[dieselcrank]

2001 SD 4X4 Ext Cab, Auto, 3.73, bought when has 11,000 miles,stock wheels and tires,truck has 24,500 now.

At highway speeds(interstate) I have a vibration, like mid 70's and would smooth out about 3-4 miles high, or truck would settle down until you hit some bumps and it would come back,nothing in steering wheel but consol shaking. Towing a light trailer would make it worse.

Now I have a ICON leveling kit (front brackets,Icon track bar,Bilsteins and F-350 blocks and Bilsteins on rear) 285/75r16 BFG AT load range "E", on 16x8 DC1's

Just on 1500 mile trip, first interstate since lift and tires. Vibration at those speeds is twice as bad,consol shaking big time at those speeds,would smooth out when you got past it. Had 2 vehicles on trip and radios and they said my front bumper was shaking pretty bad then would smooth out as I lowered or raise speed to get out of vibration. Into more mountians it was like it got worse, I had a 5,000lb trailer in tow,v-nose. On real smooth asphalt I could ease up the speed and vibration was slight it felt like, hit some bumps and back. I only had 100lbs of stuff in bed.

I put 23,000 on my stock tires, wearing perfect,never rotated them. The only thing I can add is I think the prior owner jack knifed a trailer,the r/r lower bed side had had a minor dent repaired and the cross tube of the hitch has had something into it. My alignment guy checked my wheelbase and did some cross "x" measurements to adjust my track bar.

Driveshaft issues? Thanks

 

[blackout]

Sounds like driveshaft to me. I had a somewhat similar problem and ended up having the shaft redone and now it is smooooth.

 

[fxdwgi]

Carrier bearing/driveshaft issue. Did you shim the carrier bearing down after the lift ?

 

[dieselcrank]

shaft

I have a one piece driveshaft.

 

[fastersteve]

I've been having the exact same issue with my Ex. Driveshaft was way out of balance. Since then I've done u-joints, tailshaft bushing, slip yoke, tires, cut the balancer ring off the trans, re-clocked the driveshaft. Each thing has made incremental improvements, but still have the shakes. I'm down to the conclusion that the next bushing forward (in the middle) in the trans is loose-collateral damage from the driveshaft imbalance.
Coming home from racing one evening, had to slow to avoid a critter midway up a pretty good hill, getting going again made a weird groan from the trans.
Waiting for oil analysis results to confirm high wear metals before I order a BTS.
Good luck.
FS

 

[dieselcrank]

vibration

if my vibration pretty muc doubled or close after the install of the F-350 blocks in the rear I have to think it's a angle of driveshaft issue or more likley a u-joint issue. I've read the some have posted u-joint not centered,this makes a little sense if possible that can happen. I've raised it up a little and that would make the offset joint more out.

 

[6spd]

One other thing you might check. A supercab shortbed requires beveled rear blocks - doesn't matter whether they are 2" or 4" blocks. I have read elsewhere that the flat blocks from the longer wheelbase trucks can cause vibration issues on a shortbed.

 

[tvandyck7]

I don't really see a leveling kit causing driveshaft angle problems. Yes, it does cause a bit more angle, but it shouldn't be that much at all. I really think this sounds like a driveshaft balance issue. Check and make sure all u-joints are good and tight and and make sure they are seated inbetween the ears on the yokes. If that's not it, have the driveshaft balanced. Also ,check the output shaft/yoke of the transfer case and the pinion yoke to make sure they are tight with no play. If all of this checks out, then I guess you have a mystery vibration.

I would say that if you a big lift you could try tapered blocks to turn the rear axle pinion up to reduce angle. A leveling kit is not going to change the angle enough to need it though.

 

[dieselcrank]

repair

if you were going to replace something in the front of the driveshaft, would you do the joint first, or the yoke. Yokes, do the one off the transfer case and the slip yoke.

keep in mind this truck has had the issue since I bought it at 11,000 miles, it now has 25,000 miles, i got double worse when I did the ICON kit and the F-350 blocks and 285 BFG's. Truck is a 2001.

thanks

 

[Britmick]

tires could be out of shape,(not round)
l had problems twice with vibration, took it to 2 Nationwide companies & they were talkin' "new shocks/new bearings/new arms etc
took it ot a one man workshop in Carson City & he found it straight away...............

tread coming away from banding..............new tire, problem solved.

& yesterday, l noticed 'wobbling" going along Columbia Gorge Hwy, thought it was road surface, within 3 mls the rear outer tread flew off in a 12 inch chunk on my dually, smashing the fibreglass extended wing at the bottom.

Result, $100 excess on the insurance to get the wing done, & now searching for the best deal on 4 new rear end tires.( front 2 renewed in Carson City last year)

Yoko's are lookin' good at $558 "out the door" at America's Tire Co;

 

[dieselcrank]

tires

my stock Firestones and the new BFG's and new wheels are the same.