down so new doesn't mean flawless.

 

Okay, I have an update. Finally have some "dynamic" data. This morning I noticed when I turn to the right on the freeway the vibration is a lot worse. I immediately thought it's the front left bearing, but there hasn't been any humming or grinding. After I got home I jacked up the left front, put the car in drive and let it coast while I stuck my head down there to take a look. There's significant wobble in the tire/wheel as well as the half shaft, which I replaced (with NAPA remanufactured) a few weeks ago. So I'm still at a loss. Doesn't seem like it's a weight imbalance now. However, since both half shaft and wheel is wobbling, perhaps the bearing is out of plane due to some damage (as opposed to wear)? Perhaps it's the wheel? Seems like the chances of both wheel and shaft wobbling together seems low, so I'm leaning towards a bearing. Any opinions?

On a side note, I'm now getting Brake Failure Stop Safely message and the ABS light, perhaps due to spinning one wheel for prolonged time. I did turn the anti slip off after a minute not realizing it was activating. Is it likely the ABS module needing solder redone or some temporary condition? Coindicence?

 

The ABS light is on because the front wheels were moving and the rear wheels were stopped.

 

when you jack the left side up and grab the tire one hand on top and other hand on the bottom pushing and pulling do you have any play? also did you torque the hub nut because if you over tighten the bearing it will cause it will wear it out the bearing very quick and depending if the wheel speed sensor sits in the hub it can distort the abs tone ring inside causing a abs problem some have the tone ring on the axle half not sure which one you have

 

So this is temporary condition that should go away when I drive it for real tomorrow?

The tone ring is on the CV, sensor inside the knuckle. No play in-out or up-down. Over tighten the 4 bolts holding bearing to the knuckle, the axle bolt to the bearing, or the lugs? Maybe you're thinking of the bearing pre-load via the axle nut? I think these are pre-loaded at the factory. I torqued the axle bolt 35Nm then 90 deg.

 

I think the light will go off when you drive it. It might take a couple drive cycles. Not really sure, I always clear the codes with a scanner so they aren't left behind in the future in case there is a different issue.

 

I don't think this could be related, but it's worth a check. I noticed the groove on the alloy wheels where the wheel bolts are tighten tends to corrode. The result is the wheel bolts are not uniformly tighten, which can cause the brake disc to warp more or less - it can be felt while braking at high speed. The corrosion can be removed with a small piece of wire sponge.

 

I have observed the corrosion, but don't think this is my issue. I looked at it carefully, and the only things wobbling are the half shaft and wheel. With the wheel off, I detected no wobbling of the rotor, but did see the axle bolt head move up and down.

 

The axle bolt is a stretch type bolt. When it's removed, it will stretch beyond elastic deformation, causing the bolt to be impossible to be tighten back at the right torque. It's the reason the bolt is always replaced with a new one after being removed. Your bolt might not be tighten well or simply it needs replaced with a new one. It shouldn't move at all when the axle turns.

 

Best I can tell, the bolt hole is off center and the bolt isn't moving relative to the hub bearing. Even with a remanufactured half shaft, I don't understand how it can be off center unless it's a new spline and new tapped hole.

 

I understand, you meant the bolt head is not centered which makes it appear to be 'moving' when the hub is turning. If the axle hole where the bolt goes is larger that the bolt, that could explain the off-center thing. A side note, the refurbished axles are known to not always work well - sometimes people complain about vibrations at the steering wheel due to only partially refurbished components.

 

I swapped out the hub bearing on the driver side, vibration still unchanged. I thought maybe the mounting face is warped due to uneven lug tightening and/or some bearing damage. I'm now suspecting bad rim again. Hadn't suspected the rim because all 4 corners had been balanced twice, then new tires put on. Not one mechanic said anything about them being bent or unbalanceable, including once balanced using the Hunter road force balancer. The other side looks even worse as far as wobbling.

 

I put the spare tire on the driver front since that wheel is essentially new, and it also has a visually detectable wobble, though a bit less. I also put the driver rear wheel on the front, it, too, has visually detectable wobble. So either all tires have visually detectable out-of-round wobble, all wheels are slightly bent, I have really bad luck, or something else is wrong. Can a steering rack internal problem cause vibration? How about the strut mount area? I did confirm last weekend the spring seat rubber is still good and the nuts are tight, but when strut is not attached to the knuckle, it felt "clanky" at the top.

I understand tires are not perfect and cheap tires are even less perfect, but what's the chance of such large out of roundness? Or do I have all 4 wheels slightly bent because they're 10 years old and I live in pot hole country (metro Detroit)? I don't mind spending a little money on new wheels to get rid of the wobble, but the trial and error nickel and dimeing is killing me!

 

Mady, I have been trying to eliminate vibrations and noises from my '03 S60 for the past two years. My previous 92 Saturn and 93 525i were both smoother and quieter than my ten-year newer S60.

I've replaced all four struts / shocks with mounts, spring seats, and stabilizer links...but I still have clunks and vibrations.

I also replaced the driver's side half-shaft and wheel bearing. The shaft was from Empi and the bearing/hub was from NAPA. After about 40,000 miles, I just found that the NAPA replacement hub has very noticeable play, while the original RH hub is still tight with 145,000 miles.

I would not be surprised if you did get some poor quality parts.

Good luck...I hope it works out.

 

Snowman, sorry for your troubles with the S60. Have you replaced your wheels yet? I have a hard time imagining bad hub bearing and half shaft will cause the vibration I'm feeling. Half shaft have little mass compared to tires and have enough degrees of freedom to damp out its own imperfections. Have you given up on trying to eliminate your clunks and vibrations?

 

Have you considered having a professional diagnosis? Sure, it costs money. But so does guessing, especially if you wind up replacing a good OEM part with a cheap, low quality aftermarket part.

 

Ha, very good point. My feeling on "professionals" is that there are more bad ones than good ones. I feel like I'm on par with normal mechanics who are nothing more than wrench turners with better tools and more muscle than I do, and I don't utilize services frequently to develop a relationship with a highly skilled mechanic. I get where you're coming from, since this one seems to have me stumped.

Case in point, last time I took my XC70 to an independent shop to install a lower control arm because I had some health and time issues, they overextended the inner CV so it was wobbling out of axis. They proceeded to tell me I need a new half shaft, to which I said there's no way I could have driven in there like that. The manager got really defensive and accused me of trying to scam him. The mechanic insists he "didn't touch" the half shaft. I had to tell them to see if they can put it back in. They spent about 1 hour trying and eventually put it back in. This is after I suspect they ruined my ball joint with the hammering and 4' pry bar they used to muscle the control arm in place, but it's a high mileage car so I didn't argue because I don't enjoy doing ball joints on that car.

I don't know if there's long term damage, but I'm experiencing some half shaft related noise now on that car. It is high mileage so I'm chalking it up as coincidence.

Maybe I will take it to the local Volvo shop for a diagnosis. I feel bad knowing once they figure out the problem I'll probably end up doing the work myself. This is one case where I would feel better paying them for a diagnosis, which I don't know if they will or not.

 

I hear ya. There are plenty of bad mechanics out there.

As a dealer tech, I am usually one to recommend the dealer, even though it's a bad word around here. But any time I do, theres someone with a horror story. Funny thing is, when someone posts about how an independent shop messed up their car, no one comes screaming about indy shops.

A good dealer tech who has been working for Volvo for a long time is your best bet. I've been doing this a long time, so when I do a job, I know what is likely to break and I am familiar enough to know the right procedure so I don't rip someones CV joint apart on accident. At an indy shop, who knows if the guy working on it has ever touched a Volvo.

On the other hand, there is no guarantee a top tech is going to be the one working on your car at the dealer either. But at least if they mess something up, you have multiple levels you can go to (service manager, owner, VCNA..)

 

I had a similar vibration that turned out to be the exhaust.