Yesterday we loaded up the family and a bed full of toys and headed north for Christmas. About 50 miles out an intermittent vibration appeared and so we turned back. We were able to get a rental trailer to tow with our diesel car so Christmas was saved. Car got 33 MPG at 70-75 mph which pays for the trailer rental with fuel savings.

When I get back I've got to identify and fix this problem since the truck is my DD.

Driving along vibration starts and will go away when speed drops below ~10 mph. Vibration is like driving over rumble strips continuously. This happened once last week after I had driven about 50 miles (same distance as when it started yesterday). Couldn't replicate it or identify any problems so I thought it was some fluke or something on the road..

I'm thinking bearings in the front end but not really sure. No sign of it while turning. Once it started happening yesterday it seemed to be triggered by expansion joints. Most of the time it was not vibrating, when that happened I would not continue but pull to the shoulder to make it stop.

Possibly related- did front brakes a couple weeks ago and greased the hubs through the ABS hole with Mobil 1 synthetic grease. Maybe I used too much? Didn't fill but put quite a bit in there.

Does this vibration problem sound familiar to anyone or any suggestions on diagnostics?

Thanks in advance and Merry Christmas,

 

That is exactly the way mine did, when I lost the drivers side valve cover gasket.
Might only need 50 cent mod.

 

It does kinda sound like it could be vibration from the engine, due to a bad connection. Do you have the ability to check for codes when you get home?

If it's not that, i'm not quite sure what would cause vibration in the front end to be intermittent like that... Doesn't sound like bearings to me, but i've never experienced any going bad. I don't think you can overfill with grease. If you pump too much, it will just weep through the seal from what I understand.

 

Very helpful, thanks guys. I have AE and will check upon return. Had planned on 50 cent soon anyway so I'll do that right away. I'd love for uvch to be the cause of this issue. And now that does seem more likely than a bearing.

 

HoneyDew: When mine started one morning when I was in Wyoming, vibrated bad, We were headed up to Yellowstone east and in about 5 or 6 miles it quit vibrating. Toured a section of the park and went back to campground toward Cody with out a ripple.
Next day same thing. Next day headed out toward Cody with Camper in tow, and it stated vibrating, but didn't quit. Had it fixed at Western Diesel in Cody, and has been fine ever since.
After they did a Buzz test, they said that it was the harness or a couple of injectors.
It tas the harness. I hope that yours is just as easy.


MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

I'm back home, did a buzz test this morning which was fine. Drove the truck around town for a while with AE hooked up. Once truck got nice and warm the vibration was getting triggered by running over bumps in the road. No codes, engine seemed to run the same while truck vibrating. Again, slowing to a near-stop made vibration go away. It really sounds/feels like something in the front end so I jacked it up and spun tires, pushed-pulled side to side, top and bottom, inspected linkages, everything seems normal.

I'm at a bit of a loss, guess I'll do the 50 cent, just seems odd that it is so intermittent.

Any other ways to check driveline?

 

Dang, well I'm at a loss as well. Take a good look at the drive shaft and u joints. Anything in the trans that might cause this? Didn't the 2001s have the sensor or plug in the trans that would go out? Idk the symptoms of that, just throwing out ideas.

 

Man!! I am still thinking wiring harness/

 

Were you recording with AE when it triggered?

 

Some 2001 transmissions had the mechanical diode, mine had it but dealer "upgraded" the trans under warranty at 50K and Mark K. said the language on the OASIS report entry indicated that the diode had been done away with during that warranty service.

I've checked out the driveshaft and stopped on the side of the hwy and felt all u-joint cups for heat the other day- nothing abnormal. Have not jacked up the rear and spun it yet though. This problem has occurred at 15-20, 30-45, and 65-75 mph, only commonality is truck up to full temperature, a bump triggering it, and it going away with reduced speed.

Spent the day trying to confirm problem area but Hammer65 I think tomorrow I will just go ahead and pull the valve covers.

I was not data logging but did have AE on and checked for codes after todays occurrences before shutting the truck off.

 

I've seen symptoms like this when a bearing or bushing is larger than the shaft it surrounds. The bearing will bump and "hoola-hoop" around the shaft until the rotational speed is reduced to near-zero. I was told by my driveshaft expert that he's been seeing a rash of bad front dirve shafts on the Superdutys lately, but he didn't specify which generation. Are you 4X4? If so, are you sure your hubs are unlocked (front shaft free-spins by hand)? What does your Transmission temp do? Can you record your transmission rotation in/out the next time you drive? I've lived a dead hole and it's a lot smoother than a drive issue.

 

I hear ya Rich, that's what keeps coming into mind bearing-wise.

At every occurrence I've manually verified that 4X4 is not engaged and hub are unlocked so that's not it but good thought (Warn manual hubs). Trans temp is normal for what this truck runs, hasn't exceeded 160F since this has happened. Fluid is not burnt and level is good, shifting seems normal. I'll log the rotation but will likely do the 50 cent tomorrow first.

Not sure what it means but vibration occurrences today at mid road speed were less intense than the previous which happened at both low and high road speed.

 

Okay, today I did the $.50 mod and put in new glow plugs while I was in there.

Connectors were only slightly less than fully seated.

passenger side:


driver's side:


But regardless, drove it around after and the problem is still occurring, same cause and symptoms.

Rich I looked for trans rotation in/out but couldn't find that, is it labeled something else in the drop-down?

What are some things that I can look at next which could be intermittent like this? It is becoming easier to trigger.

Truck has 168K miles on the odometer.

 

One way to check if its related to trans would be to shift to neutral when it starts and see if it quits immediately. If not, it's most likely something in the front end. If so, it's likely trans relates.

 

Jeff, I just went out and tried that. Vibration triggered twice in three miles, both times shifting to neutral had no effect.

I agree with you that it is likely in the front end.