Drive Shaft Vibrations Solved Step-by-Step

I saw that! Very creative on how you did that. I assume the frame was on jack stands right? So do you have the dakar leaf packs? I have the OME u bolts that came with my kit. But i did just order the kit from headstrong in the event the head wasnt longer enough.... not trying to do this twice haha.

 

Thanks. At that point I don’t think I had lifted anywhere other than that part of the leaf. The weight was still on the tires. I tried first by lifting from the diff, thinking it would still let the axle drop enough but it didn’t. I’ve got the Ironman leafs on there.
I hear you and would not want to do things twice. Though while I say that, I still think I’ve got slight vibrations at different speeds now (not related to needle bearing) but unsure if it’s the wheels and tires along with it or not. I need to get those checked.

 

I have a 2 inch ready lift rear block was having a mild vibration at 40mph. I did this same set up today and no more vibration at any speed. Thanks for posting this information.

 

Still playing around trying to get rid of vibs on mine.
It’s odd, there are times that I get vibrations at certain speeds then later the vibrations will be at a slightly lower or higher speed and not the speed I expected them.
I’m going to get the wheels/tires checked/rebalanced, lower the front lift by 1/2” and then start the process over again. The vibrations are not terrible but they are there.

 

Are you sure its not just how the truck rides? I tend to feel the road a lot more in my Tacoma then I have in any other vehicle. All depends on the road. Sometimes I have a bit of a shake at 40 on certain roads and sometimes it happens at higher speed. Seems to be on the same parts of the highway on my commute. Most the time its smooth but its hit or miss. Its more of a subtle shake like a slightly out of balance tire but I feel it in the whole truck. My truck was stock with 50k when I bought it. I now have 5100s, small lift and new tires. Still rides exactly the same. I had a gen 3 loaner twice and both drove exactly the same as my 2nd gen. Most highways have a tiny washboard effect to them that is hard to tell by eye. Most cars soak these small small bumps up but I feel like you just tend to feel them more in a tacoma. It drove me nuts until I drove a 3rd gen and realized that it must be somewhat normal.

 

That’s pretty interesting, thanks. That sounds exactly like what I’m dealing with. I can’t remember what it was like before I lifted it either. The vibrations I get are tough to pinpoint but I would say it feels washboard-ish. Maybe a strange way to tell but if I’m driving with my teeth not touching but close, the vibrations can go through and make them chatter.
I do expect feeling the road from the stiffer suspension, E rated tires and SPC uppers but thought it was a driveline or wheel imbalance.

 

OK. Driveline Vibe Q:
Ive messed with this a while. Ive had shims. Ive had spacers and shims. Ive had a small spacer. I measured angles and used a couple different schools of thought to diagnose what angles to tweak.
Right now i have a 2.5"ish lift. Carrier bearing is 0degrees. 7.6degrees at the transfer case and 3.8 at the pumpkin. Idea being that under load, if the TC and pumpkin were close the the same and the carrier was close to zero, it would eliminate the shudder. It did. However, now there is a Very distinct droning at basically all speeds. it doesnt change pitch or intensity. just drones. Do I need to shim the axle down??
Im going to pull the trigger on a double cardan single piece once i get enough coin socked away, but I couldn't deal with the shaking in the mean time.
Is the droning a sign of something worse than the shaking? Id hate to undo everything I jsut spent two hours doing, but the damn thing needs to be safe. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Noah

 

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/Driveline-101.shtml

Keep in mind that u joints have a maximum rated operating angle that is dependent on rpm. The link lays it all out.

 

After debating with minor vibes and them being pointed out a few times, I decided to try again to get rid of them.

I took out the 3° shims, drove around, shook the truck back and forth to try and get it to settle then checked all the angles.
The rear sits at 1° up with the angle finder zeroed with the front. The drive shafts average 4.53-4.55° from the front as well. Both shafts are close. After reading the guide @pinem56 I was/am considering getting a 2° shim and putting it in with the fat side facing the front, giving 1° down.
That was till I drove it a few times. So far I think I only feel vibes from the road and/or my tires. I’ve got a long drive next week with the wife and kid so I’ll really know after that.

I just couldn’t help but keep screwing with it.

 

Hey guys, 51 pages later and I think I get it...... anyone willing to check my math/theory on this one?:

Post lift, I'm experiencing a mild-moderate takeoff shudder and occasional buzzing in the 40-50mph range, usually gone by 60-65mph. I borrowed an analog angle finder (not digital, probably mistake #1), and therefore can't "zero" anything.

Front transfer case angle measures 1.5* DOWN from horizon, and rear pinion measures 2.5* UP from horizon.

Front axle measure 7* DOWN from horizon and Rear axle measures 8* DOWN from horizon, or 1* DOWN from angle of front axle where it meets the CB.

SO, if I "zero" the transfer case angle of 1.5*, and subtract that from the rear pinion angle, am I correct in understanding that I would need a 1* shim??

My math:

1.5* down = -1.5*
2.5* up = +2.5
2.5 - 1.5 = +1 or 1* of UP at the rear pinion.

And if I understand the writeup, that means I'd have to install the shim with the fat side closer to the front of my truck, to bring that angle back down. I also read that a touch of DOWN angle to the transfer case is preferred to limit axle wrap, so would this mean I should get a 1.5*??

As for the driveshafts (edited out axle's), I threw in an 8mm CB drop before I read the thread, which I'll probably get rid of in lieu of a pocket full of washers once the rear pinion angle is resolved.

I also did my best to align the CB along the x axis of the truck using the zerk trick, so I don't think that's a contributing factor.

Thanks,
J

 

I'm not expert but the theory you said looks good. It’s ok if you can’t zero it but it makes things easier. I would recommend before the shims try and get the driveshaft in a near zero alignment. Get the stainless steel fender washers. You might only need a few on each side with the cb drop to get the angle you want. Also, you’ll need longer bolts. You can get them at an auto store. I have 10 or 12 washers per side and didn’t use the cb drop blocks. I wanted the same material for the entire drop, if that makes sense.
While the slotted axle shims are pretty easy to put in and a 1° shim will make it even easier, adding washers is still easier for now.
Just my 2¢ but hood luck with whichever way you go! Vibes are a pain in the…

Did you check to see if the lower vibes go away in 4WD? That could be contributing to the issue unless you already replaced the needle bushing.

 

Thats a good idea, I'll grab a bag of washers today and give that a whirl. I appreciate the insight, may the triforce smile upon you @hyrule_trd . I do also get an almost cyclical hum at higher speeds that sounds suspicious for the needle bushing from what I've read. Admittedly I haven't tried putting it in 4HI at speeds to investigate that yet. But that's a different feeling vibe (and much more subtle) than the one giving me troubles I think. I read there's an easy replacement for the needle bushing if so...what are the dangers of leaving it unattended for a bit though? Will my 4x4 fail to engage?

 

Thanks and anytime. I’m not sure of the dangers but possibly broken pieces in the diff?
I don’t think I’ve read of a failure from it, just the vibrations but maybe someone more knowledgeable will speak up. Do you think your tires could be off balance? It does not sound like it but you never know.

 

I did a bit more reading (and driving) and I think you're spot on. A big part of my vibes beyond the takeoff are 100% coming from the needle bearing. Tires are balanced and religiously rotated. No vibes before the lift so I don't think it's them..not a bad idea to think outside the box though. Also: looks like worst case is the bearing fails and parts get into the diff and mangle all the innards. Much more of an expensive issue at that point. Incidentally, we're going to North Carolina later this week for my brother-in-law's wedding, turns out the ECGS shop is less than an hour away from the venue. Might just see if I can connect with someone at the shop tomorrow and schedule an appointment. I'd love to do the install myself but frankly the next few months are going to be crazy and I won't have the time to get all the supplies and get it done soon enough for comfort. Hopefully doing a clamshell bushing swap is like an oil change for those guys and they can sneak me in one day.

 

if not just get the parts and post up in the regional threads. We have numerous guys local to me that have helped other members do them. At my work on a lift I can do them in about 45 minutes. On jack stands it’s probably closer to 90 minutes.

 

Glad my advice helped out some. Hopefully you’ll get it all straightened out. It might be tough to tackle the other vibes before the bushing. You could probably still get the drive shaft in line and see if it helps. Good luck!

 

Good idea, I'll see what we have around here, I'm sure there are some folks up here who'd be able to help.

 

Hey Folks, I'm interested in trying to get informed about this issue (vibrations from driveline misalignment/needle bearing related issues). I just put new leaf springs in that resulted in ~1.5-2" lift in the rear with my cap and drawer system sitting back there. I've driven less then 50 miles at low and high speeds in 2wd and have not felt or heard anything irregular. Do you guys have any recommendations for tests/measurements I can take to ensure the lift didn't mess with anything too bad? Also any insight on preventative measures I can take to prevent vib issues? Thanks

 

If you’ve not felt any vibes so far you should be good to go. Usually they are get right away . That’s not to say the needle bearing won’t fail at some point but if all of your work up front is done, you shouldn’t worry about taking things apart to replace it now. It’s usually recommended to replace while you’re already working up there and have it easily accessed.
If you’ve driven at all different speeds and nothing feels different I would not worry.

 

I solved my vibration problem! It is a custom made driveshaft. Price was $395. Couldn’t beat the price.