VIBRATION!!! ARGGGGHHH!! HELP!!!

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Oct 27, 2012 | 11:53 PM

truck7575

Thread Starter

More Turbo

Joined: Apr 2012

Posts: 628

Likes: 10

From: Florence

VIBRATION!!! ARGGGGHHH!! HELP!!!

I have 2003 Excursion and I have a vibration that shakes the steering wheel very strongly and is very loud between 50 and 65 mph. I had to replace the ball joints so I have replaced a lot of stuff on the way in and out. I have upgraded to dual fox 2.0 steering stabilizer setup, rebuilt the axles with new seals and ujoints, new ball joints, new hub bearing assemblies, new warn premium hub assemblies. I have new rims and tires and have had an alignment done, i have removed the front driveshaft to rule it out as a cause for the vibration. What ideas do you all have as to where to look next? a couple of ideas floating around in my head are the rear drive shaft being out of balance, a bad rear drive shaft u-joint, rear pinion yolk bearing being bad, and someone mentioned a cracked flywheel? Would it hurt the vehicle to take off rear driveshaft and put on front and put it in four wheel high and drive up to that speed and see if the vibration goes away? Any help would be great guys... thanks!

Oct 29, 2012 | 08:56 AM

SuperDutyScaler

Lead Driver

Joined: Nov 2008

Posts: 8,450

Likes: 70

From: South Jersey

are your wheels hub centric? All fords use hub centric which makes the wheel sit on the lip of the front and rear hub. Aftermarket wheels don't do this so the lug nuts try to hold the wheel on center, allot of times this is the problem and makes the wheel not centered so you get the vibration your talking about. If not id just get under the truck and check the rear drive shaft, maybe the weight rotted off or something.... or you hit it on a rock or log **** happens!

Oct 29, 2012 | 11:55 PM

truck7575

Thread Starter

More Turbo

Joined: Apr 2012

Posts: 628

Likes: 10

From: Florence

Brand new adjustable trackbar and bushings got installed with the new suspension.. Bolt had to be torqued to almost 400ft/lb.... Today I reinstalled the front driveshaft and locked the front hubs removed the rear driveshaft and put it in 4wheel drive, vibration is gone, I am going to drop my drive shaft off and get it checked at the local diesel driveline shop. It's just so weird that the vibration in the steering wheel was able to travel up through the tcase, trans and engine through the steeringwheel! I guess ill see what the driveshaft people say, the rear pinion felt good when i jerked around on it.

Oct 30, 2012 | 05:44 AM

redford

FTE Leadership Emeritus

Joined: Sep 2000

Posts: 23,174

Likes: 1,678

From: Stephensville WI

The vibration travels up the steering assembly, not up the drive shaft.

The hub centric/lug centric question is a good one. Are your wheels lug centric? What lug nuts did you use?

When do you experience the vibration, when going 50-65 MPH? Always? During braking? When you hit a bump?

Oct 30, 2012 | 08:33 AM

truck7575

Thread Starter

More Turbo

Joined: Apr 2012

Posts: 628

Likes: 10

From: Florence

The vibration was present when I had the old stock wheels and tires on it which i know are hubcentric, and i believe my current set is also hubcentric. The vibration is always there under acceleration between 50 and 75 mph, as soon as you let off the gas it goes away and as soon as you touch the gas it is immediate, it is really loud and shakes the truck, specifically it does shake the steering wheels and the sideview mirrors. nothing else like bumps causes the vibration to get worse only between that speed range and when accelerating

Oct 30, 2012 | 08:44 AM

BigPigDaddy

Cargo Master

Joined: Sep 2007

Posts: 2,624

Likes: 7

From: OR and UT

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Eckerle

Today I reinstalled the front driveshaft and locked the front hubs removed the rear driveshaft and put it in 4wheel drive, vibration is gone

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Eckerle

The vibration is always there under acceleration between 50 and 75 mph, as soon as you let off the gas it goes away and as soon as you touch the gas it is immediate

Sounds like you found it before I could chime in. I was going to tell you that, in my experience, vibration only under throttle is almost always driveline related, and specifically bad u-joint(s).

I think that is what the driveline shop will tell you, but out of balance is always a possibility (that is basically what a bad u-joint results in).

Keep us posted.

Oct 31, 2012 | 03:34 PM

truck7575

Thread Starter

More Turbo

Joined: Apr 2012

Posts: 628

Likes: 10

From: Florence

PROBLEM FIXED! Rear Drive Shaft Had a bad U-joint and was out of balance. AHHHHHH!!! Smooth Sailing!!! Was really weird that the vibration was coming from the rear driveshaft but yet sitting in the driver seat I'd swear it was coming from the front end.