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Van Fan
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1992 Previa Vibration Issue
Hey guys. One of my 1992 Previas has a really bad vibration issue. It started Monday and I can't figure it out. The van seems to only have the issue when the van is in gear and the vibration is only while accelerating. I've rotated the tires, checked the rear driveshaft (no play in it), my fluids are fine, the engine is running smoothly. I've also noticed it starts at around 20 mph and seems to go away once I get to around 50-55 mph. The vibration can be felt through the entire van. I had the SADS bushings replaced back in '09, but I'm thinking that could be my problem again. I just had a JDM motor installed in this one 6 months ago if that matters. Any advice is appreciated.
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Re: 1992 Previa Vibration Issue
Vibrations are really hard to diagnose without driving. I'm not sure how you verified the drive-shaft, but I'm still thinking it's the most likely thing. The best way to verify is to remove it and articulate the u-joints by hand. It should feel smooth with no rough spots throughout the entire range of travel. If you find a stiff spot, then you've got a bad u-joint. On the 2wd Previas these u-joints are replaceable and can be purchased almost anywhere. If you have a decent size vice you can change yourself. If not, a machine shop or auto repair place would swap it out for a modest fee (assuming you handed them the drive-line and the new u-joint). I hope that's it. Tim
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Re: 1992 Previa Vibration Issue
Thanks for the response Tim. Another thing I wanted to mention is that I recently noticed is that it feels like it's coming from the front end. I've taken it to four different shops and each told me that they think it is the tires. I just bought my tires in March and haven't had any problems till recently with vibration. The vibration wasn't even a gradual thing. It just started one morning when I was leaving my house. I will have a mechanic take a look at my U-joints this time. Maybe there is something wrong with them. By the way, I had my front tires balanced today. The left was fine but the right side was off pretty badly. That quelled the vibration a little but it's still there. I rotated the tires last week, so the tire that is currently on the back was on the front when all of this first started. Tire shops keep telling me that the back tires wouldn't cause this issue but couldn't an off balance rear tire cause vibration ?
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Re: 1992 Previa Vibration Issue
Back tires & rims can cause vibrations but they have to be pretty bad before you feel them. The problem doesn't need to be very bad before you feel it in the front. If you suspect tires or rims, then a good way to check is to rotate tires. If the problem goes away or changes then you can bet it's a tire or rim issue. If the tech is paying attention a spin balance will usually give away any tire or rim problems. Sometimes tires can go "out of round" and/or start delaminating. This usually just happens to the cheaper tires but can happen to the expensive ones too. Again, if the tech is paying attention while running the spin balancer it's usually obvious. Keep in mind that even "out of round" or delaminated tires can be successfully balanced, but you will still feel a vibration while driving. There is also the safety issue as delaminated tires are very prone to blow-out without warning. If you see any bulges on your sidewalls or tread areas stop driving immediately. Tim
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Re: 1992 Previa Vibration Issue
Thanks Tim for that!! I found that you were right. It is the U joints. Four mechanics and noone could tell me that. My neighbor helped me diagnose it by lifting the rear in the air and accelerating. I called Autozone and they are only $14.99 each!! Nice!! I will be replacing them today.
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Re: 1992 Previa Vibration Issue
Nice!
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Van Fan
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Universal Joint Replacement
I just had the universal joints replaced on one of my 1992 Previa LEs. I bought the joints at Autozone for $14.99 each. Removing the driveshaft was simple enough but I had to take the shaft to a shop to have the joints removed. They were pressed in and removing them would've been a nightmare. Looking at the old joints made me glad I changed them when I did. They were badly worn. After reinstalling the shaft, I was good to go. That was Wednesday. Yesterday I drove it for about 15 miles and noticed some vibration still from the driveshaft when I was at freeway speeds. It was nowhere near as bad as before but it was slightly noticeable. What could this be?
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Re: 1992 Previa Vibration Issue
If you suspect the vibration is coming from the drive-shaft you should take it back off then have it balanced by a drive shaft specialty shop. There is usually at least one of these shops in every major city. Tim
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