On my '95 150 clutch problem, I got the whole thing done including a badly needed oil pan gaske while the transmission was dropped. Now I have another problem. I am getting a feeling about 40 mph that something is out of balance. I took the truck back today and left it with the garage owner. We both were puzzled by the vibrations. He is going to put it on the rack, and see if the vibration is coming from the clutch, transmission, drive shaft, tires ot what. It's a puzzle

 

It's old school but when they pulled the driveshaft they should have marked it. I was always told to this so that it wouldn't vibrate. I did atleast 3 clutches on my old truck marked it and never had a problem. I always took a tire crayon and marked the shaft to the tail housing and also the shaft to the rear. Also did u have the u-joints done> did maybe one of the weights on the driveshaft come off ?? lose a wheel weight ?? It sure seems fishy this vibration started after the new clutch ?? Tell the garage that did it to come clean or go for a second opinion.

 

Thanks for that enouraging info. I called the mechanic, he hasn't had time to check yet, but he says that the person who worked on the truck DID NOT mark the position of the drive shaft. I bet that's the problem.

 

it doesnt matter where the drivshaft splines go back
if it did there would be a keyway for it

i had the exact same problem in my 95 f150
302 5 speed
truck was smooth as glass till i took it in to get the clutch done
i got 5 minutes away from the shop and noticed a bvad vibration
check to see if it vibrates in neutral and at a stop
clutch in and clutch out
i still havnt found out why mine is vibrating and my clutch is 3 years old now
funny thing is it goes away every now and again
shop had the tranny out 4 times and 4 new clutches trying to figure it out
finally they gave my money back
my personal opinion on mine anyways is when they turned the flywheel they didint have it sitting flat on the grinder and took to much metal off one side of the flywheel
but then why would the vibration go away
its a mystery in mine
hope you find your problem if you do let me know what it was
i can gaurantee its not the splines on the driveshaft though

 

f.y.i THE HAYNES REPAIR MANUAL says 'to index or scribe the drive shaft prior to removal to the differential mating flange . This ensures correct alignment when the driveshaft is reinstalled' Thats most likely cause of the vibration. check out 1980-1996 ford p/u-bronco manual section 8 clutch and driveline page 27. Your nuts if you had a clutch put in and the thing vibrated thats the point of having it done.

 

ok now what is it you are aligning
when your driveshaft is balanced it isnt balanced with the yoke u joints or bolting flange
so if all sides are the same there is nothing to align

im looking forward to hearing what your vibration is though
im sure it isnt the alignment of your drivshaft

 

The drive shaft needs to be aligned properly, it is weighted because it's balanced. So your saying the manual is wrong ok ,so his drive shaft wasn't marked and yours wasn't and they both have a vibration hmmm. I've done three and had one done all marked no vibration. ok The manual must be wrong and me too. I bet if you take your driveshaft out turn 180 degress and re-install it you won't have a vibration. cant hurt check out the troubleshooting section in a haynes manual.

 

well i know my driveshaft isnt my vibration problem as it vibrates when im not moving at all
and i did just have my driveshaft ballanced
both of them front and back
and unless it is a high end performance shop they cannot balance a driveshaft with the u joints on it
therefor it would not matter where or how the drivshaft goes back together as each piece is balanced seperatly
i know it sais to mate the drivshaft back the way it came apart but that is usually only if your using the same u joint
all im saying is i dont think its a driveshaft problem
if it is great
quick fix

 

U joints have nothing to do with the balance of the shaft. Can't hurt to try reintalling 180 though, since his vibrates at 40 mph and yours vibrates at a stop it's not in your case a driveshaft. Also bear in mind this guys truck is a two wheel drive.Get a manual and read the trouble shooting guide. Throwing parts at a problem doesn't always fix it I have learned the hard way. :-X23

 

The mechanic rotated the drive shaft, and it didn't help. He noticed that my tires were slightly out of round. I took it to the tire dealer, they agreed and gave me four new tires. After all this, I still have the vibrations. I am about to give up.

 

dont give up yet
if you had no vibration before the clutch job and you have one now it isnt your problem
take it back to the shop first
take it to some other shops to get other opinions
check some things out yourself to so you can second guess the mechanic
does it only vibrate when your driving
will it vibrate in neutral at a stand still
slowly bring the rpm up to about 3000 rpm and see if your vibration is noticable
look at the tailshaft on the tranny to see if it has any scuffs
youll know its been dropped if it is scuffed up
if your tranny is dropped and lands on the tailshaft that could cause a vibration

just my 2 cents

 

if it will vibrate in neutral clutch in or out it is likely something the mechanic did
bad clutch bad flywheel grind bad bearing
if it only vibrates when your driving unless they bent the tailshaft or knocked a weight off the drivshaft its likely the vibration isnt caused from the clutch job at all
keep looking into it though
let us know how you make out to im curious aswell as to what it is
like i said i have the same problem
i wont know what my problem is untill i do the clutch again and have my flywheel replaced

 

On some v-8's the flywheel and the pressure plate will both have a mark on them. This is so that the pressure plate will help to keep the engine balanced, i don't know if ford has these marks, but i know chevy has done it on newer engines, even the internally balanced engines. It is possible that the new pressure plate has thrown the rotating assembly a little out of balance. If the shop can't figure out the problem and they have the transmission dropped, have them reinstall the same pressure plate in a different position, say 180 degrees out and see if that makes any difference.

 

They did something wrong or dropped the trans or drive shaft etc. Tires out of balance ? You would have noticed that before the clutch. Question this guy, or like these other guys said get a second opinion. Sure sounds fishy. Even see what quality parts he used. :-X23

 

I really do appreciate everyone's input on this problem. I keep thinking that if something in the clutch assembly is out of balance, that the vibration should get worse after I get above 40mph. But it just smooths out, and with the new free set of Goodyear tires, driving is a dream at all other speeds. If I could be assured that I am not ruining something by driving it, I would be willing to give up, and leave it alone.