New owner needing help!!!Please!!!

[deadsled88]

When i pulled off the bed i didnt do anything but change the brake lines. My initial thought when i first felt it was a driveshaft issue. When i hit low spots in the road it hits kinda hard like either the shocks are really stiff or almost gone. I hardly haul anything in the bed so i cant really tell.

 

[Blackwater]

I think he has a U-Joint that is causing it. 9 times out of 10 if its not tires its a joint going out. usually the differential side but if you don't see plastic reminisces around the cups of the tranny then the U-Join I rarely see a shaft go out of balance.

 

[rlast1]

About ten years ago We had a customer bring us a I believe a 1996 Tahoe with same problem. Local Chevrolet dealer had installed new rear u joint and problem started then. We found the rear joint where it bolted to rearend flange was off center. We loosened it and centered it and problem was cured. This was the first one we ever saw that did not have little nubs to make sure u joint was centered in flange.

 

[deadsled88]

I have 2 new ball joints for the front that i had already bought awhile back just in case. Idk why? I may get the rear 2 and replace them all that seems like the next least expensive plan of action. Im right in needing 4 arent I.? Ive never had to replace them but a buddy of said there were 4. Sorry if that seems like a stupid noob question. Trying to learn as much as i can about this truck because i absolutely love it and want to hold on to it for a while.

 

[tinfoil_hat]

Four ball joints on the front, yes. I think these guys are talking about the "U" joints in your drive shaft

 

[L29Sub]

Rear axle misalignment will cause cut up tires. Could be the rear tires were rotated off the front?
Turning used steel belted (and some bias ply) tires backwards (reverse rotation) can cause the belts to bunch up. Tires are permanently damaged if that happens.
High mileage trucks cut up tires. Worn bushings, wheel bearings, ad infinitum.
Toss two known good tire and wheels on the truck and r/o driveline issues.
A driveshaft, trans slip joint, U-joint, or pinion bearing failure will present as a high-speed (high frequency) vibration. Wheels and tires vibrations are at tire rotation frequency and much slower and "heavier." Grab the driveshaft and shake it up and down. It shouldn't move. If it moves, move to each end and repeat to locate the gremlin. A driveshaft will vibrate 3 or 4 pulses faster than most tires. As stated, toss two good wheels and tires on it to see what happens.
Not sure that they still do this, but tire shops once surfaced cut up tires with good tread in order to smooth them up. All that shaking will tear up suspension components. Other than for diagnostics, inducing the symptoms could result in death or dismemberment...or both? Be really long day either way.

 

[wheelman]

sounds like you are getting ready to drop your drive shaft out on to the road--been there done it two times through the years.not fun..check joints they can look good from the out side and totally gone.on the inside.from not getting greased..all look at your front drive shaft yoke-and rear for cracks.had a front one that was cracked.felt like a right front tire.bumping.it went and fell out on to the road.just as i pulled over.on the off ramp.so no damage.but had to find that front yoke.even a chance that the balance weights have fallen off..i would not drive it until.

 

[Bob L]

I just noticed this tread and would like to add a couple things if he still has a problem. I did a rear you joint on one of these trucks years ago for a customer. Next day he complained of a vibration , I rechecked the rear joint and found there were no locator pins as noted in an earlier post. I just centered the joint carefully in the rear yake and problem was solved. As far as cupped tires my wife bought a Mazda brand new in 1989 ans at 15,000 miles it developed a slight vibration. One front tire was badly cupped so I brought it to my front end guy and he said it was caused by an unbalanced tire. I replaced that one tire and had it balanced and never had the problem again.

 

[deadsled88]

Ok so i replaced the u joint at the rear end and if was screwed. It eleviated most of the problem i still have a little vibration in feels like up front and the rear end vibrates only at around 63-67 mph. Anyone have a clue what either one of those problems are?

 

[lamogo33]

As previously mentioned you may want to have your tires checked and ensure they are balanced and not out of round. Glad you got some of it figured out.