Austin Metro Violent Shaking

[94bruce]

Looking for a bit of advice on my brothers 1990 Austin metro (lowered on flipped mini 12 steels and droop stops in the back)



It has violent shaking coming from the front when engine is under load or when carrying passengers. manly round bends/uphill but some time on the flat. it only goes if you back off or dip the clutch. don't not shake the steering or make the car pull to one side. more like the hole front of the car manly on the drivers side.
when he told me i just said don't worry but once i experienced it is quite worrying very violent.

I don't think it is tyre rubbing but they do rub the outer arch some times, but i don't think this could do this as if it was, it would have riped the tyre or wheel arch to bits. (they don't rub on the inner arch) i have had it up in the air and checked every thing and seems all fine. everything movers freely and no play.

so what i can only think leaves drive shafts, gear box or diff.
could a drive shaft or the diff be knotting up?

could the drive shafts be under strain being lowered (have seen much lower ones)? heard people raising engines could this be the problem or more internal?

if anyone has had any idea i would be alot of help.

[guz]

engine mounts ?

[optimusprime]

You say dipping the clutch stops it?
The drive shafts would still be turning though,whether the clutch is engaged or not, so to me that rules them out ? ( given your description of fault)

[94bruce]

Not engine mounts have checked them.
more like it is trying to lock the front wheels up. very hard to explain never experienced anything like it.

Nothing looks to be rubbing e.g. drives shafts not rubbing on sub-frame.

has only started doing the last couple of months but is getting alot more frequent. so i don't thing it is to do with it being low because it used to be ok.

[94bruce]

Nov 14, 2014 20:37:35 GMT optimusprime said:

You say dipping the clutch stops it?
The drive shafts would still be turning though,whether the clutch is engaged or not, so to me that rules them out ? ( given your description of fault)

but would it remove the load on them ?

think i might have to strip it all off. but wondered if any one else had experienced something the same

[optimusprime]

Good point, never considered that.

[optimusprime]

Does it do it at a specific speed?

[94bruce]

no from pulling away at traffic light to cruising at 50mph used to do it about once a week but is doing it everyday now.

people have said it could be drive shaft splines in the hub slipping but i think once they have slipped they would be ripped to bits and just spin in the hub.

could it be a clutch or flywheel problem? (cannot feel anything through pedal)

[vitesseefi]

Engine steady bar bushes?

Nick

[thewindscreenman]

Something is seizing up mate. Diff or a CV joint would be my guess. Symptoms will vanish when transmission not under load. Might be worth dropping drive shaft on suspected side?

[optimusprime]

Going by what you've said, its got to be clutch/ flywheel or drive shaft related.

Thats where i'd be looking to start.

[bortaf]

CV's worn? running lowerd magnifies the issue? add in some teeny extra movement from the engine mounts and they can stick and vibrate like mad.
Loads of transit connects suffer from this whereas the standard focus doesn't, the reason is connects sit higher making the CV's run very near thier max angles, then add in weak engine mounts and they vibrate like mad under load, the differance can be mm in engine deflection but it's enough to put the CVs past thier comfort zone.

[steveg]

If it isn't the CV's is there any wear in the suspension or steering ? Just wondered if the wheel is flopping about.

[94bruce]

Thanks,
ok i think i am going to have to pull the drive shafts out and check first.
been looking into mini clutch problems might look into that next. at least theirs more room in the metro to get the clutch cover off not like a mini.

[composimmonite]

Nov 14, 2014 21:19:32 GMT steveg said:

If it isn't the CV's is there any wear in the suspension or steering ? Just wondered if the wheel is flopping about.

At first MOT, at 3 years old, our D reg Metro failed on steering. Turned out the pinch bolt where column attaches to the rack inside the car was loose and had probably been that way since new (I bought it at 6 months old)!

[ChasR]

I was going to say that the issue sounds like a knackered driveshaft or inner CV joint. They tend to vibrate like mental under load.

[swampy76]

Sounds very much line when the cv joint went on my 306

[94bruce]

FIXED IT

found the problem today.

where it has been lowered the drive shafts are pulling the inner CV joints out. they are running right on the edge of popping out. Then when it is under load they pop out and slip then when you dip the clutch it slips back in. (if you side step the clutch i could get it to do it sitting still and would not drive)

So i have fitted new inner cv joints and raised the engine with 8mm ally blocks so the drive shafts are running straight.

Thanks For all your advice.