Car shakes when accelerating...

[Darrel]

Hello everyone. I've got a 1999 4-door Accord LX 2.3L (F23A1) with a 5 speed manual trans. When accelerating from a stop the car will shake. You don't feel it so much in 1st gear, but you really feel it in 2nd, and the more I push on the gas pedal the more it shakes. It's coming from the front of the car on the passenger side and it feels like it's the tire/rim that's shaking.

Just to give some background, within the past month, I've replaced the following items

inner and outter tie rods on passenger side
lower ball joint on passenger side
wheel bearing on passenger side
drive axle on passenger side
and I flushed the PS fluid with new Honda fluid

Any info you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[mxqisit]

Check that your lugnuts are tight.

[MilesM]

Ice in the rims? Could also be dizzy/eclectrical.

[HBomb]

A couple of quick things to check:

Trans fluid level
Engine/transmissions mounts

[jason_alt]

this just happen recently? if so, i'm with Miles on this one.. check for snow/ice packed inside the rim.

[HBomb]

A wheel/tire rotation could also rule out a majorly bent rim or bulged tire. What was the status of the upper ball joint?

[Darrel]

Everyone, thanks so much for your responses.

I checked the passenger side wheel yesterday and there's no snow or ice on the inside of the wheel. Lugnuts are on tight. A dizzy/electrical issue would cause the engine to hesitate, or no? If so, the engine runs great, strong and smooth, so I'm thinking that may not be it. The trans fluid should be fine, I replaced it with 2 quarts of Honda fluid about a month ago and I'm not seeing any leaks. I haven't checked the engine/trans mounts, but I'll do that. The rim isn't bent, as I had it balanced recently. The upper ball joints, on both sides, have never been replaced, but I'm happy to replace these if you all think it's a possibility, or a good thing to do at the very least.

This shaking started happening about a month ago, and strangely enough, it was right after I changed the outer tie rod, lower ball joint, wheel bearing, and drive axle. :mad:

A few days, or maybe a week, after changing the above I tried grabbing a hold of both the inner and outer tie rods and I could ever so slightly move them back and forth. There was a very slight clunking sound coming from the inner tie rod. Also, with the front wheels off the ground, I could put my right hand in the 3-oclock position on the tire and my left hand in 9-oclock position on the tire and ever so slightly move it left to right. Thinking the problem was the inner tie rod, I went ahead and changed that yesterday, but it still drives the same. Like a dumbass I didn't think to check if there was any play in the tie rod, or wheel, after I replaced the inner tie rod, but I'll do that. My concern is I'm thinking the rack needs to be replaced.

Any info you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!

[HBomb]

Hmmm - did you have a chance to check the alignment after changing the first set of components?

[HBomb]

Ok, I think I may have it:

1) Is the axle nut loose ?
2) Is the axle properly seated inside the transmission with the proper locking ring in place at the end of the axle (where it locks into the diff)?

[LeeW]

Inner CV joint.

[Darrel]

HBomb, I'll double-check the axle nut and I'll make sure the axle is firmly seated inside the trans.

LeeW, so even though I installed a brand new axle (not a remanufactured unit) this past December, it could still be the inner CV joint?

Thanks again.

[Darrel]

Ok, I'm a goober. I took a close look at everything and realized the nut that holds the outer tie rod to the knuckle wasn't tight enough. I pulled the cotter pin out and tightened that sucker down and put the cotter pin back in. Then I took the car for a test drive and it's now smooth as silk, no more shaking. D'oh! Sometimes the solution to what seems like a big problem is a very simple thing, but as always I was thinking the worst. Thanks so much for your help everyone.