Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
I bought a 2015 SRW 3500 4x4 and okay, okay so it's NOT a diesel. Trust me, if it wasn't for the RUST up here in NE I would still be driving my '03 Diesel (I miss that low end torque). It was ready on a weekday and no one was around to give me a ride to the dealer so I took my International 9100 and equipment trailer to pick it up. Once home, I decided that the Firestone AT's were not aggressive enough for plowing and so I purchased some BF Goodrich K02's. I drove it 2 miles to the tire shop and had them switched out. I thought I would be a good way to sell the Firestones with only 12 miles on them. I started working a construction project about 100 miles one way two days after the Goodrich tires were installed. While driving on the highway at about 70mph, a vibration started. You could feel it in the seat and see the water cooler I place on the floor jiggling (front to rear). It was worse at different points and it seemed like it was worse when the highway had a slight right curve. I took the truck back to the tire shop and they spent extra time rebalancing the tires. Even the owner was out there, hands on. However, the problem was still there. I searched the internet and found some people having issues with these tires (too aggressive? defective? who knows). Since the owner handled the last rebalance and I saw these internet posts, I was convinced it was the tires. The tire shop took them back and fortunately (or not) I still had the original Firestones and had them re-installed.
Low and behold (you got it!) the problem was still there. So, back to the dealer I go. The local dealer (not the selling dealer) did the road force balance thing (while I waited...5hrs!). The mechanic brought it around front and said "I just took it for a ride... your all set" but, it was his parting words I found foreboding "if you have to bring it back for the same thing, I suggest you leave it for the day". I knew right there it wasn't "fixed". Sure as hell, the next day on my 100 mile trip to work it was jiggling away. Well, I decided to take it back to the selling dealer. A nice smaller place where I sort of new the owner from my 10 years of selling Dodge product at a dealership my father-in-law co-owned.
Once there, the mechanic and I took it for a ride. I had done some analyzing on my own and found that when traveling at 65mph and rapidly accelerated to 72-74mph you could get it to come right in. "Yup" said the mechanic "feels like a tire". Okay, so they rebalance the tires. "Oh ya...couple of them were off". Really? Your using a standard balancer where the last guy road force balanced and they're off. Okay...let's go for a ride. Surprise! No change. "Boy" says the mechanic in the passenger's seat "I can really feel it over hear. Feels like it's right under my feet. Let's put the spare on it and see if it goes away". Yah...you guessed it...no change. "We're going to replace the driveshaft" Okay. A week later and one new driveshaft....no change. "We've got some 2500's coming in two weeks. We'll swap tires/rims and see if that's it". So the 2500's come in and I go down to check it out. Same wheels (steel w/chrome overlay), same size (18"), same name, same tread. "Before you swap these to my truck can I test drive this one?" "Sure". Mind you, this is a 2016, 2500, 5.7, 4x4, regular cab, with coil spring rear suspension. Mine is a 2015, 3500, SRW, 6.4, 4x4, regular cab, with leaf spring rear suspension. I get up on the highway and hit the magic speed and I'll be dam if it didn't do it and even worse than mine!!
I'll leave out all of the phone calls to the RAM Customer service line but, I will tell you I was asked if the it was better when towing something. I asked a few probing questions and finally ascertained that I was not the only call they've had on this issue. So what was the "official" answer from the local rep? "Operates as designed". Really, please tell me what part or parts were designed to shake my butt at 70mph because I'd like to remove them.
Let me just say since high school I've owned and maintained/repaired a '74, '75, 86 (new), 91 (diesel 1yr old), '03 (diesel, new), and now a 2015 (gas, new) and all DODGES!! I sold them from 1986 to 1996 and knew them very well (I ordered all of the inventory). So, I know it's not the tires, nor the rims, nor the driveshaft. Where does this leave me? Well, let just say I'm reading the fine print on the MA state Lemon Law with pen in hand. I have my suspicions on what is going on & I plan on doing some further investigating as I complete the arbitration form. I'm putting this out here on the TDR to see if this is happening on diesel standard cabs and 4-dr cabs as well as trucks equipped with the Aisin transmission. I would love to hear from anyone that's experiencing this issue. It appears Chrysler is going to go all "GM ignition switch" on this. At least for now.
Low and behold (you got it!) the problem was still there. So, back to the dealer I go. The local dealer (not the selling dealer) did the road force balance thing (while I waited...5hrs!). The mechanic brought it around front and said "I just took it for a ride... your all set" but, it was his parting words I found foreboding "if you have to bring it back for the same thing, I suggest you leave it for the day". I knew right there it wasn't "fixed". Sure as hell, the next day on my 100 mile trip to work it was jiggling away. Well, I decided to take it back to the selling dealer. A nice smaller place where I sort of new the owner from my 10 years of selling Dodge product at a dealership my father-in-law co-owned.
Once there, the mechanic and I took it for a ride. I had done some analyzing on my own and found that when traveling at 65mph and rapidly accelerated to 72-74mph you could get it to come right in. "Yup" said the mechanic "feels like a tire". Okay, so they rebalance the tires. "Oh ya...couple of them were off". Really? Your using a standard balancer where the last guy road force balanced and they're off. Okay...let's go for a ride. Surprise! No change. "Boy" says the mechanic in the passenger's seat "I can really feel it over hear. Feels like it's right under my feet. Let's put the spare on it and see if it goes away". Yah...you guessed it...no change. "We're going to replace the driveshaft" Okay. A week later and one new driveshaft....no change. "We've got some 2500's coming in two weeks. We'll swap tires/rims and see if that's it". So the 2500's come in and I go down to check it out. Same wheels (steel w/chrome overlay), same size (18"), same name, same tread. "Before you swap these to my truck can I test drive this one?" "Sure". Mind you, this is a 2016, 2500, 5.7, 4x4, regular cab, with coil spring rear suspension. Mine is a 2015, 3500, SRW, 6.4, 4x4, regular cab, with leaf spring rear suspension. I get up on the highway and hit the magic speed and I'll be dam if it didn't do it and even worse than mine!!
I'll leave out all of the phone calls to the RAM Customer service line but, I will tell you I was asked if the it was better when towing something. I asked a few probing questions and finally ascertained that I was not the only call they've had on this issue. So what was the "official" answer from the local rep? "Operates as designed". Really, please tell me what part or parts were designed to shake my butt at 70mph because I'd like to remove them.
Let me just say since high school I've owned and maintained/repaired a '74, '75, 86 (new), 91 (diesel 1yr old), '03 (diesel, new), and now a 2015 (gas, new) and all DODGES!! I sold them from 1986 to 1996 and knew them very well (I ordered all of the inventory). So, I know it's not the tires, nor the rims, nor the driveshaft. Where does this leave me? Well, let just say I'm reading the fine print on the MA state Lemon Law with pen in hand. I have my suspicions on what is going on & I plan on doing some further investigating as I complete the arbitration form. I'm putting this out here on the TDR to see if this is happening on diesel standard cabs and 4-dr cabs as well as trucks equipped with the Aisin transmission. I would love to hear from anyone that's experiencing this issue. It appears Chrysler is going to go all "GM ignition switch" on this. At least for now.
