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Technical 4x4 vibration

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Technical 4x4 vibration

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boatlon

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Something wrong , not getting posts through, so apologies if you have seen this , fed up re praying myselfvhere .
Got a problem ironing out a vibration , quite serious at 49 mph with Panda 4x4 climbing .
Middle support bearing replaced along with three rear diff bushes and uh ‘s ok albeit another s/h prop.
Could it be the transfer case bush / support , it looks soft as I move it?
 
remove the prop shaft. Take it for a test drive in two wheel drive.

You can't assume its the 4x4 parts that are causing the vibration. Damaged tyre, lost wheel weight.


90% are the centre bearing which you have already changed. Let's see if we can inspect/diagnose the problem without throwing parts at it.


was the original centre bearing faulty or did changing it make no difference ?
 
The prop was thrown off before the summer and the car drives perfect.noticed UJ u/s.Meanwhile a new centre bearing was purchased and S/H prop was purchased and put back on . Still vibrated , diff bushes bought as one was definetly gone on one side support , so both have been bought including the rear one, and still the same .
The car still drives fine without the shaft.
So when I say vibration , you would'nt live with it , and shakes the car , it feels nearer the front , but that's difficult to surmise....sound and feel travels.
I would add that the new centre bearing has a soft mount within itself . But I think that's meant to be.
 
Wheel damage causing wobble will be worst at low speed. Wheel balance on a true running wheel/tyre is worse at high speed.

Check all driveshafts and wheels for run-out.
 
boatlon said:
The prop was thrown off before the summer and the car drives perfect.noticed UJ u/s.Meanwhile a new centre bearing was purchased and S/H prop was purchased and put back on . Still vibrated , diff bushes bought as one was definetly gone on one side support , so both have been bought including the rear one, and still the same .
The car still drives fine without the shaft.
So when I say vibration , you would'nt live with it , and shakes the car , it feels nearer the front , but that's difficult to surmise....sound and feel travels.
I would add that the new centre bearing has a soft mount within itself . But I think that's meant to be.
Click to expand...

gearbox / rear engine mount ?

works okay as 2 wheel drive. Wheel, tyres, brakes and front drive shafts must be okay

there is a chance the SH prop is bent out of balance or worn out

can't help too much as i don't own the 4x4 but there some info here https://www.fiatforum.com/panda/422017-58-plate-4-x-4-joint-worn-out-prop-shaft-4.html
 
Thanks for your help koalas, The rear of the gearbox lower mount is not good I have to say.

I found a bulletin from Fiat to suggest , with a kit and the half moon plates to balance off the input flange where the prop joins to the differential. So with this in hand I have tried six different positions and none of them have helped.
 

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Above shows gearbox lower mount , but I’m sure vibration is from the rear.
I can try and post the balance bulletin if anyone is interested. Looks like it’s going back to 4x2, can’t keep throwing money at it.
 
I have stuck an extra support in the lower mount and took it for a run , so the vibration is still there , although still worse at just over 40 mph. All wheels running straight , no bearings gone ??
 
If there is no wobble with the drive shaft removed then that's your issue. Get the shaft/diff sorted.

Was the rear diff drive flange, where the shaft attaches, damaged when the old shaft fell off?
 
Never fell off in my ownership, and input shaft runs true, I see what your suggesting .
For the moment then everything is coming off, including diff for a better inspection. Has anyone removed the shafts fro the rear of the hubs , I will have to leave the final part of the shaft in , does it snap off leaving the spider in the final end shaft and then remove it separately by way of a circlip?
 
The front CV joints are splined into a hub plate that carries the brake and wheel. I'd expect the 4x4 rears are much the same. You will probably need to remove the hub carrier, extract the CV joint and replace the carrier. You will need scrap CV outer ends to carry the hub or have the hassle of cleaning yours of grit etc when you reassemble. In my experience, CV joints are never the same once they have been opened.
 
Thats Great, , I managed to drop the diff slighly , it wasnt the best idea as I got in a bit of a pickle , so now the shafts can be extracted from the but and split th cv loint . I take your point though about reusing hub ends , that could be a long way off now till I decide what may be wrong with the diff , ...if anything 1 Its not knowing what was causing all this vibration that is frustrating.
Ill post when I do!
 
Ok , now for the rebuild of the 4x4 system , I am convinced that my Vibration is coming from the spider joints and I am trying to get a decent number for these.
That well known parts catalogue has come up and says it is 46308103. Can anyone comfim this is the correct updated number for the rear inner spider joint.
The panda is an 05 Climbing.
 
So I am back for rebuild , so to eliminate drive shafts I replaced th the centre prop and gearbox , I left the rear driveshafts off to see what might happen.

No change still a vibration at 40mph . Can anyone help please.
 
Il assume you mean vibration as in shaking. A vibration that persists when the drive shaft is removed from the car rules out the driveshaft as the cause.

It has to be a wheel or another driveshaft, bearing or even the rear differential.

BTW, dont assume a noise is from front or back, mechanical sound location can be deceptive.
 
Thanks for reply , yes I know it is difficult to piin point as to where its coming from .The car has been running without the differential and propshaft for 8 mths without vibration , so I can eliminate the wheels. The prop has been fitted with a new centre bearing , so I can only think there is a bad bearing in the diff (not obvious externally)or the propshaft is needing balanced. At this point the driveshafts to the rear wheels are not fitted.
 
Let me get this right.. You removed the damaged prop shaft AND you also removed the diff and the two CV jointed drive shafts to each wheel. No more vibration.

It should be easy to diagnose the problem. A CV joint with enough slack to cause vibration would the physically detectable by turning its road wheel and feeling for play in the joints. Jack up each side with the other side on the road.

The differential will not vibrate unless something is obviously bent. Check the input flange is running true. With shafts disconnected, you should be able to feel for any internal damage - clunks in gears etc.
 
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