Weird vibration from front end maybe

[RailroadJim]

Just last night while on the highway going 50 empty i felt a vibration coming from the front end, thought i had a flat, pulled off, checked it out and couldn't find anything wrong, took off and no vibration all the way home, next day doing 35 on the street it suddenly comes back, pull over to a complete stop, then drive away, NO vibration, very strange and scary to me. Has anyone had this problem and what was the fix??? I jacked it up and wiggled everything best i could but came up with zip.

 

[JLEONARD]

Which truck. . the D or the W ?

 

[RailroadJim]

Driving the W

 

[CumminsKid]

I had a real bad vibe in my W bad enough it felt I was going to loose control. It was my steering vibration damper. It lost the nut and came off one end, I double nutted it and about a month later the same thing. this time snapped the shaft off. New steering damper and rotated the tires,good to go. When I bought new tires in Nov. tire guy said I had a bent wheel. I watched it on the machine, very visible. These were stock tires.

CumminsKid

 

[JLEONARD]

Yes bent steel rims are commonplace in uor little world. I've had 3 of those and I never go offroad. (OK I run an occasional curb :-laf )

Jay

 

[RailroadJim]

worn out steering damper is it, i like monroe but they don't seem to make that one anymore so i guess i'm back with a replacement rancho. Any other brands used?

 

[Rocketdoc]

Jim,



If the vibe is coming and going you might have a disk brake caliper hanging up. My 93 D was bad about the calipers rusting onto the cast iron ways on the mount where it slides. I went through the same thing you did -- pull over to check for a flat and tires looked good. Mine would mildly hang up and cause the vibration, and then later clear itself after a brake application and a turn or two that let the end play in the bearings shove the rotor left and right. It finally got my attention when it hung up hard while driving in city traffic pulling my trailer. I thought I had a trailer brake lock up because it pulled hard to the right, but it was the RF caliper. Give them both a look and clean the cast iron ways. I lubed mine lightly with some hi-temp silicone brake grease and no more problems. Trust me -- It's more fun to do the work in your shop than on US 41 in downtown Nashville.

 

[RailroadJim]

Thanks guys for all the tips, as above the steering damper was the problem and tomm. it'll be history.

 

[TKingsbury]

I dunno man, that damper is probably just masking some other problem. I don't have a damper on mine and it's just fine.

Travis. .