I have a bad vibration that I think I isolated to the driveshaft...took it to Fort Wayne Clutch to have it balanced yesterday:
They said it was done today, I pick it up, bring it home, only to then realize...they did not put the tranny slip yoke back on. So I go back (1 1/2 hour trip) and they say the owners son works there and he is always messing things up like this!!
I finally get the driveshafts back into the truck, and my vibration is twicwe as bad now!!
So I will not go back to Fort Wayne clutch......does anyone else know a good driveshaft shop near Warsaw, Elkhart, South Bend area??
I need to get this thing back on the road, please advise.

Thanks!

 

here's some driveshaft info. maybe it helps and maybe it doesn't, good luck

 

Check your phone book for "Inland Truck Parts Co." If there is one near you I'd recommend them. I had a drive shaft bent from a foolish mistake of removing it without having the wheels blocked. I could have gotten ran over, but didn't!

Anyways, they straightened the shaft and installed new u-joints while I had it to them. I don't remember the exact cost, but I thought it was real reasonable, like $175.

Might be able to go to inlandtruck.com also.

 

Thanks, I ended up going to Action Machine in South Bend Indiana....Thats the place to go! Great guys, good work.
Balanced both driveshafts, installed carrier bearing, replaced one u joint and welded on a new slpline all for $240.00
I still have a vibration, the only thing I have left is the tailshaft bushing has a little play in it...so off to a tranny shop I guess...luckily my trip is put off, so this is not really an emergency anymore.

 

Tail housing with slight looseness will not cause vib. Back to basic if you please. When is vib worst? MPH, or Driveshaft RPM needed. A drive shaft vib will be a high hertz value. It actually hurts your ears. How long has vib been around? did anything happen when it started? Say tranny repairs or road rash of some type? Alignment will cause vib as well as imbalanced will. Does the vib go away if the bed is loaded heavily?

 

Dozer:
Vib starts at 60mph and get worse the faster I go, does not matter what gear or if in lockup, so engine rpm is not relative.
I bought the truck used, it has had the vib since I bought it.
Tires were balanced, pllus I have Centramatic balancers installed, PLUS I swapped wheel with another truck, all made no difference.
Front end is all rebuilt: New bearings, ball joints, drag link, new tires, and aligned twice.

 

I once had a similar vibration on my 99, that started around 40 and cleared up over 80. I looked into driveshaft balancing, but when I called the shop who does balancing the fellow there told me to put u-joints in it first. He'd balance, but if it was a u-joint problem, balancing wouldn't help.
I didn't think it was possible for the u-joint to cause a vibration with these symptoms, but it was the cheaper way out, and less down time for the truck, so I did it. All the cups where still wet with grease, and none had any play in them, making me further skeptical of what I was told.
The guy knew what he was talking about. My vibration went away.

Chris

 

I put new joints in it, and then I had the drive shaft shop put new ones in it again...the whole drive shaft (splines, u joints, center bearing and complete balance) is new...so I can rule that out.
I am out of ideas, Dozer says it can't be the tailshaft bushing, but many other sites say it can be...I am going to have that replaced just to be sure.

 

Just got back from the tranny shop, they told me there was so little play in the slip yoke/tailshaft bushing that there was no reason to install a new one
Now I am back to square one with this...anyone have ANY ideas??

 

Have you checked the back axle to see if there is one bent slightly? Or how about a bad shock? You could have someone drive around you while on the freeway at 60 mph and talk to each other by cell phone to see when its worst. It could be the back axle wagging the drive shaft.

 

Have 4 new shocks.
Axle was just repaced, the limited slip clutches shredded in the old rear, so I replaced the whole rear end complete from a 99 with 70k miles...it made no difference in the vibration.

I just ran the truck on stands, with the rear driveshaft removed and the vibration is just as bad, if not worse running 65-75 mph.

Knowing that road speed is related to the vibration and RPM is NOT related to the vibrations, is there anyway the tranny can cause the vibration? Remember it vibrates at 70 mph even in neutral at idle...so it should not be the converter.

 

Add note to above:
The rear has 2 driveshafts....I removed the rear driveshaft and ran it with the driveshaft off the tranny only, which is a short shaft with new ujoint and center beearing.

 

The tranny can certainly cause vibration, mainly the TC.
Can you explain when it happens in more detail? I'm looking for speeds where the vibration starts, goes away, or is worse than other speeds, up to about 80 mph.
Does the vibration occur the same way when on stands with either of the driveshafts removed?
Is the TC locked up when it happens, or unlocked?
As many details as you can provide will be helpful.

Did you already say you checked the tranny mount? I don't remember.

Chris

 

Sorry, I've been asleep. You have removed the rear shaft of two piece shaft and vibration was still there at RPM. Correct? In addition, it vibrates in neutral also. ARe you saying vihicle parked in neutral at some RPM it vibrates' or does it vibrate at idle in neutral. Cause if you are sitting with rear shaft out and running in neutral the drive shaft would normally still be turning. It has been doing this since you purchased. Correct??
Your statement did not rull out converter as it is turning with engine, but you say it vibrates in more than one gear at same speed? That tends to rule out converter. That does not rule out the OD assembly. There is a large bearing in OD unit that goes away and makes terrible vib. This would be speed sensitive. There are other components in OD unit that could cause problem if unit has been disassembled or Ohauled. To eliminate the front shaft, you can stick a yoke(only) in tranny and run. Need to put apiece of sheet metal or a board behind the yoke and keep it from flying out. It would normally stay in place for one quick run up, but be careful. The last question you did not address from previous. Does the vib hurt your ears or shake your tummy (no insult intended). Hurting your ears would be a bearing or 2X drive shaft speeed. Tummy shake would be fist order like bent shaft, Bent output shaft, or imbalance shaft. A shaft can be balanced (crude) with hose clamps and washers under clamp till reduce vib. I'l try not to go to sleep now.

 

You would like to think that the balance shops both checked to see if the drive shafts were in phase. Zero phase is when all the joints are in the same plane, a twisted shaft would throw it out of phase and as shaft speed increases and max operating angle decreases (3 deg max at 4500 rpm) it would be more noticeable. Take the shaft out and lay it out and see if the joints are in the same plane. Also check the splines on the slip yolk into the tranny, I learned (the hard way) balance shops don't. Also one spline out on the rear shaft slider is enough to throw it out.