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"thump" problem with a tire, wheel, drivetrain

tomtoc

tomtoc

2,049
68
Springfield, MO
this problem keeps getting worse.

there's been a shimmy that i thought was coming from the rear end. vibrates the truck pretty annoyingly at highway speed. i've paid a lot more attention to it lately and i just noticed that it might be coming from the front.

if you slow down from highway speed to come to a stop, it seems like it happens with each turn of the tire. each turn, you can feel almost a bump. nothing audible, just like you hit a small bump/hole in the road. just very steady.

also, rolling along at 5mph, with each "bump" the wheel will turn just slightly to the right. if i don't correct it, it keeps turning. i guess that explains why i always have to hold the wheel to the left on the highway.

so front end or rear? i thought the shimmy was a tire out of balance, but that wouldn't be noticeable at low speed like that, right? thoughts?
 
flathead95hp

flathead95hp

Always a Ford Guy
94
9
Taneytown MD
tomtoc said:
this problem keeps getting worse.

there's been a shimmy that i thought was coming from the rear end. vibrates the truck pretty annoyingly at highway speed. i've paid a lot more attention to it lately and i just noticed that it might be coming from the front.

if you slow down from highway speed to come to a stop, it seems like it happens with each turn of the tire. each turn, you can feel almost a bump. nothing audible, just like you hit a small bump/hole in the road. just very steady.

also, rolling along at 5mph, with each "bump" the wheel will turn just slightly to the right. if i don't correct it, it keeps turning. i guess that explains why i always have to hold the wheel to the left on the highway.

so front end or rear? i thought the shimmy was a tire out of balance, but that wouldn't be noticeable at low speed like that, right? thoughts?
Click to expand...

I had a problem like that on my truck, The tread separated inside and caused a good size lump in the tire. Just a thought.
 
Fellro

Fellro

Moderator
Staff member
7,953
360
Iowa County, Iowa
I'm with the broken belt. A wiggle, thump, out of balance feeling can very often be a broken belt in the tire. Look for areas where the tread is worn more than everywhere else. If you have a spot that shows excessive wear, but the rest of the tire is better, that is where your problem is. It can be an out of balance problem, but more often than not, it is a broken belt starting to separate.
 
tomtoc

tomtoc

2,049
68
Springfield, MO
manual hubs, manual t-case

it's snowing a little now, but i'll try to get out one of these days and inspect the tires.

it pulls to the right. i assume it's likely a front, not a rear? more likely the right than the left?
 
Fellro

Fellro

Moderator
Staff member
7,953
360
Iowa County, Iowa
It doesn't hurt to check them all, but I would agree likely a front, especially if you feel it through the steering wheel.
 
CowboyBilly9Mile

CowboyBilly9Mile

Charter Member
7,118
442
USA
Last time I had this happen; it was a separation. Check them all before driving again; check for roundness of the tire as well as any abnormal bulging. Separations don't get better, they get worse until a failure finally occurs. The outcome at that point may not be pretty, for you and/or other drivers and their cars.

*There is also a chance that a tire, for some goofy reason, is wearing out-of-round. I've been there too, thanks to Uniroyal. The fix, either way, is to replace the shoe with a new one.
 
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