What would cause me to feel bumps in the road through the steering wheel?

20

Asked by Joe May 23, 2014 at 06:20 PM about the 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 2 Dr STD Convertible

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

When powerbraking the car in
reverse, the engine in the rises an
inch, inch and a quarter. Is this
normal?

26 Answers

25,285

sorry Joe, but; you need to get someone to put your question into English. What does feeling bumps through the steering wheel have to do with (sic) "the engine in the rises an inch...", and what is the engine in the rises mean?

4 people found this helpful.
20

It's 2 separate questions. Is the engine supposed to rise that much when powerbraking in reverse?

25,285

Bumps could be a simple as worn tires,when they get thin you can actually see where the rubber is worn down to zilch- take a look.

2 people found this helpful.
25,285

Still don't know what engine rising is- sorry.

1 people found this helpful.
20

Tires are new. Powerbrake and you'll see from the torque when the engine is given throttle the engine will move

25,285

out of balance can cause a feeling that might be interpretted as bump.

2 people found this helpful.
Best Answer Mark helpful
25,285

and again - I am lost on yout second concern, How do you drive your car in reverse and see the engine move - no hood on your car? That aside, what maneuver are you doing? Here's the best I can figure - you are reversing with your foot to the metal,slamming on the breaks,quick shifting into first and somehow you can see the engine so it';s a rod. If you are in a rod and doing what I just said then of course the engine is going to move and then your brakes are going to wear out and your clutch is going to blow.

2 people found this helpful.
20

If there were no rough roads, I wouldn't be on here looking for a solution. I've replaced quite a bit of the steering/suspension parts and still no resolution.

25,285

Bumps is such a vague term - alignment more of a pull, -shocks more like a bounce, - shudder more like tie rods, then there's clipers rubbing against an untrue rotor and ball joints (but bump doesn't quite describe them), bent rim might cause a symtom that might be called bump.

2 people found this helpful.
20

Bumps rough road not smooth pavement like on the interstate. I'll have to see about the ball joints. How would I know if they are bad?

25,285

jack up, put a pry bar between lower control arm and hub and see if they'll move apart (they shouldn't) and pull out on top of tire and push in on bottom , pull out on the bottom and push in on the top (you shouldn't be able to wiggle it - ie: should be solid)

2 people found this helpful.
199,615

Just a thought but I would check your motor and transmission mounts. If one or more is worn or broke it would cause engine movement as you described and can cause a bumping sound at times while driving.

1 people found this helpful.
20

When I did that Powerbrake in drive the engine hardly moved. But in reverse I could see the back of the motor near the firewall come up about an inch.

199,615

I would check the motor and trans mounts. That's sounds even more like a mount issue to me. Movement should be almost identical in drive or reverse.

2 people found this helpful.
199,615

Not sure why you are power braking but all the torque and power that should be being dispersed by the wheels rolling and your car moving is being thrown right on all your motor and trans mounts when you do power brake.

1 people found this helpful.
20

The car isnt moving. I have my foot on the brake and then I give the engine throttle. I'm trying to narrow down what the possibility could be with this issue. I did have the hydraulic mount replaced. So I'm not sure if the others need to be replaced or something to do with the bushings in the strut tower because the only thing in the struts replaced where the shocks not the coil overs the shocks.

25,285

dandyoun is 100% on where to look if it's the engine is not staying where it belongs; but I still am unsure what this term "Powerbrake" means and why you're doing it and how you are observing your engine while driving in reverse - I will just keep following the discussion and maybe I'll learn what mauever you are doing & why.

2 people found this helpful.
25,285

dandyoun - Do you know what the manuever "POWERBREAK" means and why he's doing it ? I'm just curious.

2 people found this helpful.
199,615

Power brake is where you hold the brake to the floor while at the same time giving it the gas while in gear. Kids do this sort of thing to try and make thier cars spin out. This procedure is extremely harsh on the brakes, drive train and motor mounts. Power has no where to go and things tend to break. (Motor mounts, u joint, transmissions can fly apart, ect). If nothing is broke yet it will be soon with continuing this procedure.

1 people found this helpful.
25,285

I thought it was kid stuff - that's why I posted as part of one of my answers"...and then your brakes are going to wear out and your clutch is going to blow." I can't see how he sees the engine while driving! And I was asuuming a standard - they really do this with an automatic?

2 people found this helpful.
25,285

Joe - I would not worry too much about the bumps you described because you are going to be scrapping your car sooner rather than later.

2 people found this helpful.
199,615

Yes this is typically done with an automatic. I guess he is standing beside car while someone else is power braking it. Or maybe peeking thru the gap of the hood if it's open. I sure hope no one is in front or behind car while they doing this. If they are a bump is what the driver going to feel if the brakes give way and they run over someone.

1 people found this helpful.
25,285

I guess I am done with this page and this guy's self imposed problems. Doctor,Doctor - it hurts when I do this? Doctor replies -" Stop doing that!" dandyoun- I'll be watching for your posts-they are good and SENSIBLE and helpful to the average person trying to solve a problem on a budget.

3 people found this helpful.
25,285

dandyoun - Please look for a question in this site that starts: 2001 5.4 liter Ford F150. I have to add a quart......,tennisshoes & Chassy are trying to keep a 2001 on the road for the question asker - please join in with your opinion.

3 people found this helpful.
25,285

search- Ford F 150 questions- on this site's search a question box to get to the question (it's a few down the page) I think the vehicle owner could use your common sense and maybe tennisshoes & I are off base and the newbie that's answering is right.

2 people found this helpful.
10

Just stumbled upon this thread - Joe, I'm taking it that you're having a ride comfort concern - rough ride and can't figure out the cause of it? You are right to be concerned with motor / engine mounts and one way to tell the condition of those mounts is doing the "power-braking" and observing the rise of the engine in both Drive and Reverse. You will need to consult with your auto manufacturer to find the acceptable tolerances for what you're doing. Generally, the most you want to see the engine "lift" is an inch. Weak motor mounts could cause the feel you have in the steering. However, this would most likely be caused by 1 or more mounts being weak or broken - thus the weak mounts would be "working" against the stronger mounts. Also, check the control arm bushings. That is usually the culprit for the vibration in the steering wheel at speed. ...and Chassy - this is something you should have known he was doing from the start rather than patronize someone who doesn't know as much as you suppose you know.

1 people found this helpful.

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