Front end Vibration

[electro452]

I have a 96 ford escort, 1.9.

Recently I've noticed I get a pretty good vibration coming from the front end.

The vibration only occurs when I'm accelerating over 50. When I decelerate over 50 the vibration goes away.

Any Ideas what could be causing this?

[GTP Dad]

Bad CV joints will cause this issue especially if the problem occurs on acceleration. Check both sides to see which one is bad.

[electro452]

Originally Posted by GTP Dad

Bad CV joints will cause this issue especially if the problem occurs on acceleration. Check both sides to see which one is bad.

will do....

I do have a split boot on one side but was thinking it's probably time to change the cv axle.

Is there a way to tell which one is bad?

[GTP Dad]

If the boot is split it is probably dry of grease and therefore worn out due to lack of lubrication. My guess is the one with the bad boot is the bad one!

[denisond3]

Agree a bad cv axle can cause such a vibration - and since both of your axles presumable have the same mileage on them, its not as if replacing both of them is tossing money away. I consider CV axles to be a s-l-o-w consumable. I prefer to do 'pre-emptive repairs', at the time and location of my choosing, rather than have a problem interrupt a long vacation drive.

While the steering knuckles are unbolted to allow changing the axles, I would check to see if the ball joint and tie rods ends are still okay too.

[electro452]

The tie rods were pretty worn and had a lot of play in them so I replaced them.

THe vibration remained when accelerating over 60mph but not when coasting or decelerating.

Had the tires rebalanced and rotated yesterday with the same results...actually seems a bit worse now.

I'm debating purchasing the cv axles for both side from rock auto or there is a shop near by that will change both for 90 a axle parts included.

How hard is this to change myself?

[denisond3]

Replacing the CV axles might be the next best move. The job is doable - but the hard parts are getting the hub nuts off and retorqued when you are done, and getting the driver's side axle popped out of the transmission. I do it be dropping that front-to-rear trans support crossmember. Getting that off may be tough, if the two frontmost bolts holding it up are rusted into the captive nut inside the sheet metal crossmember that runs across under the radiator.
All in all, if someone will do both of them for $90, you may be well advised to let them -try- doing it.
Good Luck.

[zzyzzx2]

I also recommend replacing both axles. When I did mine at around 165K it make my front end vibration at highway speeds almost go away. My boots were not split, but the one on the drivers side was leaking anyway (they are defective from the factory due to loose band). I also replaced the inner tie rod ends (outers were replaced at 55K).,

[electro452]

Just update. I replace the itre rods and ball joints with very little change in the vibrations. Both were bad on both sides though so they needed done anyway.

I attempted to replace the driverside CV axle but the axle seperated at the inner boot so I had trouble getting the unit to pop out of the tranny.

Decoded after fighting it for two hours to have the vehicle towed to the shop and had both replaced and the alignemnt done for just over $200.00.... well worth it especially after the mechanic told me the driver side ended up being the easy side to get out. He told me it took him two hours to get the paasengers side to let go and that side is completly accesable from under the car..... I thought it would be the easy one....

So now the vibations are gone.....

Thanks for everyones input and help....

[denisond3]

For anyone seeing this thread; I just dismantled a 91
Escort wagon and couldnt get the passenger side axle out of the transaxle case. Thats been the easy side when I did it before, since you can get to it easily, while the driver's side has some parts of the transaxle case casting that are in the way - unless you come up at it from behind the trans case about about a 45 degree angle.

Once the trans was sitting on my workbench I was able to get the passenger side cv joint out. First I pulled the major part of the cv axle apart - and it was obvious I wasnt the first one to do that. Then it took a couple of cold chisels with their tapered sides driven in between the trans case and the inner side of the inner cv joint, before that joint came out. (This was after separating the engine from the transaxle for better access too.) I could see that the little "C" shaped clip that is supposed to 'give' to let the joint pop out was broken into 3 pieces. The pieces were sticking up against the splines on the inside of the differential side gear and interfering with the inner cv joint assembly from coming out. My forcing things mashed the pieces down. Now I hope the gear in the trans case doesnt have damaged splines. I guess its a good idea to replace that "C" clip each time, though I havent had trouble with the prior to this.