4RGSP

I'm at the end of my rope!
I have a 2001 3500 and over the past few months I have been experiencing a loud vibration noise from the front end. It sounds like I'm running over the rumble strip on the side of the road.
I can go 100 miles with no problems and then all of a sudden it starts. It may last a few yards or even a mile. Sometimes it stops all by it self other times I have to take my foot off the peddle and come to a slow roll then it will stop.
I have had the bearings checked, replaced ball joints, and just replaced the track bar.
The only other thing I notice is that at around 60 to 70 I will get a vibration like a tire is out of balance, however not all of the time. I have replaced and rebalanced the tires.
Has anyone dealt with this problem? I'm afraid of going anywhere for fear of an explosion!

pmtg

have you checked your U joints?

4RGSP

according to the service guys, they did. I had one of the U-joints replaced when I had the transmission down last year.
I've been under the vehicle and couldn't get anything to move. Is there some other way to check?

hemertwv

Even though you had your tires balanced, can you try swapping back to front, you could have a tire that is starting to seperate or a broken band. I had a van that I completely rebuild the front end on, everything, bearing, ball joints, tie rods, bushings, and in the end two new front tires was all i needed, and I had the other ones balanced at the start of the process.

4RGSP

I had new tires put on. Still have the problem.

4RGSP

Just moving the thread up. Has anyone come up with more ideas?

4RGSP

Finally took the beast to a Dodge Dealer that sells a bunch of trucks. I guessed that if they sell them they must also work on them.
Anyway, the tech was able to duplicate the noise I've been hearing for months. He took the right front hub off and started to look at the outer axle shaft. It was bad and so was the intermediate shaft. They said that it looked like it was flopping around inside the front end for a while.
So, parts are on order and a $1200 bill due when it's done. They didn't say, but I'm guessing the bearings went bad and the axle started to turn inside of the bearings.