Vibration issues and possible cure

[Gary - K7GLD]

My son in law had a similar issue on a 2002 chevy 3/4 ton 4-door - dealer tried ALL the above, and then some - GM finally offered full price back on a trade in, or $2000 cash refund - he took the $2000, and just lives with the vibration...

 

[Powder Extreme]

2013 3500 4x4 crew cab. Dunno what happened to my signature.

 

[HorseMan-AR]

Vibration here. 2015 3500 SRW with factory rear air. Road force balance helped for about 500 miles. It's back. I've tried different air pressures. Nothing seems to work. Can't figure it out. My passenger seat shacks like mad between 68 and 75 mph or so. Like mentioned here, I've had plenty of trucks, and this is my third RAM...never had one so sensitive.

I don't feel the vibration in steering wheel at all. No alignment issue either. It vibrates the entire truck.

 

[CBari]

My 13 is the same way. I recently replaced the front tires and while that didn't stop it. It did get better I then put cenermatics on the rears and it is much better. Still have some vibe in the 62-67 mph range but not like it was before. I have threatened to take the tires and rims off my 03 and put them on to see if it makes any difference.

 

[Newsa]

It looks like most of you have the 3500. Is the vibration issue a problem on the 2500 as well as 3500?

My 2500 is pretty smooth except it takes the big bumps like the 4x4 that it is.

My Mitsubishi lancer that I traded for this truck was noisy and vibrated on rough roads.
But the Ram is pretty smooth. I've got the tradesman so the dash is cheap plastic and I hear a barely discernible squeak of plastic rubbing against plastic on rough roads. This is the smoothest-riding vehicle I've ever owned.

I only get a bit of vibration if I hit those warning ruts on the highway shoulders that are designed to wake up sleeping drivers.

I see 3500 SRW 's also reporting vibration. Thats weird.

I'm considering the Sulastic shakes to smooth out the large bumps .
Might be since I don't have the rigid 50 ksi frame, the vibration is less. But I think the frame flex is causing that plastic squeak.
Nothing I can't deal with. My wife says the truck is so comfy, it's like driving down the road in our living room.
And our dog loves to sleep in the back seat. The vibration we experience in my parents motor home made the dog constantly hyperventilate.
So i know the vibration is minimal if the dog is relaxing so well and not constantly panting and refusing to lay down and rest.

 

[MoparBob]

Well, on my truck at least, the shackle bolt is 18mm, the sulastic shackle is a slightly larger 3/4". Had to go buy new bolts and drill the factory hangers to match. Not sure if they will be done tonight or not.

Looking forward to finding out how they work for you.

 

[Powder Extreme]

Tomorrow I'll take it to work empty and home pulling a 5k trailer. Initial ride home from the shop it seems to lessened the vibration some, but it still seemed to definitely be there. I'm riding on Michelins that were roadforced aprox 15,000 miles ago. My next step will be trying centramatics (sp?) or the Mercury filled balancers. If I have to have the tires roadforce balanced every 5k the balancers would be a bargain.

I've owned 9 Dodges and 5 Duramax's and this one is BY FAR the worst about vibrating over every tiny little imperfection.

 

[Powder Extreme]

So on the way to work I noticed the truck definitely rides smoother, bridge expansion joints and such are much less harsh. Unfortunately I do still have the vibration. It IS less, but it's still there. I noticed it varies with speed, 75mph seems to be the worst, at 60 it's still there but much less noticeable. 90 and it's starting to fade. I even made a trip down to Mexico and pushed it up into the triple digits and found the vibration to be almost non existent, the truck rode fantastic at that speed, smooth as glass! If it rode at 75 as well as it does at 105 I'd be thrilled.

Based on the fact that it is definitely speed dependent on the vibration, it has to be something in the drivetrain. I remember it being MUCH better when I first had the new Michelins road forced and installed. I think over the next 15k miles it just got gradually out of balance but didn't really notice it, then I parked it for the winter and drove my other truck so out of sight, out of mind. When I jumped back in the dually the other day, BAM it was extremely noticeable compared to my 3/4ton. I'm going to stop at the shop on the way home tonight and get them road force balanced again and see what happens. If it truly does make it smooth once again, I'll be buying the wheel balancers in the very near future.

All in all I would say the Sulastics were worth it. Truck doesn't bounce around near as bad over rough gravel roads, bridge expansions and such are considerably better, every little bump that I used to feel doesn't seem to be there any more.

 

[Newsa]

So on the way to work I noticed the truck definitely rides smoother, bridge expansion joints and such are much less harsh. Unfortunately I do still have the vibration. It IS less, but it's still there. I noticed it varies with speed, 75mph seems to be the worst, at 60 it's still there but much less noticeable. 90 and it's starting to fade. I even made a trip down to Mexico and pushed it up into the triple digits and found the vibration to be almost non existent, the truck rode fantastic at that speed, smooth as glass! If it rode at 75 as well as it does at 105 I'd be thrilled.

Based on the fact that it is definitely speed dependent on the vibration, it has to be something in the drivetrain. I remember it being MUCH better when I first had the new Michelins road forced and installed. I think over the next 15k miles it just got gradually out of balance but didn't really notice it, then I parked it for the winter and drove my other truck so out of sight, out of mind. When I jumped back in the dually the other day, BAM it was extremely noticeable compared to my 3/4ton. I'm going to stop at the shop on the way home tonight and get them road force balanced again and see what happens. If it truly does make it smooth once again, I'll be buying the wheel balancers in the very near future.

All in all I would say the Sulastics were worth it. Truck doesn't bounce around near as bad over rough gravel roads, bridge expansions and such are considerably better, every little bump that I used to feel doesn't seem to be there any more.

Maybe you developed flat spots on your tires when it was sitting ?

 

[Powder Extreme]

Maybe you developed flat spots on your tires when it was sitting ?

Good thought, but I should point out that it hasn't been just sitting still for months. I just haven't driven it any distance to really speak of. I moved trailers around a few miles each way, pulled a HUGE diesel generator several times, etc. Just always been hitched up and running relatively short trips. The other day was the first time I just drove it empty for any distance literally after getting out of my 3/4ton and I realized just how bad the vibration had gotten.

 

[seafish]

So on the way to work I noticed the truck definitely rides smoother, bridge expansion joints and such are much less harsh. … All in all I would say the Sulastics were worth it. Truck doesn't bounce around near as bad over rough gravel roads, bridge expansions and such are considerably better, every little bump that I used to feel doesn't seem to be there any more.

Thanks for posting your impressions… with my 19.5 wheels and LRG tires and the bad roads I drive on, I can't wait to get mine installed on the truck!!!

 

[MSicotte]

I ordered a set of wheel balancers and 2 driveshaft balancers (2-piece shaft) from Balance Masters on Friday. Looking forward to getting them on and seeing how much they improve the truck. If I can get rid of the vibrations, I'll be a happy guy

 

[JR]

I ordered a set of wheel balancers and 2 driveshaft balancers (2-piece shaft) from Balance Masters on Friday. Looking forward to getting them on and seeing how much they improve the truck. If I can get rid of the vibrations, I'll be a happy guy

This has been my thought reading through this post. (Cerb mentioned it a while back). A good driveline shop could balance them out in short order.

 

[MoparBob]

I ordered a set of wheel balancers and 2 driveshaft balancers (2-piece shaft) from Balance Masters on Friday. Looking forward to getting them on and seeing how much they improve the truck. If I can get rid of the vibrations, I'll be a happy guy

Definitely interested in hearing how those driveshaft balancers work out for you.

 

[MSicotte]

Received and installed my wheel balancer rings from Balance Masters. WORTH EVERY PENNY !!!!! I haven't had time to remove the driveshaft and install the rings on it, but the change in the truck is phenomenal, I highly recommend them, couldn't be happier

 

[HorseMan-AR]

What was the part number you ordered for both? Get any pics?

Received and installed my wheel balancer rings from Balance Masters. WORTH EVERY PENNY !!!!! I haven't had time to remove the driveshaft and install the rings on it, but the change in the truck is phenomenal, I highly recommend them, couldn't be happier

 

[Newsa]

Anybody know what the sulastic shackle/springs should be torqued to?

 

[Bob4x4]

Anybody know what the sulastic shackle/springs should be torqued to?

factory spec is 160ftlbs

 

[Newsa]

Thanks Bob4x4. I almost got it done. But it was too hot outnin the driveway to finish.

I need to buy some more washers tomorrow to use as shims and torque it up tomorrow.

Got them on loosely. Still on the jack. Shouldn't be hard to slip some more washers on tomorrow.

 

[Myram2016]

I have a 2016 ram 3500 and it vibrates brand-new tires at 12,800 miles and I have a case number on it with ram.
I feel the vibration in the steering in the frontend really unhappy with dodge ram