Dear wildwolf-ga;
Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to answer your interesting question.
Believe it or not I actually have a lot of suggestions. The first
things I would suggest are probably the most obvious, and if you are
an alarmist like me you tend to overlook the simplest potential
solutions and jump instead directly to the worst-case scenario. Take
your car to an authorized mechanic (preferably one who can also do
wheel alignments) and explain the problem. Then ask him to check the
following things before you do anything else. You may have already
checked some of these but there may be some here that you have not,
and I also uncovered some consumer information that you will probably
find quite interesting:
ON THE BODY:
Check to make sure the wheels are properly aligned
Check to make sure the wheels are properly balanced and appropriately inflated
Check to make sure the tires do not have bulges or uneven wear and tear
Check to make sure the tires are not ?out of round? (occasionally a
damaged or defective tire will become somewhat oblong causing the type
of vibration you mentioned. This is difficult to detect with the naked
eye and almost impossible to discover without placing the tire on a
balancing spin.)
Check to make certain your rims have not been damaged. Aluminum rims
are especially vulnerable to this type of damage, which can make them
less than ideally round. The bouncing that ensues at higher speeds can
be detected as a vibration.
Check to make sure your lug nuts are securely fastened and most
importantly, that they are equally tightened to the appropriate
manufacturers suggested torque. Improperly fastened lugs or hubs can
cause a wobble in the wheels which is detected as a vibration as
higher speeds.
Check the wheel bearings. When they become defective or are severely
worn, people occasionally experience a vibration. If one of these goes
at 80 or 90 miles an hour, it could cause a very serious accident.
Check to make sure your stabilizers (if your car is equipped with
them) are still secure, are undamaged and are functioning properly
Check to make sure your suspension is level, even, undamaged and
functioning properly
Check your tie rods to make sure they are not loose or damaged
You said your drive shaft was checked to see if it was loose or warped
but ask your mechanic he is also checked the bearings and joints to
see if they needed to be replaced.
Check emission system for any loose pipes, muffler, catalytic
converter and fasteners that hold them in place
It sounds a bit crazy, but have your mechanic check to make sure your
hood is fastened securely. At high speeds a loose hood will lift a bit
under the updraft and will sometimes vibrate remarkably. Along that
same line, have him check the cowel just under the front of the car to
see if it is loose (same concept cause this type of vibration) as well
as the radiator to see if any brackets have come loose (air induction
through the grill can cause a loose radiator to rattle and vibrate).
RECALLS
Check to make sure your brakes and brake shoes are tight, filled with
the appropriate fluid and functioning properly. Defective shoes can
rattle and vibrate at higher speeds and there does appear to be a
recall on some 1996 Silver Spurs in this regard. The recall summary
below is related to a compound in the hydraulic fluid that has been
found in some instances to be incompatible with the system. If your
vehicle is one of these, it may be that your brakes or brake shoes
might have been damaged and could very well be the source of the
vibration your are experiencing:
Make: ROLLS ROYCE
Model: SILVER SPUR
Year: 1996
Recall Number: 95V230000
Summary:
AN INCOMPATIBILITY CAN EXIST BETWEEN THE MINERAL OIL SUPPLIED BY
CASTROL AND THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEM OF THESE VEHICLES.
Consequence:
THE BRAKE PEDAL FEEL CAN VARY, ESPECIALLY FOLLOWING A PROLONGED PERIOD
OF INACTIVITY AND HIGHER PEDAL PRESSURE MAY BE REQUIRED. THIS
CONDITION CAN CAUSE A LOSS OF BRAKING CAPABILITY AND INCREASE THE
POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
Remedy:
DEALERS WILL DRAIN THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM AND REFILL THE SYSTEM WITH NEW
MINERAL OIL. THE AFFECTED SPARE BOTTLES WILL ALSO BE REPLACED.
NHTSA RECALL SEARCH - Recall Number: 95V230000
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/recallsearch.cfm
* * * * * * * * * * *
Also check to make sure your steering, speedometer cable (these have
also been know to vibrate at higher speeds), rack and pinion (if you
have it) and steering column are all secure and functioning properly.
There is a recall on some Silver Spurs related to a steering column
malfunction and while it normally results in a loss of hydraulic
fluid, loose bolts can contribute to, or cause a vibration similar to
the one you are feeling.
Make: ROLLS ROYCE
Model: SILVER SPUR
Year: 1996
Recall Number: 97V122000
Summary:
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE BOLTS ATTACHING THE LOWER
STEERING COLUMN TO THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING COUPLING CAN CONTACT THE
BRAKE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM PIPES LOCATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.
Consequence:
THIS CONDITION CAN LEAD TO A BRAKE HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAK AND REDUCED
BRAKING PERFORMANCE.
Remedy:
DEALERS WILL REPOSITION THE PIPES TO PREVENT CONTACT BETWEEN THE PIPES
AND BOLTS, AND ANY DAMAGED PIPES WILL BE REPLACED.
NHTSA RECALL SEARCH - Recall Number: 95V230000
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/recallsearch.cfm
ALSO SEE:
NHTSA Recall No.: 97V122:
http://classaction.findlaw.com/recall/mv/nhtsa1/files/1997/pr092597.html
ON THE ENGINE:
Check to make sure your plugs are all firing in sync, that your
pistons and rods are all straight and not too worn.
Check to make sure your fan axel is not warped (can cause the fan to
vibrate excessively at higher speeds)
Check to make sure your belts are not worn (small gauges in belts can
sometimes cause vibration)
In addition, this Rolls Royce buyer?s checklist makes note of these
particular things to watch for (where vibrations are concerned). These
may also be areas to look for the source of vibrations on your
vehicle:
Transmission
Drive train
TEST DRIVE CHECK LIST
http://www.rolls-royce-for-sale.com/testdrive.html
Where recalls or potential recalls are concerned, Rolls Royce has set
up a hotline for owners who believe they may have a defective part
mentioned in an official recall notice. You can call Rolls Royce at:
1-800-825-9360 or
1-201-967-9100
Below you will find that I have carefully defined my search strategy
for you in the event that you need to search for more information. By
following the same type of searches that I did you may be able to
enhance the research I have provided even further. I hope you find
that that my research exceeds your expectations. If you have any
questions about my research please post a clarification request prior
to rating the answer. Otherwise, I welcome your rating and your final
comments and I look forward to working with you again in the near
future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.
Best regards;
Tutuzdad ? Google Answers Researcher
INFORMATION SOURCES
Defined above
SEARCH STRATEGY
SEARCH ENGINE USED:
Google ://www.google.com
SEARCH TERMS USED:
ROLLS ROYCE, SILVER SPUR, VIBRATION, VIBRATIONS, VIBRATING, RECALL,
RECALLS, CONSUMER, HIGH SPEEDS |
