Vibration from 40-60 mph
 

Hey everyone, 180k miles on my ES.

Recently developed a vibration/wobble under acceleration from 40-60. At 80 there the issue is not there.
​​​​​Recent new tires and alignment. Local shop looked at it several times and they can't find anything.

I've done some research on here and my first thought is it needs new axles? What's the test to confirm it's the axles? Like play in the axles?

Or could it be old wheels? If I rotate the wheels would that be a test to see if it's the wheels?

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

180K is getting up there on original suspension parts. You need to get it up in the air and look around down there, including the axles. the axles will usually have torn boots and leak if they are in need of replacement, but not always. could be the rims, but the guys who balanced your tires should have told you that.

Thanks for the feedback. It's been up on the lift a few times and nothing sticks out. Axle boots are fine. Not torn. They did the roadforce balanacing but no change.

It also seems (could just be me) different temps change the vibration. Sometimes it's slight, sometimes more noticeable.

On my ES the gas pedal would vibrate only upon acceleration. No problems when cruising. That provided a clue to the mechanic and a subsequent road test and inspection confirmed it’s the axles (no fluid leaking, excess play on passenger side). I’ve realized a lot of tire shops are limited in their knowledge and so its best to get a second opinion.

Yeah thats what I'm dealing with. Only vibrates under acceleration.

Did they just go ahead and do both axles? Do you mind if I ask how much? $500?

There are a multitude of video's on the internet that demonstrate how to test your cv joints. Watch a few of these and you'll become an expert :)

Yeah, it made sense to do it in pairs. It ran me about 1k total for the diagnosis, parts and labor. I can’t recall what brand it was, but it was in the mid-tier range (about 200 each) as I did not want to have the cheapest one put on.

And does vibration change as you accelerate harder or softer? Does vibration diminish as you accelerate harder? If yes, it will be one or both CV shafts. I would change passenger side first as that is the one that goes bad first the majority of the time.

If center bearing race is not rusted, removal is relatively easy. If rusted, it can be a PIA to remove. I replaced ours with a Cardone model. That and a new seal cost less than $80.

Turns out it was the axles. Had a highly recommended local shop do both of them for $500. As a bonus, the entire front end feels better and tighter now.

I'm glad I didn't try to DIY because the shop said the needed a torch to separate the carrier. No thanks. Money well spent for me.