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Smart car shake


Lance A Lott

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Got the Smart up to 55 for the first time this past week while on vacation, it starts to shake at 55. At first I thought it was the road because it is smoth at 54. I manually put it in 4th no change. When I get it off the volvo I will do more testing, unfortunately I will have to speed a little to make it shake, limit is 50 for 35 miles in every direction. Any suggestions other than a bad tire, there all new by the way.

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I've had new tires shake......that's what comes to mind.  There's not much else in the system, no drive shaft or such.  How many miles?

KW T-680, POPEMOBILE
Newmar X-Aire, VATICAN
Lots of old motorcycles, Moto Guzzi Griso and Spyder F3 currently in the front row
Young enough to play in the dirt as a retired farmer.
contact me at rickeieio1@comcast.net

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I'm leaning toward a lost wheel weight OR something stuck on a rim causing out of balance. Can you isolate it to a specific wheel?

Brad and Jacolyn
Tucker the Wonder dog and Brynn the Norfolk Terrier
2009 Smart "Joy"
2004 VNL630 "Vonda the Volvo"
2008 Hitch Hiker 35 CK Champagne Edition
VED12 465 HP, Freedomline, 3.73 ratio, WB 218"
Fulltiming and loving it.

 

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14 hours ago, Lance A Lott said:

Its back on the truck at the moment but I would have guessed right rear. The wheel weights are still there and the rim is clean.  

I put it on the forum hopping there was not a known issue that I had not heard of.😁

One other thing I can think of is the possibility of a thrown belt in the tire. Inspect the tires. The tread will not be straight if a belt is going.  

Brad and Jacolyn
Tucker the Wonder dog and Brynn the Norfolk Terrier
2009 Smart "Joy"
2004 VNL630 "Vonda the Volvo"
2008 Hitch Hiker 35 CK Champagne Edition
VED12 465 HP, Freedomline, 3.73 ratio, WB 218"
Fulltiming and loving it.

 

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5 hours ago, noteven said:

rick would that be a 3rd axle so Vern would need a CDL?

Nahhh,, just register the smart as a mh, and keeo it under 65' oal.😜

Edited by rickeieio

KW T-680, POPEMOBILE
Newmar X-Aire, VATICAN
Lots of old motorcycles, Moto Guzzi Griso and Spyder F3 currently in the front row
Young enough to play in the dirt as a retired farmer.
contact me at rickeieio1@comcast.net

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 Is it shaking up and down or sideways. May be hard to tell.  

 

 Switch tires to back and try.

 

 Several years ago I hit a deer with my jeep. It messed up a bunch of stuff. Even put other tires and wheels on it. Finally got it fairly good for driving, but it still shook at 59 mph.

  In the process I put the old tires and wheels back on. But did not put the tires on the same place as I did not mark them. Took jeep in to get tires balanced. Right front tire was out of round. It could not be balanced. So had it put on the rear axle. At 25 mph that tire shook the jeep.

 

 Next morning put another set of tires on and 69 mph it drove great. Did not even balance the new to jeep tires.

 

  Look at the tire near the rim. There may be a rib molded into the tire to see if it is on the rim evenly.

 Also look at tires closely to see if they look out of shape.

 When you have tire of the ground to change the tires see if they're is anything loose in the front end.

 

  Thoughts only,.   Vern

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23 hours ago, Brad & Jacolyn said:

One other thing I can think of is the possibility of a thrown belt in the tire. Inspect the tires. The tread will not be straight if a belt is going.  

A tire or two maybe out of round or broken belt.  If it's a broken or thrown belt...the tire is no good.  Out o round...maybe can have the tire scrubbed and maybe can be balanced.

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8 minutes ago, chief916 said:

A tire or two maybe out of round or broken belt.  If it's a broken or thrown belt...the tire is no good.  Out o round...maybe can have the tire scrubbed and maybe can be balanced.

As cheap as those tires are I would just replace it.

2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1

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OK, so you say the tires only have 150 miles on them.  Like Nigel mentioned, have the wheels been re-torqued?   One of the best things I have learned thru this group is to go back to the last thing that was done (new tires for you) and see what happened.  You can chock your wheels, lift up each wheel individually and then place something on the ground just next to the bottom of the tread.  Spin the wheel and see how out of round that tire may be.  If it is, and after checking the bead next to the edge of the rim, take it back.  Defective tire.  It happens.

 

Rocky & Sheri Rhoades
'01 Volvo 770
2016 DRV Mobile Suites, Houston
HERO Makers Ministry

 

30495168531_143d8fb8d6_m.jpg

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Thanks everyone. I got back from vacation Thursday night and then had to get ready for family today so the car is still on the truck. I have had the car, actually got it for my wife's 70th, just under a year and it spent the winter on the Volvo in the shed. The test drive was down a dirt road past a cop's house so I never got it up to "full" speed the other night was the first time we ever got it to 55, the NY state speed limit. I will pull it off the truck tomorrow and try some of the suggestions. I will probably put it on the lift and run it also if none of the other things become obvious. 

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I got it pulled apart today, up on the lift it would realy hop. The brakes seem to drag a little so I pulled them apart both rear shoes were not retracting. The rear piston was stuck hard I was able to get them to move with a punch and hamer. New shoes and pistons on order. Nothing else seemed to be amiss. If you want to spin the wheels at speed you have to pull fuse 11 to turn of traction control. Thanks again to all who replied I will update after I get it back together. Lance

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