Front passenger side vibration issues....
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From: New York
Front passenger side vibration issues....
I the vibration issue might be either because of the stripped bolt holes that you bolt the passenger side caliper too, or it could be because of the front passenger side part of my axel. I have greased everything regularly and have had the front passenger side wheel bearing checked and all checks out fine. So....can I drillout the bolt holes that hold on the caliper entirely and just put a bolt through with a nut on the other side??? Keep in mind i've already tried tap and dieing it and putting in heli-coil's and it hasn't helped, it all just loosened up again and stripped out, etc. Any other way to fix that problem that I'm not thinking of???
I think that the front passenger side axel might be broken for a few reasons...one is because i've been told by a few mechanics that I have a solid axel in the front of my truck and back over the winter I couldn't make it up this snow covered hill and my buddies said that the front passenger side tire wasn't spinning but the front driver's side was. Any way to test for this besides jacking up the passenger side and trying to spin that tire by hand??? Also I think it could be the axel because sometimes when going around a right hand corner, i get a vibration but it doesn't make a loud noise. Also even going straight at about 35 mph i get the vibration too but below that speed and above it, you can barely feel it. It's been happening for years now and tire changes, alignments and tire rotations have not fixed it either.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I think that the front passenger side axel might be broken for a few reasons...one is because i've been told by a few mechanics that I have a solid axel in the front of my truck and back over the winter I couldn't make it up this snow covered hill and my buddies said that the front passenger side tire wasn't spinning but the front driver's side was. Any way to test for this besides jacking up the passenger side and trying to spin that tire by hand??? Also I think it could be the axel because sometimes when going around a right hand corner, i get a vibration but it doesn't make a loud noise. Also even going straight at about 35 mph i get the vibration too but below that speed and above it, you can barely feel it. It's been happening for years now and tire changes, alignments and tire rotations have not fixed it either.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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From: NM
The vibration could be anything. Unfortunately we can't feel it over the Internet. This post may help. https://dodgeforum.com/forum/1947777-post6.html
As for the front axle, NO it is not a solid front axle it is IFS, Independent Font Suspension axle. It consist of one part of a solid axle with outer CV laxes.
As for it not working it sounds like it is. All axles rear and front old and new on all makes do that. The axle has spider gears that allow on wheel to rotate faster when you are in a turn. Due to this when offroading and in some situations one wheel may not spin. The wheel with lest amount of traction will get the most power. Almost no 4x4 is a true 4 wheel drive. Most are truly 2 wheel drive. Most 2 wheel drives are really 1 wheel drive. I got a 3 wheel drive with my rear locker. With a locker you get true 50/50 to the wheels no matter what terrain you got. With LSD you get about 25/75 it is better then stock but not as good as a locker.
If you want to know how a diff works go here. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/differential.htm
As for the front axle, NO it is not a solid front axle it is IFS, Independent Font Suspension axle. It consist of one part of a solid axle with outer CV laxes.
As for it not working it sounds like it is. All axles rear and front old and new on all makes do that. The axle has spider gears that allow on wheel to rotate faster when you are in a turn. Due to this when offroading and in some situations one wheel may not spin. The wheel with lest amount of traction will get the most power. Almost no 4x4 is a true 4 wheel drive. Most are truly 2 wheel drive. Most 2 wheel drives are really 1 wheel drive. I got a 3 wheel drive with my rear locker. With a locker you get true 50/50 to the wheels no matter what terrain you got. With LSD you get about 25/75 it is better then stock but not as good as a locker.
If you want to know how a diff works go here. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/differential.htm
Last edited by Crazy4x4RT; Aug 10, 2010 at 11:56 AM.
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+1 for what crazy said.
You may want to check your ball joints as well. Depending on the wheel alignment shop, they won't check for bad ball joints, they'll do the alignment and send you on your way.
If the holes you bolt the caliper into are stripped, I would just get a replacement steering knuckle from the salvage yard. While you are at it, replace those ball joints.
The other thing that vibration may be, is a loose alignment bolt (for lack of a proper name) on the upper suspension arm. When they "aligned" my truck, they broke one off and neglected to tell me. A week later the front was making this awful clunking sound. When I looked at it I saw the bolt was broken. It was not a new break as it was very corroded already. At least that is what I told myself. Yes, it made me feel better. I replaced the bolt and took the truck to another alignment shop. All was well.
You may want to check your ball joints as well. Depending on the wheel alignment shop, they won't check for bad ball joints, they'll do the alignment and send you on your way.
If the holes you bolt the caliper into are stripped, I would just get a replacement steering knuckle from the salvage yard. While you are at it, replace those ball joints.
The other thing that vibration may be, is a loose alignment bolt (for lack of a proper name) on the upper suspension arm. When they "aligned" my truck, they broke one off and neglected to tell me. A week later the front was making this awful clunking sound. When I looked at it I saw the bolt was broken. It was not a new break as it was very corroded already. At least that is what I told myself. Yes, it made me feel better. I replaced the bolt and took the truck to another alignment shop. All was well.
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Ok thanks for the advice.
But how can you be sure it has spider gears in the front? Some vehicles have power to both wheels in the front, are you saying theres no stock dodge dakota 4x4 made that has power to both front wheels either 25/75 like LSD or 50/50 like a locker has? I have a emerald green pearl 1995 dodge dakota SLT 4x4 with a 3.9 liter - 239 CID MAGNUM btw.
There's also a creeking sound similar to a old metal door shutting in the front passenger side that occurs even when I have everything greased in the front end and WD 40 on all the joints and the shock as well. Sometimes that same sound is also heard when you turn the steering wheel to the right or when you enter or leave the truck. The two noises may be connected to the same problem area. The shocks are fairly new btw.
Is it also possible though that the joint on the passenger side of the axel could cause these sounds? (the joint that is covered by the rubber boot that is about 4" in diameter on one side and continually get's smaller and attaches to the shaft)
But how can you be sure it has spider gears in the front? Some vehicles have power to both wheels in the front, are you saying theres no stock dodge dakota 4x4 made that has power to both front wheels either 25/75 like LSD or 50/50 like a locker has? I have a emerald green pearl 1995 dodge dakota SLT 4x4 with a 3.9 liter - 239 CID MAGNUM btw.
There's also a creeking sound similar to a old metal door shutting in the front passenger side that occurs even when I have everything greased in the front end and WD 40 on all the joints and the shock as well. Sometimes that same sound is also heard when you turn the steering wheel to the right or when you enter or leave the truck. The two noises may be connected to the same problem area. The shocks are fairly new btw.
Is it also possible though that the joint on the passenger side of the axel could cause these sounds? (the joint that is covered by the rubber boot that is about 4" in diameter on one side and continually get's smaller and attaches to the shaft)
