moda_way

Well, I've had mine officially diagnoised as a bad driver's side axle. The hunt is on for a replacement. FYI, OEM new is like $500. If anyone has a link to search or a place to call, please post!!

JTso

iTrader: (2)

$299 for oem replacement set. http://www.driveshaftshop.com/AcuraTSX.ivnu

moda_way

NICE FIND!!

I found some rebuilds on ebay and was disappointed. For $150 ea, this is a steal. Thanks!!!

moda_way

FYI to all and bump to the thread, I just ordered my 2 new axles through Excelerate. They are the same ones that JTso mentioned above. Once again, another fantastic job supporting our forum Josh.

I'll have more info once they arrive, I will be doing the install myself.

JdmStyle

moda_way do they have a website.. and pricing..???

peter_bigblock

Moda, curious if you installed these yet and, if so, how it went. A DIY thread would, of course, be awesome. I have a little vibration that comes and goes every so often, most noticeable on smooth roads. My tires are all balanced, I have 55k. Good to know there's a not-insanely-expensive potential fix.

moda_way

I just got back from a 2 week business trip to Germany and UK. My axles arrived a few days ago and I should be able to install them this weekend. I have nothing to compare them to yet as I've honestly never climbed under my car to look at the axles. Everything seems quality on the new axles and they should be stronger than the stock ones. I'm getting annoyed with the magical 60mph shake. On a side note, I love the new clutch and flywheel combo though. As everyone knows me, I'll be doing a full pictoral and writeup on the axle replacement. Stay tuned.

moda_way

They do... look at JTso's post above. Then talk to Excelerate, he's got great pricing.

kipsy

any updates on whether the axles fixed it ? i have what i think is the same issue. today 10/2/07 i stopped by my local mechanic who is a buddy, and his tech went for a ride with me as passenger. sure enought at 55 the wheel starting vibrating. he said he could feel it in the floor. he immediately shifted the car to neutral and the vibration went away. this clears the tires, wheels. he thinks it s drivetrain problem, which i imagine would include the axles as the transmission drives the axles. he did mention axles as a possible problem. its good to hear you reporting this issue as being fixed by ordering axles, how did you arrive at that conclusion ? please update us if the problem is fixed !

Mr Pink

I had a similar problem, and have went through hell and back, and hopefully it will be fixed. As soon as the repairs are finished I will let you guys know my story.

moda_way

I'm installing the axles this Friday. I'll update as soon as I get done with the test drive.

chhimp

Can you do a DIY. I've got the same problem on my Civic. I hit a big pothole while traveling across the US and need to learn how to change the axle myself and the wheel bearing also. Shaking steering wheel sucks at 60mph and above. But so far I've learned to live w/ it.

moda_way

I think you have something different going on with your Civic. Hitting a pothole will not ruin (in most cases) your axle. You have a wheel and wheel bearing issue, of which I won't be focusing on in my DIY.

djmikey87

Hey guys,

i have an 05 acura tsx, and i love the car and its a great ride. In the past month, when ever im getting off the highway and start to slow down i feel a slight shacking in my steering wheel. I am wondering if any of you have experienced this... or is this similar to everyone else's problems.

moda_way

Is it only when slowing down? The issue in this thread is definitively found under load (acceleration) and within the limits 55-65mph. Does your issue occur at slower speeds, etc. Sounds like a wheel balance issue to me as an initial assessment from your description.

djmikey87

Well when im getting on the highway and get from like 60-70 MPH it shakes a little, barely noticeable but its noticeable to me since i drive the car everyday. And then when im getting off the highway it starts to shake a little again!

Any Suggestions!!!!

chhimp

Could possibly be warp rotors or bent rims. Check the rotor for smoothness and rotate the tire to see if its a balance issue. Factory tires are criss cross I believe because its none directional and ceck to see if the any of the weigt fell off.

Yeah I ordered a a pair of axle and a pair of wheel hub assembly which contains the wheel bearing already pack w/ grease for $360 without labor. I hope this solves the issue. If not I will have order a set of rims just in case of bent rims.

I'm working on my TSX brakes also. I changed the front brake and rotor and realize the inner long shimmy was important. It squeaks when I release the brake to accelrate. I will do the rear this weekend.

Good luck on the install.

What kind of grease will you be packing the axle?

chhimp

I found these link that may be helpful in installing the axle:
http://www.honda-acura.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=173647

http://www.paulstravelpictures.com/G...ent/index.html

moda_way

Yeah, I'm sorta struggling with the 181 ft lbs of torque on the spindle nut. Not exactly sure how I'm going to get it off. May have to wait until next weekend when I can go to Honda where my bro-in-law works and use his tools.


EDIT: Well, I finally got them off using the bar from my jack over my breaker bar giving me extra distance. However, I'm stuck getting the lower ball joints off now. I'm using my pickle fork and it won't budge even a mm. So I'm going to see if I can borrow the kind they use at Honda in the morning. I'm stuck at this point with little I can do.

chhimp

Maybe kragen has a tool you just put deposit and get your refund back when you return it.
I'm alittle worried about the install because if you don't fully seat the axle you can damage the transmission.
Get your friend at honda to help you. I've read you can damage the ball joints also if done improperly. Be careful w/ the install.

chhimp

I guess you'll be waiting for this tool: < /tsb/TSX/b90-027.pdf >

moda_way

Okay, well, I finally got the axles in and its time for a test drive. Everyting went fairly well with exception to popping those LBJ (lower ball joints). I highly suggest getting a ball joint lifter. Without that, I never would've gotten them popped out. I'll be writing my DIY later and will respond to the question of whether or not it fixed the issue.

EDIT: Just thought it important, the axles I got from Excelerate fit PERFECTLY. No issues in that area. Wish me luck on the test drive.

moda_way

Alright just back from a run with the TSX. from 0-100mph, everything is back to the way it once was, working perfectly.


THE SHAKE IS GONE!!!!


https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40227

djmikey87

well i just took my car to the mechanic and he looked at my pads n rotors and they appear to be fine. So i still got the screeching noise and the small vibration when slowing down..

ANY SUGGESTIONS?!?!?!

chhimp

A word of advice, spend that extra $100 per axle if you don't know what you are doing like me to get it done professionally installed. I spent a day. What I broke was the ball joint, rotor screw stripped w/ retracting bit struck, and axle won't go back in. It fitted the first time, but when I pulled it out for readjustment, it will not lock back into place. Everthing is put back todgether, except for the axle sticking out partally. I will have to get the car towed into the shop. I hope there is no tranny issue now. Money money down the drain. Now that the civic is dead I will have to wake up early each morning to commute with my wife in the TSX to sac state school, luckly she works close by. I've been sad all day.

bmwbadboy

Bad tie rods? I had a similar problem with a 2001 Audi A4, took it to the dealer under warranty and they said you have bent rims, spend $1200, on new wheels and tires, from Tirerack and still no fix, after much research I found it was a bad tie rod end.

chhimp

When I took the car in to replace the axle, they mentioned a possible bent tie rod. That will be my next replacement when I have money. But they said it probably wasn't the cause. I also had it lowered once before going back to stock. I heard from someone if it goes too low, eventually it would be damaged. I bought new stock wheel and tires also with no avail. I haven't tried the wheel bearing thing yet either, because the axle replacement place didn't recommend it either. Bad tie rods could potential be the problem.

bmwbadboy

Tie rods were really easy on replace on the Audi and my BMW. Looks like the inner and outers are about $100 each and then you need an alignment.

dom

+ 1 for this problem I am so fed up with this POS car.

Not the tires since this was also happening with my snows, the Michelins and now the new Generals which were just balanced.

moda_way

What mods do you have done? FYI, just axles.

As for the POS, its like they did the bare minimum to reach the specifications they needed and added little tolerance. Plenty of components fail and I think I'm the one to blame for the axles, but you read things like the A/C failing, the OEM pads causing issues, and all the other things... Let's just say when I finally am done with this Acura, I'll be hard pressed to get another... not to mention they are UGLY now.

dom

No mods on my car besides an Injen CAI. Hard pressed is puting it nicely.

chhimp

Well, the tie rod fixed the shake on my civic. I replaced the inner and outer tie rod. I had to removed the whole steering wheel assembly to get to the tie rod. Took me 10 hours of labor. I suggest anyone with the steering wheel shake to do the outer tie rod first since it is the easiest. While your are at this inspect the ball joint also to see if it busted. You're looking for excessive play that shouldn't be there.

Thanks for the suggestion. It helped me out big time. Now I will get an alignment.

bmwbadboy

Happy to hear it's fixed, I know that it can be really annoying. I went a year before I found the fix for my A4.

OneLoveAmaru

Having the SAME exact problem. I noticed the shake start when I would drive to work in the morning and it would shake for about 3 miles then go away. Didn't notice anything driving home but I usually go out to lunch and drive, so probably not enough down time.

So anyways, I balanced and rotated the tires but it felt like it was just getting worse. I took a road trip home for a week and got fed up with the shaking so I bought 4 new Goodyear Eagle LS tires and an alignment. Still shakes.... Got back to Florida, Goodyear did a road balance, they say they actually take the tire off and move it around so you get the lowest amount of weight needed to correct the balance.

So.... it still shakes intermittently. Way way less than it did but it's still there and still annoying. Can only has 34k miles on it, it's a 2005 TSX Navi.

Think I can take it to the dealer and they will replace the axles or give me the run around??? Should be under warranty still... for another 6k miles.

OneLoveAmaru

Hey Nick, you started this thread but never gave an update on your problem. Did you get it resolved?? I'm having the SAME EXACT problem as you. I'm about to make an appointment with the Acura dealer and tell them I think it's the axles based on moda_way's experience.

If you got it resolved bro... please do share!!

SERVICEADVISOR

COPY OF ACURA SERVICE NEWS TO HELP EXPLAIN ISSUE:

Cold Start Vibrations
Temperature/Time-Related Flat Spots
When you park a vehicle overnight in cold temperatures or park it for a few days, weeks, or months, the
tires can form what are commonly called flat spots. These flat spots can cause a noticeable vibration when
traveling at low speeds that goes away after just a few miles of driving.
Due to their construction and materials, many heavy-duty and high-performance tires have a memory—
meaning they continue to remember the position in which they were last parked when you begin driving
again. Unfortunately, that memory can become a problem when the tires go through wide swings in
ambient temperature, or they’ve been sitting overnight in cold temperatures or for a long period of time.
When a tire is suspended in the air (there’s no load on it), each of the sidewall cords has the same tension.
As the tire rolls on the ground, each of those sidewall cords goes from a relaxed state to a loaded state for
every rotation. And this happens about 800 times every mile. This constant deflection generates heat,
which makes the tires more flexible. But once you park the vehicle and those tires start to cool, the spot
that’s touching the ground (the tire’s footprint) flattens and the cords around that spot relax as the tire
presses down from the weight of the vehicle. The cords at the top of the tire, however, are held at their
maximum tension. If it’s cold overnight or you don’t drive the vehicle for a while, the tire will remember its
position, forming a flat spot. After a cold start, the axle rises and falls in response to that flat spot, causing
a noticeable vibration. But as tire warms up, it softens, and normally rounds out. With the axle now riding
steady, the vibration goes away.
A flat spot can be just temporary, where the tire rounds out after it warms up. But sometimes it can also be
permanent in which the tire’s memory effectively destroys its ride quality. A flat spot’s severity often
depends on the tire’s size, its construction, the load it’s under, the ambient temperature, and how long it’s
been sitting and at what temperature. If the tire has a temporary flat spot, don’t replace the tire just
because of it. Of course, if that flat spot is permanent, the only real cure is tire replacement.
Abrasion-Related Flat Spots
Tires can also develop flat spots if the brakes lock up causing them to skid. This is more likely to happen in
vehicles without ABS or VSA or if you misuse the parking brake. Since these flat spots are obviously
permanent, the only real cure is tire replacement.
Constant Vibrations
A badly mounted tire bead can cause vibrations that you can feel right through the seat, the floor, and the
steering column while driving. The steering wheel can also shimmy. In rare cases, more than one tire can
be the culprit. If the tire looks new—and you suspect a badly mounted bead—you need to measure the
tire/rim runout if you’ve got access to a Hunter GSP 9700 wheel balancer. If you don’t have access to one,
you need to mount a known-good stock tire and rim and test-drive your client’s vehicle under the same
conditions that are listed on your RO. We’ll be discussing exactly how to do this in future articles of this

OneLoveAmaru

Thanks for the service bulletin. I don't believe anyone who has posted in this thread is having symptoms like that.

My problem was most like Nick's. 0 to 59, no problem. 60+, it shook pretty damn good.

If anyone cares to know what my fix was... it was the rotors. I replaced the front pads/rotors the same day I rotated my tires, about 1 month ago now. My tires were worn so I assumed it was the tires. I waited a couple weeks for new tires, which my wheel was shaking on and off. I got 4 brand new tires, no change. I figured they needed to be balanced again. Had them spin balanced twice, then road force balanced two times after that. I figured it was an axle or something after that, so I took it to the Acura dealer. They played with it for 4hrs and then blamed it on the tires, since they were Goodyear and not the original Michelin's. I do believe there is 1 bad tire but they moved that to the rear right.

So after that I was like.. ok, if it's not an axle, tires, the other other thing that had changed, that COULD have an affect like shaking 60+ mph, were the rotots. I got the rotors at Auto Zone because Acura was selling them for $143 each, a tad steep for what I wanted to pay. So I went and got 2 new rotors again, swapped them out and BAM.. smooth from 0 to 100 again.

So if anyone every tries to tell you that the rotors have to be warped to be bad, don't know what they are talking about.

I hope that helps someone.

SERVICEADVISOR

if the lug nuts are over torqued it can cause this issue also

OneLoveAmaru

I used my torque wrench set to 79.5 and tightened the lugs in a star pattern.

Also, i still do have a little shake, the rotors took out about 80% of the shake. I know I have a bad tire in the back and Goodyear is swapping out all 4 tires tomorrow, so I hope that's the other 20%.

OneLoveAmaru

Yeah, so scratch my earlier post about it being the rotors. After I put the rotors on I drove my car 30 miles straight, was solid as a rock. Replaced all 4 tires this morning courtesy of goodyear, because 1 tire in the back was bad. Drove 20 miles straight after I got them on, felt good. Just took the car out for a test drive, wheel is shaking again.... yay!

Will be scheduling an appointment with the Acura dealership again. This time if they try and blame it on the tires I'll tell them to go screw themselves. First set of tires, original Michelin's is when this all started. Got the Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season's and an alignment, didn't stop. Then Goodyear Eagle LS tires, same thing. Now today I am driving the Goodyear Eagle ResponseEdge tires, same thing. I think it's safe to say it's not the tires. It's also intermittent shaking, so I think it's also safe to say it's not the rims(also had them checked when they put the tires on, and yes they are still the OEM rims), since rims don't bend and unbend as you are driving them, unless maybe they were almost pure gold.

Well, I'm at a loss. I will let you guys know what the Acura guys say this time.