63 cruiser 259

can anyone tell me what is wrong with my car at 55 plus mph it gets the shadders had wheel balancing done balanced drive shaft universals all good new tires etc at 70 plus mph same shaddering as though the wheels are out of balance but had them checked again by different garage with modern balancing machine still that bad shadder though the whole car and steering wheel so what is it the lark has a 4 speed box i wonder if the fly wheel is out of shape or something cheers and thanks pete from nz

[StudeRich]

Is it a Wagonaire or Convertible WITHOUT the weights in the front panel behind the bumper?

Sorry, I didn't see that it was a Cruiser until after posting this, I am used to seeing the model mentioned in the text. (added)

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[John Kirchhoff]

The frequency of the shudder should give you a clue to where the problem is. Tires are a low frequency shudder at around 700 times a minute at 60 mph. A driveshaft will be at 3-4 times that frequency depending upon the rear axle ratio. A front wheel shudder at a much lower frequency could be worn tie rod ends, bearings or bushings. One thing to try is to get the car up to a speed where it's shaking, rattling or rolling and then push in on the clutch or put in nuetral and let up on the gas. If it still shakes, you know it's not the engine or driving portion of the tranny.

Radial tires seem to have a tendency for the belts to slip or seperate. They will stil be in balance, but will have a lump or a S curve in the tread. One thing you can do is drive the car to get the tires warmed up and smooth out any flat spots from setting, then jack it up one wheel at a time and rotate them while looking closely. Check for zig zagged tread where it shouldn't be and from the side, look for any bumps. If necessary, sight along the outside of the tread and line up on something behind the wheel. As you spin it, you should be able to see if the wheel is out of round. Don't spin it and feel with your hand because if any wire is sticking out, you'll get poked. While you're at it, look at where the bead of the tire meets the rim to make sure it's seated correctly. I've had tires on old rims that would hold air but hadn't completely popped out onto the rim. If it's one tire that's the culprit, it should come through the steering wheel when it's on the front. I've swapped tires around that way until I found the bad one. New tires shouldn't be bad, but stranger things have happened. Usually the precurser to a belt slipping and wire sticking out is either a vibration or the steering wheel wanting to weave at low speeds.

[pete]

re. to my problem of shuddering i forgot to tell you that the tires are new but are 225 wides 16 inch chrome mags on the lark cruiser they do look fab but yea the tire thing could be the problem i must test as you say here in new zealand we dont get the best tires around at times the mags are new aswell 2500 dollars worth nz money not cheap to our standard ill keep you posted what i find thks for help pete

[bams50]

I would add that seeing that these are not stock rims it is easy to have one not seated or centered correctly; make sure to look at that too.

Robert K. Andrews Owner- IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2358680/1

[studeclunker]

Pete, you might want to keep an eye on this thread:

http://studebakerdriversclub.com/sdc_forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7776

Bill Pressler seems to be having similar problems to yours. Maybe not, maybe so, but it doesn't hurt to cover all the bases...



Lotsa Larks!
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
Ron Smith
Where the heck is Lewiston, CA?

[pete]

re. to shuddering of my lark i would say now that the problem is the suspension bushes as the lot is a bit stuffed i mean the whole lot needs replacing including the front coil springs ive noticed even the bushes on the torsion bar are stuffed so im going darn expence the shocks are reasonable new but for the rest oooh dear