92' XJ6 front end washboard rattle

At 30 MPH the car has a slight washboard rattle that reverbs throught-out the car, whether in or out of gear. It does go away at higher or lower speed. I've had the tires and u-joints checked but are okay..please advise. Also rack & pinion seem a bit stiff and has a mown when I first start up and turn the wheel.

Reply to
bgrass
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Greetings, First the moan. This is normal for the XJ40 as the steering rack ages. Check your fluid levels. If they are all OK then you should be OK on the steering rack. If the level is down a bit then you may want to top it off with some sort of stop leak with lubricate in it. That will generally ease the problem. Watch it, however for it may be a sign the rack is aging towards replacement. (common with these cars) The rattle is a bit different, however. My first thought is that the tyres are out of balance. This would cause the wheels to "bounce" at certain speeds causing the washboard sound. Basically it creates an out of round situation. I would check with the local tyre guy. The other possible explanation is the poly washers in either side of the wing where the shock comes through the wing on the top mount may have deteriorated to the point they are starting to chatter at certain speeds. This is common and eventually, the noise will turn into a "thump" when you go over bumps. The spacers are easy to replace. The 3rd possible is the shocks have deteriorated to the point the wheels bounce at certain speeds.

Cheers Webserve

Reply to
webserve

It sure sounds like the center bearing!! Take a look at it and you'll probably notice that the rubber is rotted away. You can get one for this car at most places, like Coventry West. They tend to vibrate at around 32-35 mph then clean up.

If you change it your self, It's very critical that every thing be marked and put in exactly as it was taken out of the car. Both driveshafts need to be lined up EXACTLY as they were before disassembly. And the center bearing is canted alittle from center where it goes through the cross member. Take a can of white spray paint and paint over the mounting screws prior to disassembly. This will allow you to put it back in the same place.

good luck

Dave

webserve wrote:

Reply to
test

THANKS! Having the drive train pulled next week and will have the center bearing redone and shaft balanced. The rear output transmission seal will be replaced at that time also, as slight leak has been detected..

Reply to
bgrass

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