Darn Vibration
Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,231
Likes: 1
From: Near Fresno, California
Don't forget to clean and paint the driveshaft. It will not matter to your truck, but will give you a real sense of satisfaction and pride in your work.
It is something you can look at and think, "I did that."
It is something you can look at and think, "I did that."
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
From: NY
thanks for the info guys, but i dunno, im still a lil iffy on doing the job myself..For example, i dont know what some of the things you are talking about are..I dont know what a driveshaft journal is..I dont have a ton of money, which is why things get done lil by lil. I wanna get involved more with the hands on, but i would atleast like to have somebody behind me who knows what is going on, that way if i do something that im not suppose to do, it will get fixed without a problem, to where i could end up messing something up more..I have some friends in the area who are hot rod builders who have worked on my truck in the past, when possible, i hang around and watch and get in on the action if i can.
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,190
Likes: 2
From: Riverside, So Cal
Well then, Micginish...why not hang around and watch while one of your hot rod builder friends checks out your driveshaft?
"Where there is a will, there is a way". Somebody famous once said that.
"Where there is a will, there is a way". Somebody famous once said that.
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,495
Likes: 2
From: Northwest Fl
I should have asked this on my first post but when did it start vibrating, after the u-joint rebuild or a good while after the rebuild. If it's the latter, then I doubt it is u-joint bearings or out of phase.
Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,231
Likes: 1
From: Near Fresno, California
Sounds like you need to join a local chapter and see if there is someone near you willing to point things out. But however you do it, just jump in, the water is fine.
My dad and I were under one of the big old Indians, trying to get a cast iron automatic transmission to work. Neither one of us knew anything about automatics and we were about to open her up. I hesitated, worried that we would do more damage than good, when he said "what the hell, it is only a machine."
Since then my motto has been, "If man made it, I can fix it." I have worked on radars, solar telescopes, spectrometers, main frame computers, almost anything new and cutting edge in the last 40 years - sometimes with success, sometimes not. But I still say to myself, "what the hell, it is only a machine."
The only difference between you and a pro mechanic is that he has had lots of practice. The only way to get practice is to jump in and get your hands dirty. You will screw things up from time to time, but just call it a learning experience and move on.
My dad and I were under one of the big old Indians, trying to get a cast iron automatic transmission to work. Neither one of us knew anything about automatics and we were about to open her up. I hesitated, worried that we would do more damage than good, when he said "what the hell, it is only a machine."
Since then my motto has been, "If man made it, I can fix it." I have worked on radars, solar telescopes, spectrometers, main frame computers, almost anything new and cutting edge in the last 40 years - sometimes with success, sometimes not. But I still say to myself, "what the hell, it is only a machine."
The only difference between you and a pro mechanic is that he has had lots of practice. The only way to get practice is to jump in and get your hands dirty. You will screw things up from time to time, but just call it a learning experience and move on.
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Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
From: NY
i talked to a friend of mine whos part of the Westchester Street Rod Association here in Westchester County NY, and he said i can come over and hell take a look at it with me, not for me, but with me, so we'll see what happens. Im gonna guess its a mount.
The vibration was there before the u-joints got changed, i think. To be honest with you, im not really sure cause i just got the truck a few months ago and at the time, i was soo happy to drive it, that was all i can think about, i wasnt paying attention to much cause i just wanted to drive it
The vibration was there before the u-joints got changed, i think. To be honest with you, im not really sure cause i just got the truck a few months ago and at the time, i was soo happy to drive it, that was all i can think about, i wasnt paying attention to much cause i just wanted to drive it
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Junior User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
From: NY
holy crap...Last night i was coming home with the 56 and i have to back it in my driveway inorder to back into the garage, so when i shifted it into reverse it slammed kinda hard into gear, then i started hearing somewhat of a squeaky noise. I would only hear the noise in reverse though, when i put it in drive and drove it wouldnt make the noise, but when i went in reverse it would...It doesnt do it non stop though, it seems like it squeaks when the tires make a full rotation. Kinda scared to drive the thing anywhere now 
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,784
Likes: 45
From: Minnesota
Lesson #1 Safety Tips
Lesson #5 Get Dirty
- Always put the truck on a jack stand rated for the weight of the truck. Don't leave it in the air on a jack and crawl under it.
- If you put the truck on a hoist they have safety locks also make sure they are engaged.
- Make sure the truck is off and the keys are out of the ignition.
- Take off the positive battery cable when working on the truck.
- If the truck is just sitting and you are crawling under it block the wheels both sides.
- Put on a pair of safety glasses to keep the crap out of your eyes. I got something in my eye and ended up with a plugged drainage canal.The doctor used a syringe and pushed saline through until it started to open then it took my body a few more days to finish up the job.
- Never assume that something is done correctly. I have had problems with the quality of work that people do in my profession and it pisses me off to no end. 99% of suppliers higher the cheapeast labor possible charge the highest prices possible and wonder why we keep returning the crap they produce. We have trouble finding good suppliers even though we pay a premium for our parts in the Medical Industry.
- If someone else did the work always check the quality until you build up a relationship built in past experience and trust.
- Don't just start swapping out parts until you figure out what is wrong. I call it Easter egging you just kep searching until you find it. That can introduce more problems than you had to start with. Who knows maybe you replaced a good part with a bad one.
- If you making multiple changes such as when giving your car a tuneup. Change one part at a time such as all the spark plugs first and make sure the truck still runs. Then the wires etc. Once yo get more experience you will learn what parts to change at the same time.
- Note when you do work and when it was done, date mileage etc. Then when you have problems record when you noticed it.
Lesson #5 Get Dirty
- Crawl under the truck and try really hard to move the driveshaft at the U-joint on both ends, side to side and up and down, and rotate. There should not be any play at all. If it does have play come back here and let us know what you find. Also if it does have play study it and see where it is coming from. Give us as much detail as you can.
Originally Posted by Micginish
holy crap...Last night i was coming home with the 56 and i have to back it in my driveway inorder to back into the garage, so when i shifted it into reverse it slammed kinda hard into gear, then i started hearing somewhat of a squeaky noise. I would only hear the noise in reverse though, when i put it in drive and drove it wouldnt make the noise, but when i went in reverse it would...It doesnt do it non stop though, it seems like it squeaks when the tires make a full rotation. Kinda scared to drive the thing anywhere now
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
From: NY
well i would do that, but theres a problem, my hydraulic jack is no longer hydraulic. Went out to the garage the other day and there was fuild all over the place, its a old POS, gonna pick up a new one later today. I would crawl under the truck but its to low, i cant fit. In a lil while im going over to a friends house who has a big garage with a lift and all that good stuff. Hes a qualified hot rod builder who doesnt have people who work for him, he does his own work. Hes gonna take a look at the truck with me and were going to see whats going on under there. The guy is like 60, hes not a young kid, so i trust him. The last guy i worked with whos a friend of his was very qualified, so we'll see...
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 27,297
Likes: 1,059
From: NM
Chris's advice is excellent -- especially the part about getting dirty. 5 minutes under the truck will tell you more than we can in an hour. You can do a lot on these trucks without jacking it up (unless it's lowered).
The new noise you are describing sounds like the brake shoes. Some noise like that is fairly normal for drum brakes, they drag a little and when going backwards the shoe that normally doesn't drag, does. It could also be a sign that the shoes are worn out, so some further investigation is definitely warranted.
It's a good idea when you are dealing with a car/truck that you have no history with to do some basic investigating before you discover something is wrong (see Chris's #2). Brakes are a prime example of a system that you need to know exactly what's up. Many places like Midas, Just Brakes, etc will pull a couple of wheels for free on the chance you'll have any repairs done there. Which would not be all bad anyway, if you don't have the equipment to do it yourself. You also get to see what's underneath the truck for free (and they can check the U-joints).
The new noise you are describing sounds like the brake shoes. Some noise like that is fairly normal for drum brakes, they drag a little and when going backwards the shoe that normally doesn't drag, does. It could also be a sign that the shoes are worn out, so some further investigation is definitely warranted.
It's a good idea when you are dealing with a car/truck that you have no history with to do some basic investigating before you discover something is wrong (see Chris's #2). Brakes are a prime example of a system that you need to know exactly what's up. Many places like Midas, Just Brakes, etc will pull a couple of wheels for free on the chance you'll have any repairs done there. Which would not be all bad anyway, if you don't have the equipment to do it yourself. You also get to see what's underneath the truck for free (and they can check the U-joints).
Last edited by ALBUQ F-1; Sep 26, 2005 at 07:21 PM.
New User
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
I'm in the process of troubleshooting a vibration on my 95 F150 (191K miles, 302, auto). It's headed for the shop to repair the broken motor mount ... identified by the tranny shop. I'll let you know how it turns out.