well, shit. last weekend i drove out to Temecula to pick up that EVO 8 FMIC, from there i went south to visit a couple friends in San Diego. everything felt fine until i was on my way home and i started getting bad vibrations any time i applied enough gas to accelerate, or even keep me from slowing down.
the vibrations are getting worse.
first and second gear are fine... unless i am at the top of the rpm range in second. third is worse than second, fourth is worse than third and fifth, well, i keep thinking my radar detector is going to get shaken off the windshield.
i listen to the radio now, because the cd player doesn't like to play with vibrations like i am getting. it is kinda scaring me, just a little bit
the problem is certainly based on speed, the faster i go, the higher the frequency of the vibration. the problem is also based on power output. i dont have to be boosting, just giving it enough power to maintain speed will start the vibrations.
i figured what the heck, ill have my tires balanced and rotated, they look a lot better without wheel weights on the outside (i had them put the weights on the inside of the rim only, just for looks) and well, the vibrations are no better and no worse.
i was hoping, but i knew better.
my inner drivers are shot, totally completely shot. the question is, would i get away with doing just the inner driver tripod bearing and of course, fresh grease. or is it likely that i will be just wasting money and time and i should do the driver bearing cups too?
i have heard something about swapping the cups, to reverse where load is applied, thus giving the tripod bearings a smooth surface to apply force to. i thought i had a spare set, then remembered that i put a large flat spot in one on the '86 trans when i was installing it.
i can go parts yard shopping, see what i can find for low mileage engine/trans and take the inner driver cups, or i can swap the cups that are currently in the car. is it recommended that i do anything with the driver cup bearings, might not be a bad idea to replace those, as the spare i have in my garage certainly has a few mm of play in it.
maybe i can get away with just doing the tripod bearings for now, but i fear the cups are so worn that it won't take care of the vibration and i will very soon need new bearings, along with swapping the cups