Shaking minibus

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Wed 21 Mar 2001 18:23
Shaking minibus - Ashley
My place of work has a minibus for transporting apprentices about, it is a 1997 LDV Convoy hi-top and has a Ford Transit 2.5 litre diesel engine, it has only done 37,000 odd miles. Whilst traveling back to work today ( the bus was empty at the time apart from me ) the whole bus started shaking from side to side getting progressively worse, i was doing around 40 mph at the time. I braked gently and the shaking eased then stopped so i increased speed back up to 40. It then started again and got so bad i had to slow right down again. It then stopped shaking so i plodded back to work.
I told my supervisor and he told me that it always does it ! and always around 39 mph, it also does it when full of passengers too. He said that the transport section has checked the bus and that it was serviceable and there are no apparant faults with it. It scared the hell out of me i can tell you.
The fault, if any, seems to be in the front suspension as the front starts shaking first and resinates to the whole bus until it's practically shaking itself to bits and steering is almost impossible. I'm a little hesitant to drive it now.

Anyone have any ideas or drive an LDV and come across this ?
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Wed 21 Mar 2001 19:51
Re: Shaking minibus - Andrew Hamilton
I wonder what the engine mounts are like. These should be designed to tuneout the peak oscillation your vehicle is experiencing! Could someone have routed cables from the engine so tightly that the engine cannot vibrate freely? Or is the exhaust not properly separated from the bodywork by rubber spacers?
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Thu 22 Mar 2001 01:17
Re: Shaking minibus - richard turpin
Check the tyre pressures. Also could be a broken leaf in a rear spring. I had that. Very un nerving.
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Thu 22 Mar 2001 08:33
Re: Shaking minibus - John Slaughter
Side to side shaking makes me wonder if there's a buckled wheel. I've also come across this with a faulty tyre, which made the steering weave from side to side.

Regards

john
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Thu 22 Mar 2001 19:33
Re: Shaking minibus - steve paterson
Check the offside front spring front hanger. Some steering effort is transmitted
through this bit and the bushes and thrust washers wear.
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