Driveline Vibrations---Possible Driveshaft Issues?

[BBslider001]

While you've got your wallet out - maybe use this as an excuse for a rear disc upgrade?

The rabbit hole...

I just might.....

 

[PolarBear]

I figured I would start a new thread here so as not to get the "front-end rebuild" thread convoluted. I have vibration from 60-75 mph consistently. There are a few things to consider here....I did not have this issue until....

1) I had all brakes and axle seals done about 6 weeks ago at a local shop. He ahd good reviews, so I took a chance. I figured it's just brakes and seals, right? UGH... This idiot mechanic who fancies himself a helicopter engineer thought that "skidding" the truck in his driveway at the shop would set the new rear brakes. He got it up to 30 mph and would skid it on the gravel. He had me do it once and I told him that wasn't doing anything but tearing up my truck. The truck drove like a Cadillac at 80 mph before this. Yes the front end was bad, but there was ZERO vibration on this truck. I drove it home from Colorado Springs to Fort Worth at 80 mph the whole way....smooth as can be. Loose steering yes, but smooth as can be. Now it vibrates. Starts at 60 and gets BAD at 75. It would shake the entire dash.

2) I just had the entire front end rebuilt....EVERYTHING including a new steering gearbox. Now it drives straight, no play in the wheel, and has 1 finger steering. It does vibrate less, but now with the front end so tight, I can definitely tell it is coming from the rear. I am thinking two things. The new drums are out of round or the ujoints/carrier bearing got "fubarred" with this guy and his "skidding" technique. From everything I have read with this kind of vibration, it is driveshaft related. The ujoints look okay on the lift, but they are originals. I can take it off and have it rebuilt with new joints and bearing at a local driveleine shop for about $300. I am heavily considering this just to knock it off the list and eliminate one possibility. I am also thinking of getting the drums turned or replaced under warranty because I have read that more often than not, they come new out of round and guys are taking them and getting them turned to solve vibration issues.

So, get the driveshaft rebuilt and replace or turn drums? I highly doubt I will go back to this guy to make it right even though I am convinced that something he did caused this. It's simple. It didn't have any vibration when I took it to him. After brakes and axle seals, it vibrates like an SOB. I don't want him to touch it. I'll take the loss and do it myself like i should have to begin with.

Any thoughts and opinions appreciated. Thanks for reading.

Nothing wrong with checking the brakes on gravel, especially during the bleed procedure on ABS trucks.

Do you feel the vibration in the seat, or steering wheel and brake pedal?

Does the vibration go away after 75mph?

 

[BBslider001]

Nothing wrong with checking the brakes on gravel, especially during the bleed procedure on ABS trucks.

Do you feel the vibration in the seat, or steering wheel and brake pedal?

Does the vibration go away after 75mph?

I feel it in the seat even though the entire truck shakes. The steering wheel only seems to vibrate as the truck does, not on its own, if that make any sense. No vibration in the brake pedal. Also, I just put 4 brand new tires on it today. Now it seems worse at 60-70. I was only able to get it up to 75 very briefly due to wet conditions. It seems to smooth out quite a bit. The only thing I have not done at this point is rebuild driveshaft/u-joints. Thank you for replying. I value your input.

The thing that keeps puzzling me to no end is that it did not do this before the rear brakes were worked on. He swears he did not take the drive shaft off, but I guess I can go ahead and rotate it 180 and see if it changes anything.

 

[PolarBear]

I feel it in the seat even though the entire truck shakes. The steering wheel only seems to vibrate as the truck does, not on its own, if that make any sense. No vibration in the brake pedal. Also, I just put 4 brand new tires on it today. Now it seems worse at 60-70. I was only able to get it up to 75 very briefly due to wet conditions. It seems to smooth out quite a bit. The only thing I have not done at this point is rebuild driveshaft/u-joints. Thank you for replying. I value your input.

The thing that keeps puzzling me to no end is that it did not do this before the rear brakes were worked on. He swears he did not take the drive shaft off, but I guess I can go ahead and rotate it 180 and see if it changes anything.

Rotating the driveshaft 180* in the yoke would be my next step.

 

[BBslider001]

Rotating the driveshaft 180* in the yoke would be my next step.

Sounds good. I will do this in the morning when the cold rain has ended. i figured that way I can also eliminate or discover the condition of the u-joints. If they are stiff or bad, I will take it to the driveline shop and get the u-joints replaced and shaft balanced. I'll report back. It's the last thing I can think of unless I have a bad rear-end.

 

[Busted Knuckle]

I figured I would start a new thread here so as not to get the "front-end rebuild" thread convoluted. I have vibration from 60-75 mph consistently. There are a few things to consider here....I did not have this issue until....

1) I had all brakes and axle seals done about 6 weeks ago at a local shop. He ahd good reviews, so I took a chance. I figured it's just brakes and seals, right? UGH... This idiot mechanic who fancies himself a helicopter engineer thought that "skidding" the truck in his driveway at the shop would set the new rear brakes. He got it up to 30 mph and would skid it on the gravel. He had me do it once and I told him that wasn't doing anything but tearing up my truck. The truck drove like a Cadillac at 80 mph before this. Yes the front end was bad, but there was ZERO vibration on this truck. I drove it home from Colorado Springs to Fort Worth at 80 mph the whole way....smooth as can be. Loose steering yes, but smooth as can be. Now it vibrates. Starts at 60 and gets BAD at 75. It would shake the entire dash.

2) I just had the entire front end rebuilt....EVERYTHING including a new steering gearbox. Now it drives straight, no play in the wheel, and has 1 finger steering. It does vibrate less, but now with the front end so tight, I can definitely tell it is coming from the rear. I am thinking two things. The new drums are out of round or the ujoints/carrier bearing got "fubarred" with this guy and his "skidding" technique. From everything I have read with this kind of vibration, it is driveshaft related. The ujoints look okay on the lift, but they are originals. I can take it off and have it rebuilt with new joints and bearing at a local driveleine shop for about $300. I am heavily considering this just to knock it off the list and eliminate one possibility. I am also thinking of getting the drums turned or replaced under warranty because I have read that more often than not, they come new out of round and guys are taking them and getting them turned to solve vibration issues.

So, get the driveshaft rebuilt and replace or turn drums? I highly doubt I will go back to this guy to make it right even though I am convinced that something he did caused this. It's simple. It didn't have any vibration when I took it to him. After brakes and axle seals, it vibrates like an SOB. I don't want him to touch it. I'll take the loss and do it myself like i should have to begin with.

Any thoughts and opinions appreciated. Thanks for reading.

I'd be looking for a bent wheel or problem with a tire before starting to replace driveline parts that are likely still good.

 

[BBslider001]

Correction ....it gets worse up to 85 and that is as fast as I willing to go with that kind of shaking going on.

 

[BBslider001]

I'd be looking for a bent wheel or problem with a tire before starting to replace driveline parts that are likely still good.

Well, I agree except tires are brand new Coopers and wouldn't the bent rim show up on the balance machine? I am not doubting you at all....just nothing make sense about this.

 

[Caman96]

Thought this was interesting.

Tire balance vs wheel (rim) balance

Tire balance vs wheel (rim) balance

grassrootsmotorsports.com

 

[Hipster]

I feel it in the seat even though the entire truck shakes. The steering wheel only seems to vibrate as the truck does, not on its own, if that make any sense. No vibration in the brake pedal. Also, I just put 4 brand new tires on it today. Now it seems worse at 60-70. I was only able to get it up to 75 very briefly due to wet conditions. It seems to smooth out quite a bit. The only thing I have not done at this point is rebuild driveshaft/u-joints. Thank you for replying. I value your input.

The thing that keeps puzzling me to no end is that it did not do this before the rear brakes were worked on. He swears he did not take the drive shaft off, but I guess I can go ahead and rotate it 180 and see if it changes anything.

Still sounds like the first place to look is the last place someone worked.

I never had an eva meter in my hands but have seen techs use them. Useful tool. As a collision tech I'm dealing with a crashed vehicle so generally I know where to start looking for drivability issues. I didn't read your front end thread but any chance you tightened suspension bushings up before dropping the truck back on it's weight tearing a bushing?

New doesn't mean good. I put 2 Moog idlers on my truck that didn't last a month. The 3rd has been on 12 years. Go back over all of what you did.

You said you got new tires. What you didn't say was that you walked into the tire shop and let them know you were chasing a drivability issue. It's not really the tire guys job to diagnose bent rims but had he noticed a little excessive runout it's doubtful he would have mentioned it, if you didn't say anything. You need absolutes in a process of elimination not guesses. Something is loose, has excessive runout, or is out of balance. Loose and runout are rather straight forward to check. Make sure you find the problem and not just finding a symptom.

Vibration and harmonics can do a lot of damage. Think old Harley Davidson where vibration would crack welded on frame brackets.