Steering and Vibration Issues

[Overdrive]

I have to say, I'm having a very similar problem since owning the car. I hope you don't mind me bumming off of your thread, greenerob.

I have very similar symptoms. My steering wheel shakes a lot only at speeds above 70, pretty much starting around 75 and increasing with speed. Anything lower and the car feels absolutely fine. It actually feels like the whole car is vibrating due to it, though I can't really tell if it is or if it just seems that way from me holding a shaking wheel. When I release the wheel, it has a pretty constant shimmy to it, but the car doesn't seem to follow along with it, and when I hold the wheel at neutral I can feel the wheel wandering very slightly in my hands, but the car doesn't seem to be doing so and tracks straight. If I had to isolate it where it feels like it's coming from, it feels like the vibration is coming from up at the right front.

To give a little history on the car besides the basics in my sig that may clue someone in to the potential issues, it was in an accident and sold at an auction as a repairable collision, where it ended up in the hands of the auto body shop owner from whom I bought it. It sat on his lot pretty much only moving from one parking space to another for a good 5 years prior to my ownership. And about a month ago I put on a new set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus tires at a local tire chain where the guys there take really good care of me and my cars so I know alignment and balance are right on. The tires are just getting to around 500 miles on them.

Could the right front wheel be slightly off due to the collision? What are other possibilities? Strut? Bad CV joint boot?

I'm really debating bringing it to the local Porsche dealer to have them look it over or to my own mechanic, just to at least try to isolate where the trouble is so I can go about getting the right things fixed.

[shlim8]

This thread sounds like the problems that I've been having with my '01 boxster as well.

I've got the tires (changed), rims (changed), control arms (ok), struts (ok), brake rotors (thin - waiting for parts), calipers (one side discovered sticking), wheel balancing (on/off wheel 4 or 5 times), alignment (done 3 times), wheel bearings (ok) done.

After all that, I've got the car progressively improved - vibration now comes at about 100mph and up (although not tested since the calipers rebuild). But the lower speed vibration is almost minimal now. Am now waiting to replace the rotors. I've read some threads in this forum where changing the rotors and bearings solved the problem, hence I checked that too.

Frankly, it's been a tiring exercise to try to resolve this vibration - I guess it has not deteriorated to the point where it's obvious where it's coming from, although I in my case the biggest improvements were from the dented rims (both front) and the sticking calipers. Can't really tell if these fixed the problem yet as I've yet to do another high speed run, but the low speed vibrations are pretty much gone.

In my case, the strange thing was that the vibration and instability was worse with bad roads. On smooth roads at lower speeds, there was sometimes minimal vibration - hence I thought it was the one of the control arms or tie rods but they checked out ok by 2 indies.

[greenerob]

Well, I got sick of dealing with it so I took it into the local indie shop.

They said that my wheel weights had fallen off in the front, I need and alignment and that my front right outer tie rod was shot. The price is $300 total plus tax. A little pricey a $50 part, 2 wheel balance and alignment but if it does fix it I will be as happy as a pig in ********************.

[greenerob]

Well they replaced the front right outer tie rod, road force balanced the front two tires and performed a 4 wheel alignment. The vibration seems to be gone, at least that is what my 100mph test run told me.
All in all, not too bad. They got me for $285 out the door.

[97 Boxster]

I had a very noticeable wobble at 72-77mph and couldnt figure out why. Today I took my car in for the some service (Oil Change and Registration was also due). After the tech had finished he said that my tires were all reading a little different pressure. He adjusted and I went on my way. Needless to say the car tracks perfect and is smooth as can be. When I got home I looked at my "trusty" tire pressure gauge on my compressor and it was actually bent so the pressure monitor would only come out to a certain point then it was stuck. I had not been able to read this for the past few months so I was a little off. When I say a little, it was not visible by looking at the tires, but it was enough to throw the ride out of balance.

That "trusty" pressure gauge has since been replaced. Oh, I explained this to my wife and she admitted to running over the hose/gauge a few months ago with her Hummer.

[greenerob]

Originally Posted by greenerob

Well they replaced the front right outer tie rod, road force balanced the front two tires and performed a 4 wheel alignment. The vibration seems to be gone, at least that is what my 100mph test run told me.
All in all, not too bad. They got me for $285 out the door.

Well, I got it on a slightly less than perfectly smooth road and the vibration is back. Not nearly as bad, but this time it is coming from the left side. I argue that the tie rod on the left is shot too.

Back to the shop in the morning!!

[97 Boxster]

Bummer for sure.

[greenerob]

Originally Posted by greenerob

Well, I got it on a slightly less than perfectly smooth road and the vibration is back. Not nearly as bad, but this time it is coming from the left side. I argue that the tie rod on the left is shot too.

Back to the shop in the morning!!

Its been a few weeks since I last posted and I have been through alot since then.

-I took the car to pep boys for a free tire and steering check. They told me that the tires needed replaced.
-I bought Hankook V12 Ventus tires
-The vibration was coming bad from the left side still.
-Returned to the shop and they said that the two left tires couldn't be balanced. Front Left had 18 lbs of road force and the Rear Left had 29 lbs of road force.
-I called tire rack and the promptly sent me to replacements
-I had those installed and they were worse then the first ones.
-Now the car would pull HEAVILY to the left when you hit the gas.
-The shop said that it was the tires and the alignment was in spec.
-A called tire rack and worked out a deal to get some Contis and return the Hankooks
-This time I had them delivered to a different shop that had free alignment checks.
-Tires were installed and alignment was found to be off on nearly all areas.
-I returned to the original shop and they checked out the alignment and redid it.

Now the car tracks as straight as an arrow, but still has a pretty noticeable vibration coming from the left side. the vibration seems to be much better and brand new blacktop. What the heck should I be looking for??!?!?!?

[Fluellen]

Find a different shop to do your alignment.

I don't understand why you didn't get the new alignment done by the shop that did the free alignment check, and found out that your alignment was off.

Why would you bring it back to the shop that screwed it up the first time?