Vibration in the Rear end?

My truck is about to hit the century mark. Few weeks ago i started to feel a slight shutter as i come to a stop and then shortly after take off then would go away. i didnt think anything of it, figured it was just the lift tires and alignment. Now a few weeks later it has gotten worse. It now vibrates and shudders very bad in the rear at 35-45mph while accelerating but when i let off the gas it doesnt do it? whats wrong with it? ive been looking on here and reading about the UJOINT or maybe its a tranny problem? im not a very mechanical person so any info wold greatly help so i dont go blow money on parts or service i dont need. thanks guys

 

Could be several things. Do you hear a 'clunk' sound when putting truck into gear or changing speeds quickly, or a 'chirp' sound when starting out from a dead stop? Those would indicate a U-joint problem. I'll bet it's related to the lift on your truck? How high is your truck lifted and type of lift? Increased driveline angle can cause some issues like the symptom you describe and can be "fixed" to some extent with some aftermarket drop kits. No idea why it would start happening now though, presumably 10s of thousands of miles after you got it lifted, correct? So, also could be a bent or unbalanced tires on rear, a bent or unbalanced driveshaft. Could be a worn U-joint?

Good one. Hmmm.

 

I'm going with tire out of balance, or drive line issue.

 

specs: 3 inch toytec spacers 3" body with 315/75/16

its at the century mark and had the lift n tires on for nearly 40k miles. since ive gotten the tacoma all i have done is oil changes. i know its due for a tune up and tranny chck and all the goods, im working on that.

its been about 4k miles since last rotation and balance, and was told to do it every 3-5k miles with the oversize tires and lift.

so if it is driveline or U-joint? whats the fix to that? how much?

 

Mine where just replaced, they where causing alot of odd noises as well as vibrations for me, $85 for a new one from Toyota (each).

 

Did you do anything to the rear springs like add shims or drop the center carrier?

 

If you're doing the work yourself, and its a great DIY project, the replacement U-joint parts are about $25-$40 (as I recall). Be aware though that you have two U-joints, one on each end of the drive shaft, and I recommend you change them both if you're down there anyway. They tend to wear out together as one goes it puts additional wear on the other one.

First,you should check it to see if they need replaced...
"To check a Universal Joint for play, raise the vehicle and support the rear axle with jack stands. Place the vehicle in neutral and set the parking brake. Now rotate the drive shaft back and forth by hand, checking the joint for any play if any play is detected, the U-joint will have to be replaced. Also look for signs of rust. This usually means a U-joint that has no grease and is ready to be replaced soon."
http://autorepair.about.com/cs/doityourself/a/aa102602a.htm

 

the only thing done to the rear was AAL. thats all i ever done to it

 

im hoping this is a u-joint problem or just balancing.

if it were tranny then i would hear some loud popping noises, clunking or not being able to run in certain gears right let alone be able to drive it at all?

 

I like vibration in my rear end. Oh wait, you're talking about trucks. Nevermind.

 

haha im sure you dont mind your transmission being blown

 

The u-joint went bad in my truck recently. The problem seemed to evolved from different speeds, noises, etc. It sounds like that is what you are dealing with. You have to be careful doing u-joints, mainly because of the bearings. Really take your time. A good way to see if your U-joint is going bad is put the truck in neutral with the parking brake engaged, and crawl under it. Grab the drive shaft, and see if there is any play in it. When my u-joint went bad it was not as noticeable as other trucks I have had in the past, but it was definitely bad. Rust can also show that a u-joint needs replaced

 

Got it fixed. Thanks guys. MoutnainWolfPup, it was the U-joint, did the DIY project and found it was the front U-joint adn replaced it today.