[downer]

I recently got a 02 9-3 SE. I think I got a very good price from the previous owner because there were a few known problems. one or two very minor skuffs in the paint are a non issue since I live in NYC and future bumps are just going to be a fact of life.
there is one other problem. Vibrations. starting from being very noticable at low speeds to being quite annoying at 80mph, the whole car vibrates. I find myself holding on to the steering wheel with an iron grip, and the passengers notice, though, none seem as worried as I am. I took it to sweedish saab service in brooklyn, but he wasnt able to find the problem. Additionally, the steering doesnt feel as crisp as it should, leading me to believe that it could be a problem with alignment? I'm not really a car guy so I dont know where to look, but I'm trying to learn! I'd love some advice from the saab gurus.

cheers!
downer

 

[hkayssi]

Congrats on the new car. Post pics for us to see it :cheesy:

I have the same problem and have yet to take it in for inspection.

Possible causes

1-- Bent or out of round wheels
2-- Bad tire that has a bump or a broken rib inside
3-- Needs a wheel balancing on a special machine to force the alignment on the car itself.
4-- Bad inner CV joints
5-- Bad inner or outer tie rods
6-- Bad ball joints
7-- Bad suspension components if the car ever hit a curb or a pot hole
8-- Broken coil spring (it happens)
9-- Broken upper plates
.
.
etc

My bet is a bent wheel (or several) since it starts at lower speeds :cheesy:

 

[saabchilten]

bent wheel would do it. the 17s on my mother's aero were bent when we got the car (or else when i hit a pothole while learning to drive ;oops: ) and it made some odd noises and vibrated some. took it to a wheel alignment shop and (after saab finally admitted there was a brake problem and fixed it) it was perfectly fine!

 

[downer]

thanks! pics will come soon. I was driving on some dirt roads this weekend so the car is filhty.

Short of taking the car to a tire shop, is there any way to diagnose a bent rim? to the naked eye, it doesnt appear anything is wrong. Additionally, what is the fix to a bent wheel? can it be hammered back into shape, or does it need to be replaced?

 

[lms]

Move the front wheels to the back first. This "may" fix the prob.

 

[hkayssi]

Believe it or not, even if the bent wheels are on the back you still feel the vibration It may reduce the vibration in the steering wheel a bit but won't cure the vibration issue.

 

[bkrell]

As one who chased vibration in my car almost the whole time I had it, please do NOT rule out a problem with the rear alignment. The rear is NOT meant to be adjustable. But as long as it's not a severely bent axle, and only mildly out of adjustment, the rear hubs can be shimmed.

As for the steering, that's the nature of the 900/9-3 I'd dare say. You can buy a steering brace from any saab performance vender which will give a good improvement in steering feel. A bigger rear roll bar will also be a dramatic improvement in the feel of the car.

 

[downer]

It seems the problem is simply a bad tire, one with a bad lump. Now the question is, what tires should I get? best all season tires for a 2002 93 SE (remember I live in the north east - snow!)

 

[bkrell]

If you're looking to save money, the Kuhmo Ecsta ASX is a good all-season....

GO to tirerack.com and take a look at what they have.

 

[bkrell]

Update, I went over to tirerack myself and took a look. I think the Goodyear Eagle RS-A is the best value all-season choice by far. I had these on my 900 and they were great tires. Pretty long-lasting IIRC.

 

[downer]

my car currently has 205-55-16. I guess I should get exactly this size?

 

[bkrell]

Yep...best to stay with the stock size

 

[earthworm]

Yep...best to stay with the stock size

Not necessarily; Saabs European size can be hard to find in the states; I use 195 x 65 x 15;she ,SMF, uses 205 -50-16...
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Eagle+RS-A
An excellent tire in the dry, just good in the wet....

 

[bkrell]

Yeah, but the stock tires can be found at most tire stores. You just may not have a huge variety to choose from. Wal-Mart usually doesn't carry them, though....

 

[earthworm]

I love a huge selection of anything, Brian..

WalMart is just another oversized department store, a little of this,a little of that, ect..
No German Castrol, for instance:nono;

I'll soon be off to the local GoodYear store..

 

[bkrell]

Autozone is the ONLY place for GC. Yep, I liked the RS-A's and have ONE on my 9-5 right now. Don't ask.....:cheesy:

 

[downer]

If you're looking to save money, the Kuhmo Ecsta ASX is a good all-season....

GO to tirerack.com and take a look at what they have.

this is what I ended up getting. I hope tire rack can get them here by tomorrow!

 

[bkrell]

tirerack has a warehouse a couple miles from my house. All I have to do is call Indiana and tell them I'll be picking up at the Shreveport warehouse. It's usually me and a few car dealership errand boys and a whole lot of fedex and UPS tractor trailers.

 

[downer]

new tires and a good alignment and it feels like a whole new car! thanks guys.