Strange vibration..

[MMeier]

. . well it hit 100k this afternoon finally on top of Hoover Dam and thanks to Mr. C Harlans camera we got it captured!! Past weekend on my trip from OKC to Vegas, thought I was noticing a vibration occurring intermittently. Didn't make too much of it till today when it started to get my attention. While slowing to a stop the thing will vibrate the whole truck, doesn't matter if I have the clutch in ,out, in gear, coasting ( off brakes) or on them hard. Crawled underneath and the center drive shaft bearing "appears" to be O. K. , U Joints do not seem to have any slop in them, so WTH is going on here, any ideas??? Going to put it up in the air tomorrow and investigate further.

 

[JHardwick]

U Joints do not seem to have any slop in them

Just the opposite. They are dry and sticky causing the whole assembly to "whip" in the center carrier.

 

[Slow Six]

Probably U-joint(s). As JHardwick said they will be dry and rusted. The 351's seem to be the joint of choice. I would recommend changing them all while you are at it as from my experience they will all be gone close to the same time. The front axle joints and front drive shaft joints won't be far behind. It not only a Dodge problem. Other guys I talk to with GM and Fords are doing the same.

 

[MMeier]

Well, turns out it was the middle joint on the rear shaft. Nothing but dust and dried up grease left in 3 of the caps!! Had them replace all 3 joints and now smooth as can be, did show me some slop on the front shaft splines, so i will pull that shaft next week and let them rebuild it also. Said they usually see this at 60-70k miles, so maybe I got lucky that I pulled 100k out of them... . now about those GY GSA's!!! #@$%!

 

[jelag]

The ujoints are so large in these trucks if you don't use a big, I mean really big pry bar in the ujoint you'll miss a bad one... .



My 04 now has 170 K miles. . we've done the main drive shaft, front drive shaft and the 2 in the knuckles of the front end... . all have failed once... . and 2 times for the rear drive line. . in this mileage... all have been replaced with greasable joints which we grease with a full synthetic grease... .