97 camaro horrible vibration and howling noise

JeffP1167

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Joined
Dec 21, 2009
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Location
Yucaipa, CA.
This started yesterday on the way home as a taping noise the quikly turned to a horrible vibration and howling noise that seems like it is coming from everywhere in the car. It immediately starts the noise when you get near 10mph and the vibration get extremely bad over 35-40mph.

Now I have had a 3rd gen f-body driveshaft fo out of balance but this is easily 10 times as bad as anything I have ever seen. I'm hoping this not to be to expensive to fix so have any of you ever heard anything like this from a 4th gen f-body?

I don't know really anything about this car since it has always gone to chevy for any work ... my favorite dealer is no longer there (kinda broke my heart) but anyways by comparison which I will try to describe the best I can

Howling noise stereo s overwhelmed by this sound alone

vibration sounds like the floor pans are vibrating but vibrates the whole dam car but seems much worse in the trunk area .... Oh and no vibration is felt in the steering by the way.

I have had bad U-joints in other cars but this is nothing like any that I have had go bad.

thanks for the help
 
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I wouldn't think it would have the power to damage anything, are these rear prone to failure at 100k? Could the posi be the issue?
 
Only when driving, not a idle??

brakes dragging?? hung up brake hose??

had one on the front drivers side on the vette here, cost me a front brake overhaul....:hissyfit::ill:
 
Only when driving, not a idle??

brakes dragging?? hung up brake hose??

had one on the front drivers side on the vette here, cost me a front brake overhaul....:hissyfit::ill:

Sitting still the car is fine revving it up it is fine doubt brakes could be dragging car slows down normally.

at like 90mph last night maybe a little more just out on the highway is when all this started. made a very fast tapping noise then progressed rapidly.

Oh and this car has never been abused in it's life and all suspension bushings were done a few months back.
 
Only when driving, not a idle??

brakes dragging?? hung up brake hose??

had one on the front drivers side on the vette here, cost me a front brake overhaul....:hissyfit::ill:

Sitting still the car is fine revving it up it is fine doubt brakes could be dragging car slows down normally.

at like 90mph last night maybe a little more just out on the highway is when all this started. made a very fast tapping noise then progressed rapidly.

Oh and this car has never been abused in it's life and all suspension bushings were done a few months back.

WHEEL BEARINGS MAN....jack that puppy up and flip everyone....bet it's in the rear....listen with a stethescope or a screwdriver....rear hub??

maybe the hub froze and the axle is spinning in the hub, making the extreme noise???

man you gotta find that shit, something major about to hurt BIG TYME....

:tomato::suicide:
 
Only when driving, not a idle??

brakes dragging?? hung up brake hose??

had one on the front drivers side on the vette here, cost me a front brake overhaul....:hissyfit::ill:

Sitting still the car is fine revving it up it is fine doubt brakes could be dragging car slows down normally.

at like 90mph last night maybe a little more just out on the highway is when all this started. made a very fast tapping noise then progressed rapidly.

Oh and this car has never been abused in it's life and all suspension bushings were done a few months back.

WHEEL BEARINGS MAN....jack that puppy up and flip everyone....bet it's in the rear....listen with a stethescope or a screwdriver....rear hub??

maybe the hub froze and the axle is spinning in the hub, making the extreme noise???

man you gotta find that shit, something major about to hurt BIG TYME....

:tomato::suicide:

Car doesn't have hubs, it has a solid rear.
 
Only when driving, not a idle??

brakes dragging?? hung up brake hose??

had one on the front drivers side on the vette here, cost me a front brake overhaul....:hissyfit::ill:

Sitting still the car is fine revving it up it is fine doubt brakes could be dragging car slows down normally.

at like 90mph last night maybe a little more just out on the highway is when all this started. made a very fast tapping noise then progressed rapidly.

Oh and this car has never been abused in it's life and all suspension bushings were done a few months back.

WHEEL BEARINGS MAN....jack that puppy up and flip everyone....bet it's in the rear....listen with a stethescope or a screwdriver....rear hub??

maybe the hub froze and the axle is spinning in the hub, making the extreme noise???

man you gotta find that shit, something major about to hurt BIG TYME....

:tomato::suicide:

Car doesn't have hubs, it has a solid rear.

Yeh, U right, I was thinking vette....still??
 
could be the driveshaft U-joints, maybe a clip broke and one cup is missing ????

If it turns out to be the U-joints: I have two brand new solid U-joints for a 99 F-body (LS1 with aluminum driveshaft) - if these fit your 97 you can have them.

The differentials on these cars are not very strong but I put some 130K miles on my '99 Z28 and it took a lot of abuse - never had a problem with it.... I doubt you can break something back there with a stock LT1
 
could be the driveshaft U-joints, maybe a clip broke and one cup is missing ????

If it turns out to be the U-joints: I have two brand new solid U-joints for a 99 F-body (LS1 with aluminum driveshaft) - if these fit your 97 you can have them.

The differentials on these cars are not very strong but I put some 130K miles on my '99 Z28 and it took a lot of abuse - never had a problem with it.... I doubt you can break something back there with a stock LT1

Mine isn't a LT1 it has the 3.8/auto
 
Mine isn't a LT1 it has the 3.8/auto

Now THAT is not breaking a diffy....

Not easy to diagnose vibration, could be many things but I've had a tire damaged once: the tire wasn't round anymore and the whole car was shaking from 10mph up, didn't make it past 30mph with that tire
 
Jeff, the modern diffys are not strong like they used to be, all that MPG crap....I dunno your Camaro specifically, but be surprised if it had a heavy diffy in there....

I bet it's diffy....

:suicide:
 
Jeff, the modern diffys are not strong like they used to be, all that MPG crap....I dunno your Camaro specifically, but be surprised if it had a heavy diffy in there....

I bet it's diffy....

:suicide:

Man that is so not what I wanted to hear! V-8 guy beat the living hell out of there cars and mine never gets so much as abused and it can't handle it. Go figure LOL.

My camaro specifically .. owned since new, always maintained, never beat on
 
kinda off topic but why would my original deal just pack up and close. the crappy local dealerships are still around but this particular one was the best dealership I have ever had a car serviced at and it's the one that closes it's doors.
 
kinda off topic but why would my original deal just pack up and close. the crappy local dealerships are still around but this particular one was the best dealership I have ever had a car serviced at and it's the one that closes it's doors.

Because the owner donated to the R party, that's why, it's bee all OVER the net with that shit.....

I had a '85 Dodge 3/4 ton van...8.25 rear, shit the bit...blew out BIG TYME me sliding to a stop and the van rang like a bell, locked up tight, almost got rear ended....I slowly backed it up, figgering there is only ONE thing that can lock a rear that tight in a micro second....and sure enough the damn cross shaft bolt was gone and the cross shaft swung around into the pinion and busted it off but good into the teeth....

nursed it home making the WORST fucking vibration and bitchpissmoaning like a little girl.....

went to a 9.25 Chrysler rear.....posi, still under there parked in front now....

:lol::lol::club:
 
Jeff, the modern diffys are not strong like they used to be, all that MPG crap....I dunno your Camaro specifically, but be surprised if it had a heavy diffy in there....

I bet it's diffy....

:suicide:


if he has the 10 bolt zexel thorsen, it's about the same strength as the large gear earlier 10 bolt. Nothing wrong with it and the ZT is a very nice diff much nicer than the eaton plate diff.

Jeff, what's your axle ratio? G80 is perf. axle, do you have G92 also? J65 would be 4 wheel discs
 
did the tire cause a loud howling noise

not that I remember, I had a loud exhaust and a pretty good stereo at the time :lol:

Just saying, before you start taking stuff apart check the tires - sometimes it is easy to overlook the easy stuff....

Don't these F-bodies from 93-02 all have the same axle/diffy except maybe different gears for the V6 vs V8 ???

I bet you can find the entire axle for cheeap on a local junkyard if you need one....
 
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