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1st Gen Ram Tech'93 & older Rams: This section is for TECHNICAL discussions only, that involve 1993 Rams and older. For any non-tech discussions, please direct your attention to the "General discussion/NON-tech" sub sections.
1987 D-150, 5.2 auto trans, with factory "computer" removed in favor of MOPAR electronic ignition and standard 2 bbl carb. 71,000 one owner miles, although as a farm truck it looks more like 710,000. It has developed a nasty vibration approaching highway speeds. Wheel bearings, brake calipers, rotors, tie rod ends and ball joints all replaced recently (less than 200 miles). Driver's side tire was badly worn on the out side, and I found a tiny bit of play in the inside tie rod end, so both on that side got replaced yesterday. Vibration persists on the highway.
I cannot detect any play in ball joints, bearings or tie rods.
Now trying to tell whether it is in the front or rear, as it shakes pretty much everything equally.
If I put the rear end on jack stands and run it up to 50 mph and feel vibration, then it would have to be in the drive train somewhere, right?
If not, then in the front. If both rear wheels are removed, and there is no vibration, then it is a wheel or tire problem, and putting one back on would isolate which one.
If vibration persists, then drive shaft, U-joints, slip collar, trans, engine mounts? How to tell which?
If in the front, standard checking of ball joints (replaced both sides a while back, but...) wheel bearings for anything sketchy.
What am I missing?
have you at least started with the obvious? how old are the tires and have you had them balanced? usually if you feel the shake in the seat it is from the rear end and if you feel it in the steering wheel it is from the front end.
If you run it with the tires off, be sure and put a couple lugnuts back on, to keep the drums in place. One of them coming off at 50mph would be extremely bad.
I just had the exact same issue. I found the problem after my rear drive shaft u joint went to catastrophic failure. I put new u joints in last night and the vibration is gone. I chased it for a long time, but everything thing always seemed fine under there. Clearly, I was wrong.
1987 D-150, 5.2 auto trans, with factory "computer" removed in favor of MOPAR electronic ignition and standard 2 bbl carb. 71,000 one owner miles, although as a farm truck it looks more like 710,000. It has developed a nasty vibration approaching highway speeds. Wheel bearings, brake calipers, rotors, tie rod ends and ball joints all replaced recently (less than 200 miles). Driver's side tire was badly worn on the out side, and I found a tiny bit of play in the inside tie rod end, so both on that side got replaced yesterday. Vibration persists on the highway.
I cannot detect any play in ball joints, bearings or tie rods.
Now trying to tell whether it is in the front or rear, as it shakes pretty much everything equally.
If I put the rear end on jack stands and run it up to 50 mph and feel vibration, then it would have to be in the drive train somewhere, right?
If not, then in the front. If both rear wheels are removed, and there is no vibration, then it is a wheel or tire problem, and putting one back on would isolate which one.
If vibration persists, then drive shaft, U-joints, slip collar, trans, engine mounts? How to tell which?
If in the front, standard checking of ball joints (replaced both sides a while back, but...) wheel bearings for anything sketchy.
What am I missing?
If you jack the rear up with the wheels on, watch the tire tread. A broken belt will make the tread seem to wiggle fairly often. Are you running passenger car or light truck tires? The truck will take the load, the tires, maybe, maybe not.
Vibration Troubleshooting
