Transit 230 1996 lwb vibration at speed

[alexthecheese]

Hi guys. Bought a vehicle as per subject title today which has been converted into a motorhome. Drove it from Exeter to Essex today, and all is good but there is a lot of vibration in the body when I hit about 50 mph.

The guy who I bought the vehicle from is an absolute legend and a really genuine guy. He suggested that this is down to the prop shaft not being balanced properly. Not being any good with cars or vans I dont know if this is the reason, but like the way wheels are balanced I understand why this could be the case.

Anybody care to take a stab at this if you please? One thing that suggests this is true is that the rear diff was only recently replaced, in Portugal, as it exploded out there whilst he was on holiday ~ the receipts show it cost him a fortune to replace.

If this is the case, any ideas where i can get it sorted in Essex?

Any help greatly appreciated. Cheers, Alex.

[Frag]

What model is this ? i`m a bit confused with the "230" bit ?
1996 makes it a mk5 "smiley" M to around W reg ish ........

[alexthecheese]

I'm not sure what the 230 is either, but it's p reg, i2.5td lwb and a smiley one like you say. I got the 230 bit when i did a hpi check and that what came up, so i assumed that's what it was known by.

[alexgrfc]

ive never heard of a mk5 230 ,its prob a 190 has it got 6 stud axles/wheels it could be anything ,need more info m8 ,have a listen and try and see exactly where its coming from or post a pic up of the van then people know what model it is if it only happens around 50 its probably a wheel bearing or tracking and also check your wheel nuts are tight lol

[trigger]

230 means the payload or weight your van can carry, in your case 2.3 tons, my van is the baby 80 meaning 800 kilos or 0.8 of a ton, mk5's came as 80, 100, 120, 150, 190 and 230, yours has the highest weight carrying capacity for a mk5 Transit

[alexthecheese]

i cant really pinpoint where the sound is coming from, as it makes the whole body resonate. It feels like its kinda coming from the floor, but not really sure. It starts to vibrate about 45mph and then stays from 50mph up. It's pretty loud.

And 2.3 ton payload? Wow. Lol.

[alexgrfc]

there you go you learn somthing new everyday eh so 230's are all dormobil welfare buses?, you could go under and give the propshaft a tug and see how the bearings are if its loose it will vibrate too, when the propshaft bearings need done you usually feel it whe first setting off or taking up drive,

[Frag]

Have a look at the propshaft & make sure the joints are in-line/same position,someone may have split prop at sliding joint then put it back "out of line" as such ?
Check centre bearing rubbers for wear,poss look at having all wheels balanced (especially rears).
Oh and check the joints them selves for any play/lift.......

[alexthecheese]

Cheers guys. I got under it earlier when it was on the gf's drive and had a tug of the propshaft. The first linkage closest to the gearbox was really tight, barely any movement, but the second was a lot softer and had about 1/2cm travel each way. Reckon this is the problem? What is it that needs replacing in order to stop the play in the joint. What keeps it rigid at each section?

[alexgrfc]

one of these http://www.transpart.com.tr/urun_resim/ ... opy_45.jpg

[alexthecheese]

Cheera. What are they called?

[bazw]

Cheera. What are they called?

prop shaft centre bearing

[jay]

is there a whistleing high pitch sound from the back end when its driven??
You might need someone to drive while you move around in the back...are the tyres all ok with no bulges or flat spots.these big bus type transits do knock out the wheel bearings as well so may be a idea to check them..failing all the above I would also check the rear diff as it might have been assembled wrongly and even no oil..

[alexthecheese]

is there a whistleing high pitch sound from the back end when its driven??
You might need someone to drive while you move around in the back...are the tyres all ok with no bulges or flat spots.these big bus type transits do knock out the wheel bearings as well so may be a idea to check them..failing all the above I would also check the rear diff as it might have been assembled wrongly and even no oil..

There's no whining of any sort as you drive, just a vibration that builds after 45mph or so.

Tyres are all new and passed it's MOT the week before last.

[MinorMatt]

prop bearings sound ok (we are talking about the bits that go round the propshaft and connect it to the chassis)

First thing I would do is systematically swap the wheels for the spare and see if it makes any difference! How bad is the vibration? I would say there is a good chance a wheel weight has fallen off!