Let's play a game called "Diagnosis". It'll be fun... because it's not your truck.

Pretty much all of this is fixed, but I'm leaving it up in case others have the same issue. Majority was caused by shitty U-joints that exploded and caused me to get a new CB, ujoints, and repair my driveshaft. Oil was a TSB issue.

Boys I've got more problems than I can shake a stick at. My front end squeaks, my front end clunks, my truck vibrates at 60-75mph, my CV boots may be wearing through, I've got oil oozing out of the oil pan, and the throttle feels "gritty" at all levels of acceleration.

Let's start from the beginning-ish. I bought the thing (2006 BASE 4x4) with a 2" spacer lift on it. I always said I'd put a proper lift on 'er one of these days and, after getting a college education to pay for one, I finally did. Specifically: LR UCAs, Ironman 2" performance lift, 3/4" leveling spacer.

Suspension and UCAs went on first to get that sweet sweet Caster. Luckily for me it only took 4 different shops a dozen different tries before I finally asked you guys for help. Then we figured out the joint was on backwards! Yay! On the dozenth + 1 visit everything to lined up acceptably. Rides ok and tracks straightish. Great. Time to put on the leveling spacers and install the new wheels/tires. I NOW HAVE THE GREATEST MALL CRAWLER MY SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOOD HAS EVER SEEN!!

The acceleration is a little off, but that could just be the new tires wearing in. Seems kind of "gritty" though. Like something isn't meshing quite right. What's that squeaking? I KNOW I lubed this thing like a geriatric whore when I sent all those parts to the shop to have them installed (tried to do it myself, couldn't, it's a story for a different day). But then again... they DID install that UCA joint backwards. I'll give it a little while to settle to make sure.

What's this vibration crap? I just put on brand new, skinnier tires! And a clunk when I turn?! But wait, I've done my research. Obviously I need a sway bar relocation kit and the 1/4" carrier bearing drop. That should do it! Nope. Clunk is worse but at least the vibration was a little better. MORE SPACERS! 1/2" worth of washers and it seemed to drive fine so I bought a 1/2" spacer and called it done.

Shit. Now the vibrations are worse. What the hell is going on under there anyway?! Time to get out my microscope and go over every. single. inch. of my driveshaft (heh. driveshaft). "Yup, that's a driveshaft." says I. "It's probably never been greased, so I'll bet that's it". So I greaze 'er up with some Red N Tacky and call it done once again.

Nope. But you saw that coming didn't you? For those keeping score my truck now squeaks, clunks when I turn at low speeds, accelerates like it's got laryngitis, and vibrates harder than what your wife has stashed in her secret drawer.

A long sleepless weekend spent researching on the internet, and a Monday morning call to the local fab shops about single piece driveshafts has left me with the conviction that not only are my wheel bearings shot, but also every single u-joint the driveshaft has. So $500 in parts later I have 2 new wheel hub bearings, 2 front U-joints, 3 rear u-joints, and a new carrier bearing for good measure.

Oh and also there's some oil around the outside of my oil pan and the half-shaft boots are dry rotted in places and may be at too extreme of an angle.

DRIVELINE ALBUM



















Easy Mode:

Installed - 2" Ironman suspension kit, LR UCAs, 3/4" leveling spacer, 255/70r16 tires, new wheels
Symptoms - Squeaks, clunks, vibrations at 60-75mph, CV boot wear, oozing oil, gritty acceleration
Tried fixes - Lube u-joints, carrier bearing drop, sway bar relocate, various sprays of WD-40
Future fixes - Hub/ujoint/carrier bearing replacement


So. What do you guys think? Should those fixes I laid out do'er? Or am I missing something? EDIT: Pictures up.

 

I'm working on it man. I pinky swears. EDIT: Pictures up.

 

My thoughts exactly. Your whole response was spot on. Well performed but the picture could have been better to show your no picture rage and for that we give you a 8.3

 

PICTURES UP (and probably out of order, sorry. Imgur is banned at work and I had to upload from mobile and copy/paste the links.)

 

Youre trying to do too much at once. Instead of making chili out of chicken noodle soup, dump he pot and start from scratch.

Not sure what tires you have, even new tires if not properly balance can give you vibrations and the more aggressive tread the harder to balance.

Clunks during slow turns would have me inspecting the CV shafts not sway bar or carrier bearing drop.

Sluggish starts, again not knowing the size/weight of new wheels and tires hard to tell.

The spacers should have been put on along with UCA's and then aligned. Having an alignment done before being fully lifted is counter productive and likely changed geometries. Unless these spacers were rear only, then effects are less likely.

Squeaks could be the UCA or LCA bushings.

 

Tires are Cooper ATPs and supposedly road-forced balanced at the tire shop. CV DID seem to have a little more play than I'd like. No sluggish starts, just feels like some vibration in the pedal "gritty". Spacers and wheels and tires were all on before the alignment was done. I think you're right about the UCAs, my suspicion is that the shop didn't torque them properly after they took it off the rack. That or the (non-greasable) joints have failed already.

I guess I should've made it more clear that this story takes place over a few months. I haven't done all this in a week or two.

 

When you accelerate does the steering shift slightly in one direction stay steady as long as you are coasting or accelerating, and then during deceleration the turning shift in the other direction?

 

The Ironmans are a little bit harsher than my delicate sensibilities enjoy, but I like them otherwise. The worst of the vibrations started after I added the spacer though, which is why I'm targeting the half shafts and U-joints (been lifted with oversized tires awhile before I got it) as the source of my issue.

What do you want to see a picture of? The whole driveline?

 

Put everything back to stock and go from there. Way too many variables.

 

Not enough to notice if so. Vibrations don't change when I shift it into 4hi though, maybe even get worse. Does that help?

 

Can't do it. I don't have the time or the money to pull everything off except as an absolute last resort. Truck is my DD and my other suspension components have been gone for almost a year.

 

That's what I was afraid of. (taking off the spacer you perv, who put you in charge anyway?!)

I don't understand how others can get away with 3-6" lifts and not get rid of theirs though. Mine's just 2", I picked it specifically so I would've have issues like this. Do they just deal with the vibrations? Replace shafts more often? Something else I'm not aware of?

 

Put it in 4X4 and see if the vibrations go away, could be the needle bearing in the front diff

 

Where in Louisville? I'm just south of you, in Mt Washington. I could put another set of eyes on it and see if I notice anything out of sorts.....Let me know. I'd be glad to help a brutha out!

 

Did you replace all wear items on front end when you lifted?
Check out this page I just searched, I'd start with these parts for the front end issues.
http://www.moog-suspension-parts.com/moog-packagedeal042

 

Well ok... but take it easy as it's my first time. I've edited the original post with the album link. But here it is just for you.

Actually, now that I look at it, does my driveshaft look womperjawed in the last pic to you? Specifically on the X axis?