2013 3500 Driveline Vibration

[JaredCM]

The vibration did not cause the tires to separate, the tires cause them to disintegrate because they are not up to the task of handling a heavy truck. Known issue with the OE tires. Most OE tires are not rated high enough for the beating they take. Typical rating on a stock 17" is 3195 lbs and that has proven to be inadequate on all but the smoothest roads. Where I live and drive if you don't get to at least 3600 per tire or more with a quality tire they do not last and cause nothing but issues. Somewhat depends on your road quality.

IIRC, your truck should have a front axle disconnect. You really are not spinning the DS and gears when in 2x4 unless there is an issue with the CAD. You could pull the DS to verify if the vibe changes, always possible something in the front diff or t-case is pooched from the factory. Does the vibe change with temp? Worse when the tires and drivetrain warms up, better cold? No difference?

A cyclic vibe is usually tires but it could be just the torsional harmonics on a heavy stiff truck. I have mostly removed it by just changing tires and wheels to adequately rated tires and heavier wheels. Have removed a lot of the problems by fixing the balance issue in the engine. Have also fixed it by tossing the DMF that was bad in the clutch, if you have a manual that is always a consideration.

As for the tire shop knowing what they are doing, unless the guy you are talking to is driving a truck like yours and has been thru the problems, they don't have a clue what is going on. They sell tires and guess at how they will work on your truck, that is about it.

It does seem that the vibration gets a little worse once warmed up. I wouldn't say it's by much though.

I agree that the tire shop is out to make money, and don't know all, I was simply saying that the guys I use are guys that I trust not to feed me a line of crap just to make a sell. I do put a bit of trust into them since they deal with and see tires all day every day.

Correct...
Its important though to make the distinction so people understand what they're actually feeling when starting or engaging in these "vibration" threads. The number of people who mistake, or misdiagnose, what kind of vibration they're feeling only leads to wasted money and increased frustration as they cant find the solution. Especially for future readers who're looking for help only to be mislead by misinformation.

I agree completely. And I am not 100% on what is causing mine. That is the reason I am here asking you guys for advice. For example, I don't want to buy a set of tires or replace the drive shaft if those are not the causes. I understand that the Nexens are definitely not even close to being the best tire out there, but if they aren't the problem, I would like to get some use out of them before I replace them.

To me, it feels like some kind of harmonic vibration. The "in and out" of the vibration makes me feel that way. I'm no expert for sure, but any other truck I've had that had vibration issues was resolved with balancing/alignment, with exception to the casual bad tire. Again though, I have replaced both fronts and the vibration hasn't changed.

 

[KATOOM]

If the vibration is fast and intense like a massaging tool then its driveline or engine or transmission related. Most common is driveline. IE, bent/out of balance driveshaft or bad u-joints.
If the vibration is slower and wobbly like a fan missing a blade then its tires, or brakes, related.