Drive Shaft Vibrations Solved Step-by-Step

It's gonna take a little longer for that writeup, had another set back.

This is u-bolt number two to do this, and I'm now out of spares. I think this was actually sand in the threads, however the threads are streching on the rest of them too. I had to turn it off without a cheater bar, ugh.

Testing is most likely on hold until I can get more spares.

 

Wow, that must have sucked big time. Air tools are a treat, compared to manual removal of chewed threads with no cheater. Bummer. If anyone has spare u-bolts, kick them towards Osugoose.

 

It's cool, I'll get more. It has to stop raining here before I can keep going anyway.

 

I have a 2011 regular 4x4 which I recently purchased.It has a vibration starting at 40 to 45 and a vibration /humming sound at ~60 mph. The truck has a rebuilt title so I don't know what is responsible for the vibration . The drive shaft has a small 1.2 to 2 inch at the rear . I may need a new drive shaft .question ,does the regular cab truck have the vibration problem? If I need to get a new driveshaft should I get on with the double cardon joints? Thanks for any help or suggestions.

 

tr1957, clarifications needed. Is truck stock or lifted? Is the vibration something only a truck owner can notice (subtle vibes that annoy the crud out of you) or something every passenger notices (because the vibes are so bad their teeth are chattering together)? Drive shaft has a 1.2 to 2 inch ?WHAT? at the rear, a spacer? Metal disc between the very end driveshaft yoke and the rear pinion flange? And to answer your question directly, every truck can have vibes, for tons of different reasons (tire balance, alignment, loose motor / trans / txfr case mounts, drivelines, etc etc), so jumping to a double cardan may not be the correct solution in your case. Shoot me more info, I'll try to help.

 

The truck is stock ,no lift ,it was hit in the front when I bought it . my brother owns a shop and reparied it.it has 1.5 to 2 inch dent perpendicular across the drive shaft at the rear ,not a big dent . it feels like a drive shaft vibration at 60 or so miles per hour ,not a normal vibration feel.

 

Oh so easy. I'd bet it's a simple driveshaft balancing issue. Especially since you have consistent vibes at two different speeds, which really points to driveshaft issues. First off, that dent will automatically shift weight (fractions of an ounce) to the side without the dent, therefore, by default, not in balance. And second, the impact that caused that dent may have easily bent the entire shaft, if even only by a fraction of an inch or so, and you're driving down the road with a bow shaped driveline instead of a perfectly balanced straight driveline. Fingers crossed it's this easy. Simple to yank the driveshaft and for $85 or so a local driveline shop can spin balance test it for you. Or, junk yard purchase another stock driveshaft since confidence is high that your shaft needs repairs. It may be less expensive to replace than having the driveline shop testing / repairing / rebuilding your dented shaft.

 

The $85 dollar option does that correct the drive shaft or just test it for balance?

The vibration problems others are having is does that not affect regular cab models?

 

That's just the test for balance. And unfortunately, the vibes that we're working on here may affect any vehicle, regardless of make, model, drivetrain, etc. Most of us have lifted our trucks, and by doing so we've changed our driveline angles for the worse and have to perform corrections to get everything back in line. Some of us have stock vehicles that from the factory have vibration issues, some of which have been mounts, front end issues, etc. that TSBs attempt to address. Before you get too carried away, just get your dented driveshaft tested. Any of us who've been hung up on the driveline while four-wheeling and either candy-caned or dented or bent our driveshafts can attest to the sickening shudder experienced while driving home, the result of rock impacts bending and denting our drivelines. It's pretty common when you choose the incorrect line on a particularly rocky section.

 

Thanks, I may remove the drive shaft this weekend and drive the truck to see what that does. Will it cause a problem driving it in 4 wheel drive without the rear drive shaft?

 

I wouldn't get too carried away racing your buddies on the freeway, but you should be fine driving up and down the block for a little bit. The steering will feel heavy, and I would avoid super sharp turns on pavement, but plenty of us have driven quite a distance home with a busted / removed rear drive shaft. Just be cautious, it's not what your truck was designed to do, but it can do it.

 

On the way home I was going around 60 to get a better idea of how to describe the vibration .It feels and sounds like when you get on the side of the road where the warning stripe is ,maybe not as loud and a little higher in pitch.a humming sound /feeling. around 45 it is more of a rumble.

 

Yup, out of balance shaft. The faster you go, the higher frequency the vibration. The slower, the lower frequency, and thus the more wobble you feel. Think of a clothes washing machine out of balance, when it first starts to spin, it's way out of round and makes tons of noise; as it picks up speed, the side to side movement gets less as the pitch increases. Classic.

 

Am I correct in assuming you have a 1 piece rear shaft? If thats the case, a whole new or rebuilt shaft would be much cheaper than the numbers we throw around in this thread. You may want to go that route to save yourself any headaches down the road. Might be worth pricing out, just saying.

 

TscotR, can you do me a huge favor and post a pic of your original 2 piece in its entirety, and take measurements u-joint centerline to u-joint centerline for the 2 shafts?

 

It is a one piece unit.Any idea repair cost versus replacement?

 

Yes , one piece drive shaft. I took a couple of pictures of the dent and a scrap /flat spot. Does the front drive shaft only turn when in 4 wheel drive?

 

The price would come from the same driveline shop that could rebalance it, so its kind of a one stop shop. These prices vary greatly depending the shop. Ex: my local guy only charges $45 for a balance, I have no clue what a single shaft might cost, as I haven't priced one of those.

 

Osugoose, I've been out of town, will take shots of OEM driveline in my driveway tonight, with tape measure alongside for scale, and post shaft numbers and pics tomorrow.

 

took my truck to a local drive shaft shop and had the drive shaft retubed and balanced for $175. After driving on the highway I still have the same problem. At about 63 miles per hour I began to get a humming /vibrating sound. It is sort of like mud tires but a little higher pitched and not as loud. I am thinking it may be a front wheel bearing.Any ideas on how to check the wheel bearing without taking it apart?