Bad CV Joints? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

93'camry · 01-08-2009, 12:57 AM

Hey guys,

I used the search feature and found some info on my problem but just can't narrow it down.

93' Camry LE 2.2, 230,500 miles.

My car started shaking side to side while accelerating at about 45 mph. Once i let off the throttle it stops, same when coasting down hills. When the car is cold the problem isnt as noticeable but after about 10 min of driving it kicks in and vibrates the whole car when accelerating, hard to tell which side its coming from.

It would have to be part of the drive train because it only happens when accelerating correct?

So that eliminates needing a tire balance, bad wheel bearing, and bad rotors.

Thanks for any feedback in advance.

***RningOnFumes*** · 01-08-2009, 01:33 AM

Do you also feel a quick "thunk" and then the shaking?

Including a check of the cv joints, maybe you should see how the condition of your engine mounts are and get back with us.

Ontop of searching for those two things, here's a quicky:

CV:
Turn the wheel fully to one side and see if the boots are cracked. While you are turning a corner, do you hear clicking noises?

Mounts:
Sit in the car, hood open, engine on. Left foot firmly planted on the brake. Gentle rev with the right foot... Do you see it moving?

Either signs of trouble would make you do more diagnosis.

93'camry · 01-08-2009, 06:03 PM

Mounts:
Sit in the car, hood open, engine on. Left foot firmly planted on the brake. Gentle rev with the right foot... Do you see it moving?

Yes, the engine moves.

CV:
Turn the wheel fully to one side and see if the boots are cracked. While you are turning a corner, do you hear clicking noises?

I do not hear clicking noise, and cant really tell if the boots are cracked, would it be leaking fluid if they were cracked?

***Chris Tacoma*** · 01-09-2009, 04:31 AM

I'll be keeping a close eye on this thread

Have the same exact symptom. Wife's car 00 Camry Le 4 cyl , checked for ripped boots , balanced tires , rotated tires , checked motor mounts , checked tie rods and ball joints , rotated tires , used spare to see if problem still there. It's annoying as heck and only under acceleration. Told wife I wanted to change drive axles and she said lets wait. I said OK , guess we can finally use that AAA membership we have if we break down

360glitch · 01-09-2009, 02:17 PM

I just had this problem the other night. It was pretty bad, and it started while I was driving down the interstate in the rain at night. I was able to get the car back home and then took a different vehicle to buy a new (re-man) axle from O'Reilly for $59 and installed it the next morning. Just to warn you, the core charge is $75 (insane I know). After that experience I'd definitely say to not ignore this sort of a problem. I'm all about driving fast and on the edge but I have to admit that was a scary having to deal with. One of my boots was in really bad shape and the other was cracked a bit. Nasty grease/rain water poured out of one as I took it off. Needless to say they should've been fixed long ago. CV boots seem to be one of those maintenance items that are easy to forget about until they are too late. A boot is much cheaper and an axle if you can catch it early.

abew330 · 01-09-2009, 02:17 PM

soooo, u have new BALANCED tires? and new bearings?

i have a bad bearing on the pass. side. it sounds really bad on the gas. very similar to what you just explained.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 93'camry

Hey guys,

So that eliminates needing a tire balance, bad wheel bearing, and bad rotors.

Thanks for any feedback in advance.

abew330 · 01-09-2009, 02:22 PM

i dont think it would be leaking fluid..

turn wheel all the way left or right, get a light and check the boots... or reach in and feel the boots

Quote:

Originally Posted by 93'camry

Mounts:
I do not hear clicking noise, and cant really tell if the boots are cracked, would it be leaking fluid if they were cracked?

93'camry · 01-10-2009, 05:38 PM

I checked out the boots and there are no cracks. I checked the boots closest to the wheel and also the next furthest from the wheel.

I just took the car for a drive and it went away

If i keep driving it could something worse happen?? I know its hard to say since we dont know what the problem is but worst case scenario...

93'camry · 01-12-2009, 08:26 PM

bump.. anyone?

***96paseo*** · 01-13-2009, 01:47 AM

Quote:

My car started shaking side to side while accelerating at about 45 mph.

Check your tie rod ends and ball joints.

Quote:

So that eliminates needing a tire balance, bad wheel bearing, and bad rotors.

If you had a bad wheel bearing, the noise would be constant and just get louder the faster you go. No bent wheels? Tires in good condition and inflated properly? Like mentioned above, your motor mounts may be the culprit. Checking the dogbone is easy but the front and rear ones take a bit more effort. You can jack up the engine and loosen or remove the mount to see if its broken or if they're really bad you can see where its broken.

Read here for more info. 5SFE Motor Mount How-to

toyodriver01 · 02-25-2009, 06:08 PM

did you ever found out what the problem is?
starting to have the same problem, the wheel would wobble only when i apply gas but when i let off its smooth!

check the wheel looks good
checked around the tire nothings loose.
have a little hole on the cv joint on the outter boot

***RningOnFumes*** · 02-25-2009, 06:13 PM

Sounds like definitely the cv joint for you my friend-- Hole in the boot is a dead giveaway. Run through the check list from above.

When you have a hole there, it usually means you don't know or remember how long it's been there. This means there is plenty of time for the grease to escape, runout, dry up, thus damaging the CV Joint. So is there a clicking when you turn right or left?

cykaaro · 02-25-2009, 06:25 PM

What caught my attention is the side to side motion. Does this happen when, say. the car has the weight shift from one side to the other while accelerating?
This is what I recently was experiencing. Cause of this was the lateral control arm bushings being toast, in my case caused by my near collision I was able to avoid but spun out. Guess as I was spinning, it ruined them. After that, when I was more accelerating while the cars' weight shifted from one side to the other, I would get a side to side swaying motion. Initally when it happened, I thought it was the front end. Had an alignment and everything done, still no change. Had it rechecked and at that point found it was the control arm bushings being bad that was causing it. Replaced them all, and has been fine ever since.
Not sure if this is what is happening or not, but definitely worth checking out.

toyodriver01 · 02-26-2009, 12:43 AM

well i hear no clicking.
but when i stick my finger in the hole i can feel the grease in there, seems to be alot but how much is suppose to be in there?

it only happens when i apply the gas.it feels like the wheel would fly off!

93'camry · 02-26-2009, 11:09 AM

Hey Guys,

Sorry i forgot to post after my problem was solved.. It was the CV joints and I had to have both of them replaced because it couldn't be narrowed down to which side it was coming from. Only cost me $250 from a local guy which wasnt bad since Tires Plus quoted me at about double that. Thanks for everyone's help!