I have a 1995 Voyager 3.0l 4 spd auto. Had the tires, all four, replaced and now it shakes really bad. I've had the tires rotated and balanced twice by two different places to eliminate them as the problem. It seems to be worse between 35-45 mph but is present at all speeds. I've noticed that the problem gets worse when the vehicle is under a load( ie-pulling a slight incline, speeding up, etc.) and seems to disappear when coasting. It seems to be located in the left front but I might be wrong. I checked everything I can think of short of dynamite :)! Any body got any ideas before I pay $65+ /hr at the dealer?

Have you had any motor mounts replaced/repaired recently? Because with the 3.0 V6, motor mount position is very important because if it off by as much as 2 degrees, it can affect driveline angle and give you a vibration that rotating and balancing tires can't fix.

I would check the axle shaft on that side of the vehicle. If it is shaking while under load that is when the CV joints are under the most stress, if they are going bad then that is when you would feel the problem most. Another key is the fact that the problem is worse between 35 and 45 mph. Usually that indicates that the joints are worn and are moving too much while rotating. You can buy a reman unit for about $70 from a parts store. If you don't have the tools then take it to a shop. Tranny shops do this kind of work too.

Our 2000 Grand Caravan may be experiencing the same thing. Between 15-45 mph I get a shacking in the steering wheel - I just had the tires rotated and balanced. It was doing this before and after the balancing.

If these joints are going out would they make some noise when the front end is moved up and down (i.e. going over a speed bump, etc)? Mine makes a terrible noise when this occurs. Also, will things continue to get worse or should it stay this way until I get it fixed? Just curious how urgent I should be in getting it repaired.

Thanks a lot.

That possibility always exists that they would make noise when going over bumps. I would think that this would related more to the sway bar or the struts but CV joints can make similar sounds. Take the car to a shop and have the CV joints checked. They will continue to get worse the more they wear.

Thanks GTP Dad.

Have you checked the rims with a dial indicator for run-out? Did you have a problem before the tire change? I have seen rims that were bent during the tire changing process. Also, could be the belts in the tires were not laid down properly when the tires were built. Everything balances fine and the tires look okay when they are spun on the balancer but, when they are driven on the road they "squirm" causing the shakes.

I had the van checked today by a guy with alot of experience with these vans- the inner cv on the DRIVERS side was bad-I'll be replacing it tommorrow. He said it appeared to come from the left due to transferrence of the vibration to the other side.

I have 3 Caravans, and it seems I have to replace a CV joint on one or the other of them about once a year. I've gotten pretty good at doing them quick, in and out in about an hour. I usually just replace the whole half-shaft, that's the easiest way to do it. I always get those symptoms, too, I know when it starts that shaking under load, and the tires are good, it's time for a new half-shaft. The first time it happened, I let it go too long, and ended up on the side of the road dead, I thought the tranny went out, because it wouldn't go anywhere . . . so did the tranny shop I took it to, until they looked at it closer.

I finally got the drivers side done, about 90% improvement, have to do the passengers side now too. I do still have a thumping coming from underneath- can't tell if its the pass. cv or something else. It seems that the inner joints only show out under load- I'd never heard that before- only the outers click!