Hey guys. My truck has a lot of vibration off of the driver’s side. It starts to vibrate at around 35 and by the time I get to 50 it's making my teeth rattle. I have a couple of options that it could be but I can't afford to just go through and check or fix everything it could be. I went mudding earlier and it could be that I lost a tire balancing weight or two but it seems like it's vibrating too much to be that. I do have a tie rod end that needs to be replaced but it doesn't seem that bad so I don't really think that's it but it could be. It isn't the front wheel bearings that I replaced like 4 months ago. Brand new Idler arm so it's not that. I did have a power steering hose blow a while ago and my power steering pump does need to be replaced but I can't see how it would make it vibrate. It could also possibly be a rear axle shaft bearing but I haven’t gotten a chance to really check it because there’s a lot of snow and I don’t have a garage. So does anyone have any ideas as to what this could most likely be? I was thinking about just taking it in to a shop and asking them to check it out but I have no money whatsoever.

 

I would check your wheels weights first if you're suspecting that, that's quick and easy to do, just look for a spot that looks like it use to have a weight there and it's suddenly disappeared; a few ounces multiplied by centrifugal forces can make a mean vibration...

are you leaving your hubs locked? if so, what kinda condition are your CVs in?

 

right now I'm in 4wheel drive most of the time cuz of all the snow. but it vibrates with them locked or unlocked. I'm not sure how my cv's are though. their the originals and there's a lot of miles on it so that could be it too. I couldn't really tell if there were any spots where there used to be weights though. I had a good amount of mud caked in there and still can't really tell. I would take it to a shop but the cheapest place in town wants 13 per tire which is 52 plus tax. I'm a college kid living off of top romen and eggs so I really can't aford much.

 

I feel ya on the money thing man...

by locked in 4wd, you mean just the transfer case, or the hubs themselves? or do you have autos and not manuals...

sometimes you can swap the tires around and jocky their positions around, and determin if it's a tire issue, and what tire it is.

if you do, and it is just an out of balance tire, then at least all you'd have to pay is a balancing fee for 1 tire

 

check the tightness of the lugs, driveshaft bolts and also look for mud still in the rims somewhere, if all are good then a tire is either separated or out of balance or even a bent wheel depending how hard you were wheelin'

 

make sure all the mud is out of the rim, and see if you have some kind of gouge or bubble in you tire. i ripped a whole lug off a rear tire and it shakes pretty bad

 

I just spent a week diagnosing a vibration, tho sounds lil different than yours cuz mine wasn't speed related so much tho ofcourse got worse with speed.

I had worn spindle bushings on my pass side, but I don't think thats your issue tho i wouldnt rule it out.. cuz i think now ive about seen it all =p

but thats an issue that is only ... an issue when your locked in (at the hubs) and the cv shafts are spinning

Tire out of balance usually wont cause a massive vibration. However lose wheel lugs can cause some nasty sensations, id check em anyways.

check balljoints as well.

sucks you dont got a garage, i feel your pain and the no money part. haha.. I happened to have a spare full steering knuckle.. hub/brake/spindle/knuckle, balljoitns etc... both L/R spares so i was able to save my rig today by swapping the parts. and for the first time in years was able to use the garage!

goodluck!

 

Both the hubs are locked and the t-case is in 4wd. manual hubs. Not a bad idea with switching the tires around then if it is a balancing problem i only have to spend $13. already checked the tightness of everything though there could be some mud still in there. I haven't really gotten to wash it since cuz it snowed and hasn't really stopped. It's starting back up after slowing down today and it's supposed to snow for 2 more weeks without stopping. but yah maybe I can get it to work and use the hot hose, that might work. thank for the help guys. this sight saves me so much money sometimes. Being on yotatech is one of my best time investments. though i'm sure my teachers and wife would disagree.

 

mine is doing the same thing... its speed related and it only happens when i hit a bump... it'll come on when i hit one and it will stop if i hit another or come to a complete stop... it only does it when i'm in 2wd with my hubs in but not when i'm in 4wd... my lugs arent loose, my rotors and pads are new, i was thinkin wheel bearings but that doesnt make sense with the bump thing... i can turn the wheel without a tire pretty easy with no grinding... i'm so confused and so is everyone i talk to cuz it only happens when i hit a bump

 

just a thought...you say theres lots of snow...what about if you have snow in one of your wheels?

 

snow in the tires could do it but i don't have any in the tires. it's snowing slowly. so we get the annoying part of snow but we aren't getting the fun part yet. i could have some rocks or mud in there i just can't really do much right now cuz everythings freezing and i don't have a hose here.

 

I'm starting to think this might be my cv's. when I take sharp turns it binds up a little bit and doesn't want to turn much farther even though usually it would go farther. Could this have to do with my power steering pump though.

 

at least chicks will like "riding" with you

 

what exactly are the symptoms of a shot cv axle.

 

Point 1, you think you may have lost a weight or 'two'? Pray do tell how you can even think that would be not one of your most pressing concerns?
Point 2, you have a pad tier rod end? and your other issues will go away when that's fixed... no?
Point 3, with regards to what may be the problems? Meh... I quite sure you've already addressed most of what's wrong in the first two issues and I'd not be neither sound nor respectable suggesting you fix anything else without having fixed the the first and secont issues at least... and maybe the 3rd for your own safety.

 

I just had the exact same symptoms you are describing. I thought A u-joint went out. I am also driving in lots of snow so i thought i lost a wheel weight or had snow in my rims.
It turns out that my front drive shaft was about to fall off. Don't ask me why all the drive shaft bolts came loose, I don't know why. But I found it in time before something really bad happened. Only three bolts were left and one had no nut and washer on it.
All of this came on very fast, in about 15 min of driving.

 

My tie rod end isn't that bad and it shouldn't be causing this much of a vibration that's why i just skipped over that. It's possible that's the cause but unlikely. I would like it to be just a tire weight but again way to much of a vibration. the reason i'm trying to figure this out before going and getting it fixed is because of NO MONEY. I can't pay for more than a small thing. right now everything's gotta wate but i'm trying figure it out so i can see how much I need to save up to get it fixed. I'm sorry if some people don't understand the no money part but i mean like 20 bucks to live off of after bills. This doesn't include food. Sorry i just wanted to explain why i'm not just fixing point 1,2,3.

 

u-joint

 

no. checked the u-joints. could be the the 4wd drive shaft but it vibrates when the hubs aren't locked. and I checked they do disengage completely.

 

jack up the truck, take the wheels off, and clean the mud from the rim. mud really throws off the balance. then if its still doing it, take it to a tire store and have them balance ONLY the front 2. in a truck, the back 2 could be unbalanced and you would barely feel it. the front 2 are the ones you need to be worried about. or if ur on a tight budget (which sounds like u r) take the left front tire off (driver front tire) and take it in and have them balance it, then when u get some more money, take the passenger front tire in to be balanced. the left front will make a hell of a good vibration if its out, the right front will also, but not nearly as bad. (i work in an auto shop where we do a lot of tires)