I have recently developed a vibration between 30-45mph only when coasting. It smooths out when I tap the gas. The tires are less than a year old and I just put new manual lock out hubs hoping that would correct the issue, but it didn't. There's no clunk noise when in reverse or drive but occasionally when I get on the gas there's a short squeaking noise. Can anyone help?

 

Have you noticed what RPMs the motor is running at the time?

 

You know I haven't really looked at RPM I was just reading that in another thread, but it's pretty bad

 

Also when the hubs were replaced mechanic noticed the left front axel shaft has been warn so he smoothed it out but said I will need a new one

 

Maybe the needle bearing on that shaft is shot. Manually lock in the hubs and see if it goes away

 

Ya the bearing was shot but was replaced a few weeks ago, I locked the hubs, vibration didn't seem to be as bad, I then unlocked them and doing between 60-65mph I coast and I intantly feel vibration but tap the gas and it goes away?

 

Today I rotated tires greased everything that can be greased and still has the vibration, so I jacjed up the back end and hit about 45mph and it shook pretty bad, I noticed that the right rear tire was not spinning, looks like brake caliper stuck shut, is there a way to by pass that until I get a new caliper and would that be the vibration problem?

 

No there is not. Brakes are an essential item when driving a vehicle of this weight - or well for that matter any vehicle.

If you wait and keep driving with a stuck caliper you are likely to cost yourself more money, catch your truck on fire or have a serious accident. Doing nothing will surely trash your rotors, brake lines, axle seals, or worse.

Take the wheel off and pull the caliper, remove the pins, clean them up and grease them well. That may free it up enough to buy you a day or so.
If they have been stuck for awhile then your pads and rotor are likely junk already, you will need to replace your fluid and flush it; because you have boiled it several times now and you may very well have toasted the seals on that axle.

Freeing up the slide pins won't necessarily make it safe to drive but the only way to know is to tear down that wheel, get the caliper apart and look.

Post up pictures when you get it apart.

 

Okay I took caliper off and the piston was froze up and I couldnt budge it so I just broke down and bought a new caliper, sorry I didn't take pics just now read your post, took it for a spin and still have the vibration but I know it's coming from the back, when I tap the gas while its vibrating there is a tump noise so I'm now thinking u joint and hopefully not rear end, I did find a grease insert on u joint and I greased it but nothing changed, I'm not a mechanic at all lol in fact that was the first caliper I've ever changed, so I'm not excited about changing a U joint if that's what it is.

 

Well you may not be a mechanic, but you apparently have at least some mechanical aptitude if you changed out a caliper.

Do you have a knowledgeable friend who could help you through more technical procedures?

 

That's good at least you have brakes working and you can keep trying to find the problem.

Give this a good read (chart below) and look up your symptoms in the chart. After reading your OP again, I would be heading toward the u-joints in your draft shaft. They really are not that bad to change. You need a socket that will fit nicely inside the yoke (or a press plate you can rent a set at any FLAP) and a hammer, and well a little patience.

How to check your U-joints. Chock all 4 wheels, put the E-brake on <---- these two things are very very very important so don't short cut. Remove the drive shaft by removing the 12 point 12mm bolts in the flange plate at each end. You need the shortest 12p 12mm you can find. A 12p wrench will also work if you have enough muscle to break them loose. The rear ones are a breeze but the front set can be difficult to get to. Support the shaft with something before you remove the final bolts. If it doesn't come loose you may need to give it a few love taps. Don't smack the drive shaft tube, only the end at the flanges.

Once you have it off now you can check the Ujoints. Rotate the yokes in all directions and make sure all directions move freely, all the retaining clips are set and tight. If there is any "side to side" movement in the joint you need to replace the joint.

While you have it off check the front of the pinion and make sure the flange is tight and there are no leaks. Give it a good yank up and down and make sure there is no movement, it should be very tight.

Few notes - mark the flanges with some marker or paint or even tape so you can get the shaft back on the same way it came off. If you separate the yoke from the shaft at the front (where the boot is) also mark it's location as compared the shaft so you can get it back on the same way it came off.

Here is a detailed chart on diagnosing vibrations.

Vibration Diagnosis Details w/chart
Over the last several months I have gathered a ton of information on vibration diagnosis as I worked through each issue on my EX. I didn't see one similiar to this one on this forum and I think it has some really good information on diagnosis of vehicle vibrations, so I thought I would post for others to use.
Vehicle vibration can be caused by:
Tire/wheel unbalance or excessive run out
Defective tires with extreme tread wear
Nylon overlay flat spots (performance tires only)
Incorrect wheel bearing adjustment (if applicable)
Loose or worn suspension/steering components
Certain tire tread patterns
Incorrect drive shaft angles or excessive driveshaft/yoke run out
Defective or worn U-joints
Excessive brake rotor or drum run out
Loose engine or transmission supports/mounts
And by engine operated accessories
Refer to the appropriate Groups in this manual for additional information.

VIBRATION TYPES
There are two types of vehicle vibration:
Mechanical
Audible.
Mechanical vehicle vibration can be felt through the seats, floor pan and/or steering wheel.
Audible vehicle vibration is heard above normal background noise. The sound can be a droning or drumming noise.
Vibrations are sensitive to change in engine torque, vehicle speed or engine speed.

ENGINE TORQUE SENSITIVE VIBRATION
This vibration can be increased or decreased by:
Accelerating
Decelerating
Coasting
Maintaining a constant vehicle speed

VEHICLE SPEED SENSITIVE VIBRATION
This vibration condition always occurs at the same vehicle speed regardless of engine torque or engine speed.

ENGINE SPEED (RPM) SENSITIVE VIBRATION
This vibration occurs at varying engine speeds. It can be isolated by increasing or decreasing the engine
speed with the transmission in NEUTRAL position.

VIBRATION DIAGNOSIS
A vibration diagnosis should always begin with a 10 mile (16 km) trip (to warm the vehicle and tires).
Then a road test to identify the vibration. Corrective action should not be attempted until the vibration
type has been identified via a road test. During the road test, drive the vehicle on a smooth surface. If vibration exists, note and record the following information:
Identify the vehicle speed range when the vibration occurs
Identify the type of vibration
Identify the vibration sensitivity
Determine if the vibration is affected by changes in vehicle speed, engine speed and engine torque.
When the vibration has been identified, refer to the Vibration Diagnosis chart for causes. (see below)Consider correcting
only those causes coded in the chart that are related to the vibration condition. Refer to the following cause codes and descriptions for explanations when referring to the chart.




TRR—Tire and Wheel Radial Run out: Vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical vibration. The run out will not cause vibration below 20 mph (32 km/h).

WH—Wheel Hop: Vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical vibration. The wheel hop generates rapid up-down movement in the steering wheel. The vibration is most noticeable in the 20 - 40 mph (32 - 64km/h) range. The wheel hop will not cause vibration below 20 mph (32 km/h). Wheel hop is caused by a tire/wheel that has a radial run out of more than
0.045 of-an-inch (1.14 mm). If wheel run out is acceptable and combined run out cannot be reduced by repositioning
the tire on wheel, replace tire.

TB—Tire/Wheel Balance: Vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical vibration. Static tire/wheel unbalance will not cause vibration below 30 mph (46 km/h). Dynamic tire/wheel unbalance will not cause vibration below 40 mph (64 km/h).

TLR—Tire/Wheel Lateral run out: Vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical vibration. The run out will not cause vibration below 50 - 55 mph (80 - 88 km/h). Excessive lateral run out will also cause front-end shimmy.

TW—Tire Wear: Vehicle speed sensitive, audible vibration. Abnormal tire wear causes small vibration in the 30 - 55 mph (88 km/h) range. This will produce a whine noise at high speed. The whine will change to a growl noise when the speed is reduced.

W—Tire Waddle: Vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical vibration. Irregular tire uniformity can cause side-to-side motion during speeds up to 15 mph (24km/h). If the motion is excessive, identify the defective tire and replace it.

UAJ—Universal Joint (Drive Shaft) Angles: Torque/vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical/audible vibration.
Incorrect drive shaft angles cause mechanical vibration below 20 mph (32 km/h) and in the 70 mph (112 km/h) range. The incorrect angles can also produce an audible vibration in the 20 - 50 mph (32 -80 km/h) range. Caster adjustment could be required to correct the angles.

UJ—Universal Joints: Engine torque/vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical/audible vibration. If the U-joint is worn it will cause vibration with almost any vehicle speed/engine torque condition.

DSY—Drive Shaft and Yokes: Vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical/audible vibration. The condition will not cause vibration below 35 mph (56 km/h). Excessive run out, unbalance or dents and bends in the shaft will cause the vibration. Identify the actual cause and repair/replace as necessary.

WB—Wheel Bearings: Vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical/audible vibration. Loose wheel bearings cause shimmy-like vibration at 35 mph (56 km/h) and above. Worn bearings will also produce a growl noise at low vehicle speed and a whine noise at high vehicle speed. The wheel bearings must be adjusted or replaced, as applicable.

AN—Axle Noise: Engine torque/vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical/audible vibration. The axle will not cause mechanical vibration unless the axle shaft is bent. Worn or damaged axle pinion shaft or differential gears and bearings will cause noise. Replace the defective component(s) as necessary.

SSC—Suspension and Steering Components:
Vehicle speed sensitive, mechanical vibration. Worn suspension/steering components can cause mechanical vibration at speeds above 20 mph (32 km/h). Identify and repair or replace the defective component(s).

EA—Engine Driven Accessories: Engine speed sensitive, mechanical/audible vibration. Vibration can be caused by loose or broken A/C compressor, PS pump, water pump, generator or brackets, etc. Usually more noticeable when the transmission is shifted into the NEUTRAL position and the engine speed (rpm) increased. Inspect the engine driven accessories in the engine compartment. Repair/replace as necessary.

ADB—Accessory Drive Belts: Engine speed sensitive, audible vibration. Worn drive belts can cause a vibration that produces either a droning, fluttering or rumbling noise. Inspect the drive belt(s) and tighten/replace as necessary.

DEM—Damaged Engine or Transmission Support Mounts: Engine speed sensitive, mechanical/audible vibration. If a support mount is worn, noise or vibration will occur. Inspect the support mounts and repair/replace as necessary.

ES—Exhaust System: Engine speed sensitive, mechanical/audible vibration. If loose exhaust components contact the vehicle body they will cause noise and vibration. Inspect the exhaust system for loose, broken and mis-aligned components and repair/replace as necessary.

 

Okay thanks a lot I really appreciate it! Only person that could help me is my dad but he drives truck so only home a day or two a week, I think I can change it my self but I do not have a press or anything, should I change both ends and someone told be to just drop the back one and change it under the truck, is that even possible? Thanks much

 

You have a vise? Some way to hold the yoke still? That would be only issue in doing it solo - still not impossible solo. I've done them on my own - just have to figure out how to hold the yoke still. Just be careful not to go too crazy with a BFH on the yoke, you can bend the ears.

 

No I don't have a vise but I'm sure I can find something or rig something up I'll let you know how it goes, thanks

 

You COULD change it under the truck, but it would be neither pleasant or easy. Dropping the whole thing is super easy and will save time and frustration.


I have used a couple of ratchet straps to secure a driveshaft to a work bench.