Bad Struts or Shocks? or lump in my tire? PLEASE HELP!

[dunndarryn]

Hello Everyone,

I was driving my LS today on the highway and I started noticing the car being very shakey. It made me nervous so when I got to work I called roadside assistance to make sure my tire was tight enough and nothing was broken. The guy re-tightened my tire and said nothing appeared broken. He said he may have seen a bubble in my tire or it could be my struts.

So my question is, what does it feel like when your struts are bad? The feeling I get is when I'm going VERY Slow (5 MPH) I can feel a consistent "bump...bump...bump" coming from my driver front tire. As I speed up, the bump is still there, but it feels more like an intense shake. Is this signs of a bad strut?! Thank you!

 

[joegr]

It's not struts for two reasons.

1. The LS does not have struts. It has coils over shocks. This is a very different suspension setup.

2. If you feel it going very slow, it's not the suspension, it's the wheels or tires.

I suspect that you have a separated belt in that tire. Take the wheel off the car and roll it along on the payment. If it wobbles, you've got a belt problem. This is serious, as sooner or later the tire will come apart. I'd put the spare on for the drive to the tire store.

 

[dunndarryn]

Thank you! I unfortunately don't have a spare, do you think I'll be okay for 15 miles to the tire shop?

 

[joegr]

Thank you! I unfortunately don't have a spare, do you think I'll be okay for 15 miles to the tire shop?

Drive slowly enough that you won't crash if you do have a blow-out. (That said, the odds are that it will be okay for that much further.)

 

[dunndarryn]

Thank you! I greatly appreciate it!

 

[G-RELL]

you check your exhaust clamp on your suspension...J/K..Welcome