So I've been having a vibration that comes and goes at different speeds. I've consulted the haynes manual and am following their list of what to check. But I noticed while checking the u-joints that the rubber bushing around the center bearing has a degree of movement that has me questioning it. I can move the driveshaft as it passes through the unit left and right maybe 1/4" to 1/2" and up and down at least 1/2" maybe even 3/4". There does not appear to be any play in the bearing itself, just the bushing around it.

The haynes does not give any insight, so I turn here to you all. This may not be my vibration issue, but I at least want to make sure this is not something that is on its way out and needs to be replaced.

Thanks for any insight.

 

Hmm, must have put this in the wrong section by mistake...

 

It's only been about 30 minutes.......gets slow around dinner time!

I think up to 1/2" is too much, but not sure. Have you downloaded the FSM in the FAQ/DIY section? What does it say there (I don't have the carrier on mine, so I can't go out and check...or I would....)

More on the vibration. What speed? Any/all gears? Does it quit while on a curve one way or the other? How long ago did you last have the wheels balanced?

 

No, no, I mean I put this in GD when it would have been suited for Tech! I know better than to expect 20 responses in a half hour, haha.

It will always seem to have a bit of a shake at 40 MPH. But I have not checked it in another gear at the same RPM yet. I can also get it at 65-70, in varying severity. Sometimes it is just a little shake, other times it feels like I'm going over a really wavy part of road. But like I said it does not happen every time, so it's got me puzzled and that's why the center support came to mind when I was under there. Right rear was balanced a few months ago, left rear at least not since I got the truck two years ago.

 

What size tires, and what gears ya got on that truck? I see you have the 8 liter, so, I am thinkin' plenum ain't yer issue. But, might still be an engine miss you are feeling....

You could rotate the tires, and see if the vibe is any different. Do you feel it more thru the seat, or thru the steering??

 

More likely to get roasted for placing a GD topic in the Tech section that visa-versa!


+1 on rotate tires to see if there is a difference. 65-70 sounds like balance issue. Check the 40 mph and also at that rpm in another gear. That could help determine issue.

 

Truck is running 33s with 3.55 gearing. When the vibes are bad I can see the back of the bed go up and down. So I know the back end of the truck is what's shaking. And the feeling is totally in the seat, no feel of it in the steering.

A tire rotation would be a good idea.

 

Inspect the tires real closely. My dad had the same issue on his Yota (before I bought it from him) and he had to take it back to Sam's Club three times. All 3 sets had the same problem. Naturally, he has never bought another set of tires from Sam's and I have avoided doing so. Bad batch form the factory is all I can figure.

You could reallly only tell on a high speed balancer. But an unscrupulous tire shopr will tell you they were bad just to sell you another $800 set of tires!

 

Titan, did you ever solve the problem??
having similar issues on a 3gen

 

Hey jbird, I was just thinking today that I need to update this post. Just two days ago I put new tires on my Ram and that seemed to take up most of the vibration issues. But I still feel like I have a little something going on. I still have been unable to find any guide or instructions on how to check this bearing. So I think I may have to just pull the drive shaft and see how well the bearing spins and what kind of condition the rubber is in. Sorry, this probably doesn't help you with your issue, but at least it's an update.