Long story, here goes:

A few weeks ago I hit a large pothole while going around a slight curve at about 55 mph. I heard a loud pop and the truck jumped to the left. About a week later I starting noticing some vibrations. It happens when I'm going more then 35 or so and when I hit a bump or unsmooth surface and it will keep vibrating until I hit another bump, the other way to make it stop is to slow down to less then 20. I can feel the vibration pulsing less as I slow down utility it stops meaning it's definitely speed related not engine related.

So I took it to the shop. The found the passenger side front (the part that hit the pothole) shock was leaking, upper ball joint was toast (a lot of play) and the outer tie rod was loose (not as bad as the ball joint but bad enough). And the bump stop I installed about 7 or 8 months ago was gone.

I picked up the Ex yesterday after having everything replaced (did the lower ball joint as well, I figured might as well once it's all taken apart). While driving today, the video ration is still there. So I pulled into the nearest gas station and took a look at the front end. I noticed the driver side hub is still locked (even though it's on auto, probably have a leak in the vacuum line somewhere). So I pulled both auto hubs just for the heck of it and kept on driving. Now I barely feel the vibration.

So the question is, is my front differential causing the vibration? I don't believe it's the hubs, when it was at the shop I personally (and the mechanic) shook the wheels right and left and up and down and besides for the play in passenger side wheel from the ball joint, everything else seemed tight. I recently did the u joint on the same wheel and the stabilizer bar bushings.

Any help here is greatly appreciated as I'm lost on this one and so is my mechanic. This is my work vehicle so when it really slows me down when it's in the shop.

Thanks!

 

I would look at a couple things.

1) front driveshaft, u joints and yoke
2) front end ujoints....the ones close to wheels on axle shafts.
3) what wheels do you have OEM or aftermarket?

 

Wheels are aftermarket and they've been on the Ex since I bought it over a year ago, I haven't had an issue, at least not this bad, since I got it. I already replaced the passenger side u joint before the winter. I guess I'll double check the others.

 

I would be intrested to know if your wheels are hub centric or lug centric.
OEM is hub centric.

I would give the wheel that hit the pot hole a good look over. Make sure all lug nuts and lugs are centered in wheel lug holes if your wheels are lug centric. IE your lug nuts will be conical and they should center wheel when they are tightened. Make sure lug nuts and hole they go in are not damaged/smashed etc.

If they are lug centric some suggest a hub centric adapter be installed to make sure wheel sits where it is supposed to.

If one axle shaft u joint was bad the other is probably not far behind. Your mechanic that did the ball joints should have noticed a bad ujoint though....he has to remove that shaft to fix ball joints.

 

All the work was done on the passeneger side. The u joint was replaced first, sometime in December. At that time there's were no other issues (ball joint, tie rod, etc). The other issues were found after I starting getting the vibrations soon after hitting the pothole.

The wheels are lug centric. A couple months back (or possibly when the u joint went bad) I looked into the hub centric wheel adapters. I couldn't find any of the size I needed, the only option was custom made and they weren't cheap. I was also advised but others that the spacers are not necessary when the proper tapered lug nuts are used.

I haven't found any damage in the wheel and it not leaking air (it's been 2 weeks already) so I don't think a cracked rim is the issue, if it's bent then it would be vibrating all the time.

Driver side u joint is probably best guess, that hub was locked (even though it's set to auto) and once I removed the hub the vibration is pretty much gone. I guess I'll start with that.

Edit: mechanic may not have noticed a bad driver side u joint because those ball joints were fine so he didn't work on the drivers side at all.

 

If you are sure front driveshaft is not engaged and it definatelly is not turning than the axle shaft ujoints should not be turning either.....which may eliminate vibration from that u joint.

The things that move on front end ( in 2wd) are rotors, bearings in hub, hub assembly to include lugs, wheel, and tire. These are things I think will cause rolling vibrations....short of something rubbing.

Now I remember a year or so ago I thought I had a front end vibration problem.....turned out to be not enough slip additive in my Limited slip rear end.

So check rear driveshaft u joints and yoke too....grease yoke if you feel the slightest movement in it.

Now for worst case senerio:
I got my second excursion for $1600 because PO was driving around with hubs locked in and did not know it. He blew up the transfer case at 75 mph on interstate. Front end vibrations took out his transfer case. So look at your transfer case and make sure it has no play in front yoke and rear yoke. Make sure it's still mated correctly with transmission extension.....Drain fluid and check for any metal shavings or chunks of debris.

See my photo of blown up TC.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...sfer-case.html

 

I think you've pulled a Stewart and only quickly scanned my original post.

What I said was the vibration is only felt above specific speeds and in specific circumstances. AFTER I removed the driver side hub the vibration is almost entirely (98.5%) gone. That hub was stuck in the locked position even though it's turned to auto and I'm in 2wd (verified when I removed the hub, the inner section that engages the axle shaft is not spinning freely no matter how much I mess with the ****, tap it with a pliers, etc. I even tried spinning the axle by hand before removing the hub and the drivers side would not spin with the hub in place). Meaning that the driver side u joint was constantly turning until I removed the hub, at which point the vibration went away because now the u joint (and the entire driver side axle shaft) is no longer spinning constantly with the wheel.

I remember when you got that rig, how's it working out so far?

 

It's great, drive it every day.

Don't want to beat a dead horse but, I will until it gets up I guess.

Toyota put OEM lug centric wheels on some of their trucks. Ended up having to put out a TSB to get them balanced correctly because of their customers complaining about vibrations. Special tool needed to correctly balance Toyota lug centric wheels.

TSB SU002-96.

Requires a lug hole adapter to correctly balance lug centric wheels.....

Ok horse has be beat!!!!

I take pride in reading every post I comment on.
By confirming driveshaft not moving what I ment to say is make sure the transfer case is not in 4X4. It could however unlikely could be stuck in 4x4 and joints are still moving. Taking out hubs would the remove driveline vibrations caused by the hubs locking the axle to the hub assembly....sorry I was not more clearererrr

 

Front driveshaft is not engaged, it spins freely. The only part of the front driveline that was engaged was the drivers side hub which is what leads me to suspect that u joint.

I am totally with you on the significance of proper wheel installation. I usually have them rebalanced if I feel the slightest of vibrations. But in this case everything is smooth even on the highway, until I hit a bump and the vibrations start. If it was a balance/wheel issue the vibration should be constant on the highway. It's like something is loose somewhere and it gets knocked out of place when I hit a bump and doesn't fall back into place until I hit another bump or slow down to less then 20 mph.

But why anyone would want to beat a dead horse is beyond me, I mean is already dead, right?

 

It's a little clearer now.

1) check steering stabilizer
2) check track bar bushings
3) check for broken/cracked leaf spring.

3. Because you mentioned your new missing bump stop.

4) check for damaged/ broken leaf spring connectors.....forgot what they are called.

5) check for broken/cracked u bolts. I say this because bolts are torque to yield and maybe you stressed one too much hitting pot hole and it's loose.

Although unlikely....your wheel could be slipping into and out of its proper seat because something bent or smashed when you hit hole. This is very unlikely though, kinda like a dead horse getting up.

 

So I've been driving the past 2 days with the auto hubs removed, the vibration is still there when I hit a bump but it doesn't keep vibrating like it did with the hubs installed, just for a couple seconds. So I took a look at the outer axle shafts. The drivers side is pretty snug with only a tiny bit of play when pushed up or down, but the passenger side is terrible. There's a lot of play up and down. And if I shake it from behind at the u joint it's the same story.

Question: the axle is held by the bearing at the differential housing. Besides the dust seal at the end of the axle tube and behind the hub on the outer axle shaft, what else holds it in place? Are the needle bearings in the hub shot and not keeping the outer axle shaft in place? I know there's a bunch of washers and a lockring but they just hold the axle from slipping out. And it looks like one or both of the washers are missing on the passenger side, I only see the locking and hex washer. Yes, that is the one my mechanic worked on.......sigh.....