Looking for help on a strange problem I have. My truck runs fine until I hit about 35mph then I get a vibration in the steering wheel and the engine it seems. I drive the truck around town mostly at about 30-35mph and it seems fine. If I drive up an incline in the roadway it gets this vibration until I am over 40-45mph and quiets down. If I put it in neutral when it does this and rev the engine all seems fine from the engine. I have pulled the codes and they are only for the glow plugs and the engine starts fine. I use this truck to get to work and do not want to damage it. Any suggestions as to what could be wrong? Any mods to truck are in my signature. It is a Cali truck with split shots. I had the fuel pump replaced in January and I discovered the mechanic left off the fuel line dampner and plugged where it screwed in, I have no idea as to why.
Start with the basics: balance the tires, inspect the U-joints & rear end, engine/trans mounts, leaf spring bushings, shock bushings, front end bushings, body mounts...
I had a vibration that I chased for a couple of years. With the tires in one position on the truck it would vibrate between 50 and 60mph. Rotate them and the vibration would go to 60-70 mph. It didn't matter if they were balanced or not, they would continue to cause a vibration.
When I got rid of them one of the tire jockies called me back into the shot and showed me a bad spot on the interior of one of the tires. It was a slight bulge that had caused all my problems on the inner cords of that one tire.
Put the shift lever into park and rev the engine up to the red line. If there is no vibration, then the problem is probably not the engine. If the vibration is only while the truck is moving down the road and not while the truck is stopped, then it is probably something in the suspension. Jack up the front end and wiggle the front tires up and down and side to side to see if there is any looseness. It could be ball joints or bearings worn out or something loose.
If the vibration started after the new tires I would also check the driveline. Sometimes they hit them with the lift and get bent. Look for a bright rub mark that shouldn’t be there
I haven't been able to get the truck into a shop to have the front end checked. The tires now have about 2000 miles on them before the vibration started. The tires were installed by jacking up the front and back end separately with floor jacks not a lift. I have several times while going 35-40 mph when the vibration occurs put it in neutral and revved the engine, no vibration. If it is parked and revved up there is no vibration. I can drive it up to about 30 mph and no vibration. It is a heavier vibration when i go uphill, putting a load on it.
Jack up the front end. Wiggle the front wheels up and down and side to side to see if there is any looseness. This could indicate ball joints or bearing wearing out. Check all of the tires for any bubbles, uneven wear, separation, missing weight, or bad spot. Rotate the wheels front to back so that you can see if the vibration moves from front to back. While the tires are off, check them more carefully for any damage. If you still can't figure it out, try having the wheels rebalanced.
Finally had the funds to take the truck into a diesel shop and have it diagnosed.They found that #3 & #6 injectors were bad. They wanted $718 for the 2 injectors and another $470 for installation. I really do not have this much money. Any suggestions on getting rebuilt split shots that might be cheaper?
I might have to tackle this job myself. I no longer use the truck for towing my fifth wheel.
Dan
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