Branden Lawson

Hello all, I have an 86 toyota pickup 4wd. I'm experiencing a very violent vibration, but here's the wild part. It's intermittent.. There is no one thing that seems to cause it.. Might not do it for 100 miles.. Or you might not get 2 miles before it starts.. What I can tell you about it is this.. When it decides it wants to vibrate its definitely worse at high speeds, but will do it at all speeda.. Also it becomes worse when I press the clutch.. Having the clutch pressed in, or having it out with the truck in neutral is all the same. Pressing the brakes don't seem to change anything and turning the wheel doesn't seem to change anything.. Things I've replaced and or maintenanced trying to remedy.. Replaced idler arm.. It was sloppy.. Checked all brakes.. No slop in u joints... I feel like I'm chasing a ghost.. Mainly because it doesn't do it all the time.. And it just started one day out of nowhere driving down the hwy... Any help or ideas would be more than appreciated.. I wish I could describe the vibration.. But it's just a violent almost up and down vibration.. Feels like it's in the back.. But I wouldn't want to swear it was.. Thanks again

akwheeler

Do you have a carrier bearing? It isn't an engine misfire is it?

Branden Lawson

No.. No carrier.. Also engine misfire is an interesting thought but if I come to a complete stop it doesn't continue to vibrate.. And it also doesn't respond to throttle.. When I press the clutch in... Thanks for your response.. I really appreciate it.

Branden Lawson

I'll tell you how it happened today.. I left my house to go hunting. I drove 2 miles down my back road to the hwy. Got out on the highway and was going about 65mph. Made it about 6 miles and started up a hill and out of nowhere all of a sudden it was vibrating and shaking.. I had to get gas and was only about a mile from the station.. It continued to vibrate all the way to the gas station.. It shook and vibrated all the way back down to about 15 mph untill I couldnt notice it again.. Got fuel.. Left the station and it never did it again.. Drove twenty miles to my spot and drove back the same route.. Never did it again.

akwheeler

It really beats the hell out of me, without my assometer in your truck I couldn't tell much else. The frequency of the vibration may tell you something, as in "it shakes at the same speed as". Engine vibrations will be faster (higher frequency) than driveline, which will be higher than wheel/axle speed. Check all of your fluids for level and color, maybe change out anything that is suspicious or due for service. When it happens does the steering wheel shake back and forth?

RAD4Runner

[QUOTE=Branden Lawson;52384737...I wish I could describe the vibration.. But it's just a violent almost up and down vibration.. ...[/QUOTE]
You have to describe it; no way around it if people thousands of miles away were to help you troubleshoot
Up and down vibration, meaning the truck bounces up and down?
Engine or transmission shaking?
Checked your engine and transmission mounts?
Your wheels turn normally? Jacked up vehicle to check for play in suspension / wheels/ hub?
No problem with wheel bearings?
Lug-nuts all torqued properly? (I caught all lug-nuts on on on wheel of my friend's van hand-tight! After recent tire balance and rotation by Costco tire center).

Branden Lawson

Steering wheel is unaffected.. I'm going to spend tomorrow night checking everything I can possibly consider out.. So I will check back in then.. I was hoping to get some ideas on where to start.. Thanks for your help.

Branden Lawson

OK here it goes... Imagine your driving down the road... Perfectly smooth... Then out of nowhere you drive onto a freshly dropped patch of 2 in gravel.. The shaking/slash vibration is so violent that it makes everything in the truck rattle.. And once it starts it will continue until you come to a complete stop.. Some time when you take back off again it will immediately do it again.. Other times it won't..
​​​​But it so intermittent is what's killing me.. One common thread I do feel like is.. Maybe it has something to do with heat? Is there a part of the drive train that would act up once it heated up? And also when I push the clutch in or put it in neutral.. It get much worse. Hubs and bearing I have checked for play.. I also checked suspension that's how I found my bad idler arm.. I haven't checked mounts though.. I'll add that to my to do list.

RAD4Runner

So it's the whole truck shaking with respect to the ground...

Not vibration the flywheel and and surroundings? When you press on clutch, I believe it removes whatever is pushing against the flywheel. When you put it in neutral, there's also less mechanical parts coupled with the flywheel.