Vibration
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Junior User
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Vibration
On my 79 f350 tow truck I have a vibration, thought it was a u joint so I changed them, also changed carrier. I still have the problem it seems to get worse the farthwer I drive, it also gets worse when there is a car on back. I have checked everything I can think off. Any one have any idea's? Thanks
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Because you changed u-joints I assume it is a rapid driveline type of vibration. I’m not familiar with the F350 set up but there is a slip joint somewhere. Did you check to make sure it’s not warn? If it is, it will “****” causing the driveline to whip like a jump rope.
Were the old u-joints bad? If so a frozen or bad cup could have damaged the yoke allowing a new joint to be out of alignment.
If the vibration is not in the DL there are a number of possibilities so if you cant find the prob, a better description of the vibration would help.
Were the old u-joints bad? If so a frozen or bad cup could have damaged the yoke allowing a new joint to be out of alignment.
If the vibration is not in the DL there are a number of possibilities so if you cant find the prob, a better description of the vibration would help.
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Yes one of the joints was really stiff. It feels like it is somthing in the DL. It seems to be a little better now that I canged the joints. I'm wondering if it isn't a tire, cause it gets worse after it has been driven a ways, after heating up. I have taken the tires all off but don't seem to see anything.
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Check for mud between and on the rims. Could be throwing off the balance of tire and rims.
Check for a bent driveshaft, by lifting the rear tires of the ground and placing jack stands on the axle housing, and placing chuck blocks on front tires. Put the truck in 1st gear and let the tire spin, check the driveshaft for any wobble.
Could be the u-joints are not lined up.
Could be a worn slip yoke on drive shaft.
Could be a worn pinon bearing.
Could be a loose yoke on pinon.
buck
Check for a bent driveshaft, by lifting the rear tires of the ground and placing jack stands on the axle housing, and placing chuck blocks on front tires. Put the truck in 1st gear and let the tire spin, check the driveshaft for any wobble.
Could be the u-joints are not lined up.
Could be a worn slip yoke on drive shaft.
Could be a worn pinon bearing.
Could be a loose yoke on pinon.
buck
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have your tires checked for balance, you might have broken cords like others say, but more than likely its within your drive line, same thing happened to me and i had a worn slip yoke
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Normally a DL vibration is very rapid and comes and goes with speed and power load. A tire vibration is slower, speed sensitive only and will be present power load or no power load.
Traveling at vibration speed put the trans in neutral (no load on DL). If the vibration goes away or changes its most likely a DL prob, if it continues its most likely a tire or something else.
Traveling at vibration speed put the trans in neutral (no load on DL). If the vibration goes away or changes its most likely a DL prob, if it continues its most likely a tire or something else.
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From: Gadsden Purchase
And to throw another wrench into the works... 
I had a slightly bent axle. I also had a slightly bent wheel so I put it on, in a way that "fixed" it, sorta.
Also I've had trouble with my driveline twice, it doesn't take much to "bend" one is my guess and the bend (I guess) is caused by a very slight twist?
Your tow truck sounds like a good canidate to go with my theory.
Either way like "1975Ford" said, get it up in the air and start it up.
Check for anything that doesn't run smooth and straight as a lathe.
Looseness in a slip joint can be "fixed" with a quality driveline straightening and balancing job. BTDT twice.
It's kinda cool to have a vehicle long enough to start seeing some patterns in it and knowing what to do huh?
At 220K my '75 F150 360 T-18 is on its...
...third set of U joints
...second carrier bearing
...original slip joint and driveline
Alvin in AZ
I had a slightly bent axle. I also had a slightly bent wheel so I put it on, in a way that "fixed" it, sorta.
Also I've had trouble with my driveline twice, it doesn't take much to "bend" one is my guess and the bend (I guess) is caused by a very slight twist?
Your tow truck sounds like a good canidate to go with my theory.
Either way like "1975Ford" said, get it up in the air and start it up.
Check for anything that doesn't run smooth and straight as a lathe.
Looseness in a slip joint can be "fixed" with a quality driveline straightening and balancing job. BTDT twice.
It's kinda cool to have a vehicle long enough to start seeing some patterns in it and knowing what to do huh?
At 220K my '75 F150 360 T-18 is on its...
...third set of U joints
...second carrier bearing
...original slip joint and driveline
Alvin in AZ
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The truck is not a 4x4. I jacked it up ran it in gear and the ds didn't seem to wobble. I drove it today and it seem to be doing it at a slower speed now. Should I just balance the tires and pull the axles and check them? I noticed a couple of days ago that the king pins are bad, as posted in another post. Could this have somthing to do with my problem?
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Joined: Aug 2004
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From: S.E. Michigan
Try checking the caps on the u-joints to be sure they're seated down completly into the yoke(s), it's possible one of the needle bearings dropped and is across the inside of the cap not allowing the cap to seat completely onto the u-joint. It'll be noticable at the base of the yoke, there's a small retainer boss at the base and the cap will be setting on top of it rather than down into it.
As for the king pins, they should be causing a whobble in the steering as could a bad rubber bushing in the radius arms where they connect to the frame, or a bad tie rod end as well.
Mine was an intermittant whobble and not a vibration caused by the radius arm bushing.
Good luck & be sure to let us know what you find.
HoBo
As for the king pins, they should be causing a whobble in the steering as could a bad rubber bushing in the radius arms where they connect to the frame, or a bad tie rod end as well.
Mine was an intermittant whobble and not a vibration caused by the radius arm bushing.
Good luck & be sure to let us know what you find.
HoBo