Hit a pothole at 25mph, car vibrating and making a faint droning noise?
 

Sooo was driving along a sharp highway exit doing about 25mph when I hit a pothole with my front-right wheel. I didn't see it but I'm guessing it was pretty big, I heard and felt a hard thud.:whyme: I have A-Spec 18'' rims with low profile tires.

At speeds above 50mph I feel the front end vibrating and making a faint droning like noise. :whyme: The steering wheel doesn't vibrate at all until I apply the brakes.

I inspected the wheel visually and see no dents and there are no bulges on the tire. I had the wheels recently "speed-balanced" at Acura Dealer.

Sooo... question is: is it a bent rim?? or could I have thrown a wheel weight? I doubt I could have bent an axle doing 25mph...

It sounds a lot like the rim is bent, and it could be bent on the back edge. Its easier for a rim to bend there, having no support from spokes...id take that rim off, look at the back side, and possibly run on a speed balancer.
Make sure the subframe where the lower control arm mounts, didn't get bent.

X2 on checking out the lower subframe mount. These seem to break very easily.

A bent rim is probably causing the issue but the droning noise can be a bearing. Does it do it more when you turn one way?

I wouldn't drive it around any more than you have to. Chances are alignment was knocked way off and you're wearing the tires quickly. There's also the safety aspect.

^ ^ ^
Didn't mean to quote Opel lol.

Thnx.. I didn't notice any problems with the alignment, the car still drives straight at any speed and doesn't pull in any direction. The vibration or the sound doesn't change when turning any one way (taking turns on the highway), also the vibration disappears after about 80mph. I guess probably the rim..Is it possible to try to balance out the rim if it's only slightly bent? Or maybe try to fix it? I know some shops offer to "fix" the rim..

Would it help if I speed balanced the rim and just put it in the back of the car? Then again, it would probably make the whole car vibrate..

You can find places that fix bent rims...look around your area.

If it's bent it has to be replaced. You don't want to try and balance out a bent rim for many reasons including safety.

The car doesn't have to pull for the alignment to be out. These cars love to lose the toe angle and this will cause very quick but even wear of the front tires. I wore a set out in 5,000 miles due to toe.

I would take it in and have a mechanic look it over. If the vibration goes away at 80mph you could have other components that are broken/worn.

Anyone know where I can find an OEM or Refurb 18'' A-Spec rim?? I don't want to drop 500 bucks at the dealer for one rim..

This is why i got the added insurance that replaces blown tire and damaged rim up to 2000 bux.

Thanks for all your help guys.. Checked ebay, plenty of refurbished rims at around 200 bucks but none come in ebony black to match my other rims, and Im obviously not going to buy a set of 4 for $1,400.. Maybe someone on acurazine has one for sale or locally *fingers crossed*

Does the drone increase in intensity/volume as you increase in speed and decrease as you slow down?

Is there even a shimmy in the steering wheel? Id have someone look under the car before you go buying a rim that you dont need. Could be an axle problem or suspension component. Drown/howling sounds like something in axle or bearing.

Ok Driving to work today, here is what I figured out:

The noise (if you can call it that) and vibration increase with speed, you can feel/hear this faint sound that accompanies the vibration (it sounds in tune with the vibration)
There is very slight vibration in the steering wheel when driving, but when you apply the brakes you can feel the steering wheel vibrate and shimmy side to side...Once you get down below 35mph there's no vibration or shimmy of the wheel even when breaking. Only at highway speeds.

Also as you pick up speed like above 80mph the vibration changes frequency and turns to a barely noticeable jitter throughout the car..? It is most noticeable at 50-70mph.

My guess its probably either a wheel weight, or the rim bent slightly. I saw the pothole that I hit today, it is not that big, and I was only going like 25mph, I doubt I could have damaged an axle or suspension component that easily.

There is no "droning" sound per se, I guess I just over reacted yesterday and didn't know exactly what to call it, since I only drove the car for like a minute (the pothole in the exit was right next to my house)

Thats def the axle. Get it checked out at at place you trust.

I will get it checked, but I really doubt it's an axle problem at 25mph. With my low profile tire, my rim will bend into shit before the axle gets any damage at all. I mean my uncle drives his accord LX with 16 inch rims, normal profile tires, and he doesn't avoid potholes at all. I mean he hits some potholes that are big enough to get the wheel stuck in them, and nothing at all, not a single problem. How can it be possible that from a single, tiny pothole at measly speed I can damage an axle??

Ok, so to make certain I got out on a perfectly flat and even stretch of road today. After work took a ride on a freshly paved part of I-78 - it's smooth as a baby's butt..

What i found out that actually the steering wheel does NOT shimmy or move at all when driving. It was probably just an uneven road when going to work. Hitting the brakes gives off a vibration into the break pedal and you can feel it a bit in the steering wheel. The car drives perfectly straight, I let go of the wheel and hit the brakes hard, the car was slowing down absolutely straight and not pulling anywhere. The vibration or the jitter is most noticeable between 50-65mph. Past 80 you almost feel nothing , just a slight vibration. Below 45 also feel almost nothing.

So my guess, again, it's probably the wheel. I'm taking it to a mechanic tomorrow, and see what he says. Thanks for all your help guys.

Finally went to my mechanic today, he inspected the car.. said the drive train looks beautiful and all the suspension parts are flawless.. He checked the rim as well and found no dents. The wheel balanced out just fine, he stuck on a small piece of weight and now it's all good.. Thank God nothing was wrong cause you guys did scare me a little :tomato: But THanks for all your help!