MX-3.com

Hello,
My 92 MX-3's rear passenger tire vibrates pretty bad when going around turns and driving over 45mph... kinda makes a sound similar to a propellor. does any one have any idea what could cause this?? Thanks..

Antoni

There are a couple of things that come to mind.. Wheel bearing failure.. CV Joint Failure, Blown Strut. Or even the main locking nut for the hub might have come loose. Jack the car up and see if you can shake the tire top to bottom. One hand on top of the tire one hand on the bottom of the tire. Then alternate pushing with either hand.. if you have motion.. the wheel bearing is likely toast. Is this a vibration or a hopping? If hopping.. probably a blown strut. If vibration and it isnt the wheel bearing.. probably the CV joint. Hope this helps.

Tunes67

It may be a hopping but if it is then its a really quick bouncing. im gonna do as you suggested and jack the car up... ill post a reply when i find out thanks.

check the tire itself look for high and low spots on tread and out of round
tire should be smooth
realy bad struts can cause the high low pattern
tire out of roung or tread coming off tire is ussualy from an old rotted tire

blckspder wrote:Hello,
My 92 MX-3's rear passenger tire vibrates pretty bad when going around turns and driving over 45mph... kinda makes a sound similar to a propellor. does any one have any idea what could cause this?? Thanks..

Antoni

That propellor-sound description makes it sound like a likely worn rear bearing. Check it like Tunes said but a bad rear bearing won't always show excessive wheel play - and could still be bad. Just happened to me that way on my MX-6. There was some occaisonal intermittent "prop" noise but not much and no wheel play, it was a rear tire with excessive wear on one edge of the tread that gave it away. On the MX-3, rear bearing replacement is straightforward cuz the bearing comes preinstalled in the hub, and you just bolt up the replacement hub. DIY cost is ~$80 for replacement pair of hubs or you can buy just one for 1/2 that amt. Once side going bad usually means the other side will go bad fairly soon though.