I am still having a chatter when starting off from a dead stop. Worse when starting off up an incline, or with the front wheels turned. It is coming from the rear end somewhere. I thought it was the brakes, so I replaced the pads and the E-Brake shoes, did not turn the rotors, it seem to stop the chatter but started doing it again after a few miles. Some have suggested the U-Joints, I can't feel any slack in them at all but haven't pulled the driveline yet. Any suggestions on U-Joints because I think I will change them out. No carrier bearing, short wheel base. Could it be in the rearend itself ? Any help is appreciated.
2003 CTD 2500 4X4 Auto 4Door
Only mods 2" leveling kit
86,000 miles

 

Describe what you mean by chatter?
Kinda funny cuz I been noticing a strange feeling when taking off from a dead stop also. It started soon as I put the Pro Comp tires on and I just assumed it was the tires but I still wonder. I'm too friggin lazy to put the stock wheels back on just to test it.

 

energiner, I not sure I described it right by saying chatter, but you hit it when you say "strange feeling when taking off from a dead stop" because I don't hear anything just feel it. To me it feels like a brake is dragging.

 

try greasing the u joints fisrt, along with the rest of the truck. check the oil level in the rear diff while your down there.

if the u's are bad, grease will help for a short time. then you know what youre up against.

 

No grease serts on U's (originals) and the oil level in the rearend is good.
Thanks, you'll don't let me miss anything.

 

only way to tell if it is the rear end is to pull the fill plug and see what kind of metal is on it. . .fine shavings is fine, but if you have chunks there is a major issue going on.

most likely it is the u-joint.

 

Sure as hell better not be something major wrong with mine! Truck only has 7000 miles on it and has not been worked that hard at all. In fact it's only seen about 500 miles of work.
The best way to describe what I feel is like this......................Imagine you have "Tracter tires" on your truck, you know the ones with the big thick paddels on them. Imagine what it would feel like if you let off the brake and just idled at 5 mph. Can you imagine the vibration you would feel?
Well thats what mine feels like for about 2 seconds from a dead stop. And thats with a normal take off. I don't really notice it if I take off fast. And it's not as hard as what you imagine, it just a subtle vibration when I take off for about 2 seconds.
You probably wouldn't notice it unless you are as **** about things like that as I am. Or unless you drove it for a whole day, then I'm sure you would be thinking WTF was is that?

 

I had the exact problem and it was, in fact, a ujoint. They do not always get slop in them when they are bad...the can bind up and lose the ability to move, causing a vibration.