Greetings all.
I'm about to take the plunge and purchase a little 2wd Dakota for grocery getting and small tasks.
I realize these aren't the best small trucks and have a bit of a reputation but I really like the 04 body styling better than any other small truck. So im about to take the plunge tomorrow and purchase this.

The other day when i was test driving it it was really smooth and quiet on the highway at 55+
However at slow speed and acceleration i noticed a slight vibration in the seat coming from the rear.
I realize this could be tires but after researching it , it seems it could also indicate a worn U-joint.
So i thought i would just go ahead and replace them as it has over 100k.
My question is though, is the shaft a two part shaft with a carrier bearing thus requiring 3 ujoints?
And is it possible that the carrier bearing is going bad also?
Thanks in advance.

 

A bad u-joint will vibrate worse as speed increases. May also be noisy...... Is the vibration only in a certain speed range? If so, I would start by balancing the tires.

 

Thats some welcome insight.
Somewhere i read that bad u-joints got smoother at higher speeds. maybe that was a specific application.

 

in my experience, bad U joints usually knock under acceleration/load.

 

Try rotating the tires.