Dirt Road Fixed Highway Vibration?!?

[JKCutler3]

So I park my car Monday night, no issues. Tuesday morning I drive out to the sticks to scout camp sites for this weekend. I noticed on the way out that I was getting a vibration thought the car. It seemed like my tires were not balanced (but they are) and would get a little worse at higher speeds. Was unlike anything I had experienced before, just seemed like a bumpy ride. It didn't seem like an immediate emergency as the car was still driving straight even at 65mph. I ended up driving about 10 miles up a dirt road to where one of my buddies told me to check out. Well maintained dirt road but still very bumpy. Only drove about 30-40mph. When I came back down to civilization after an hour or so of abuse and hit pavement again the ride was smooth as usual. I have no idea what could have caused my car to vibrate, then not vibrate. Any insight would be helpful! Thought it might be a bushing that was out of place then put in place by the dirt road? IDK

Click Here To See How Out In The Middle of Nowhere I Was

[123lilc]

im not too sure what the vibration could be, but very nice pics!

[Audibot]

Weather/temperature related?

[JB5]

If ur car was parked for too long, maybe flat spot?
The dirt road might have massaged your tires to loosen them up

[JB5]

Where's this at? I'm actually in Denver.

[JKCutler3]

The car was only sitting over night and I didn't notice any vibrations when I parked it. Highway out there was dry and sunny when I first felt it.

I live in Downtown but drove up past boulder to the East Moffat Tunnel. Before you get to Tolland the road turns to dirt. Also, drove Magnolia Rd back to boulder and is dirt for about 4 or 5 miles.

[Detroiter]

I too seem to be having this same issue. I will drive down the freeway 65mph - 75mph and i get crazy vibrations through the steering wheel that I thought was bad tires or them being out of balance. This would go away and come back off and on during the winter and I thought it might have been from snow sticking inside the wheel. When it started to warm up i decided to take it in to rebalance all 4 wheels but they came back saying they spun them but they were all almost perfectly balanced anyway and that it must be a bend wheel causing it. They told me that they did redo the balancing anyway for no charge just to be sure and to try it out. Well it did seem far better when I first drove but after a day or two I noticed it again. I am now thinking it would not be a bent wheel because that should cause it all the time right? My only idea is that some of my control arm bushings are failing causing it to be worse at some times and lesson at others.

[JKCutler3]

I was told my control arm bushings are worn. I wonder if they "pop out" or get stuck putting the control arm in an off center position when you hit a bump occasionally?

[JB5]

The car was only sitting over night and I didn't notice any vibrations when I parked it. Highway out there was dry and sunny when I first felt it.

I live in Downtown but drove up past boulder to the East Moffat Tunnel. Before you get to Tolland the road turns to dirt. Also, drove Magnolia Rd back to boulder and is dirt for about 4 or 5 miles.

Sweet! I may do that drive this weekend. I'm doing some work in Broomfield so I just need to keep going up to get there.
Thanks man.

[diagnosticator]

I will speculate that the first dirt road run accumulated some dirt on the wheels in a non uniform pattern. The second trip down the dirt road redistributed dirt around the wheels so the unbalanced condition was for the most part eliminated.

[JB5]

or.... the butt vibrometer noticed the big difference when going from dirt road to smooth surface...lol